On July 23, 2013, Thomas Edward Perez was sworn in as the Secretary of Labor for the United States of America. A fitting apex to a career in public service, from his efforts in civil rights enforcement to consumer protection, Perez has spent his entire life laboring for the public good.

Thomas Perez was born and raised in Buffalo, New York. The child of Dominican immigrants, he was the youngest of four brothers and sisters. Perez received his Bachelor of Arts in international relations and political science from Brown University in 1983, but it was no cake walk. He put himself through Brown with the help of scholarships, grants and jobs as a trash collector and in a warehouse. However, his pursuit of higher education did not stop there. He would go on to Harvard Law School and obtain his Juris Doctor with the highest honors. Add to that a Masters of Public Policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government in 1987 and you have an educational trifecta.

In the workforce Perez’s drive and work ethic was no different. He began his law career as a law clerk for Judge Zita Weinshienk of the United States District Court. Perez then spent 12 years in federal public service, from 1989 until 2001. The majority of his time was spent at the United States Department of Justice as a federal prosecutor for the Civil Rights Division. From 1995 until 1998, Perez also served as Special Counsel to the late Senator Edward Kennedy, and was Senator Kennedy’s principal adviser on civil rights, criminal justice and constitutional issues.

After his time at the Department of Justice, Perez returned to academia as a law professor at the University of Maryland School of Law, but the lure of fighting the good fight would prove to be too strong. Perez would eventually return to his civil rights roots and serve as Assistant Attorney General in the Civil Rights Division where he would tackle issues such as voter identification laws and even an investigation into to local Florida authorities handling of the Trayvon Martin case.

Then in March 2013 came “the call” — a nomination by President Obama to serve as the U.S. Secretary of Labor for the departing Hilda Solis. At the announcement of Perez’s nomination President Obama best summarized his choice: “Like so many Americans Tom knows what it’s like to climb the ladder of opportunity….his story reminds us of this country’s promise. If you’re willing to work hard, it doesn’t matter who you are, where you come from, what your last name is, you can make it if you try. Tom’s made protecting that promise for everybody the cause of his life.” For this life long effort in protecting this promise we recognize Thomas Perez.