As the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Manufacturing, Chandra Brown oversees a broad portfolio of programs aimed at increasing the international competitiveness of U.S. manufacturers. Managing a staff of over 70 international trade professionals, she is responsible for boosting U.S. exports of manufactured products, helping to create and support jobs for American workers.

Strengthening the global competitiveness of U.S. manufacturing is essential to the Obama Administration’s agenda for economic growth and prosperity. In 2012, exports of U.S. manufactured products supported 7.3 million American jobs, an increase of more than 20 percent from when President Obama took office. In addition to increasing overall domestic manufacturing and emphasizing innovation in manufacturing, Ms. Brown is committed to increasing the exports of small and medium-size businesses given their pivotal role in generating jobs for American workers.   

Ms. Brown brings many years of private sector manufacturing experience to the Commerce Department. Prior to joining the Administration, she worked for Oregon Iron Works, where she most recently served as Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of its subsidiary, United Streetcar, the first U.S. manufacturer to create a modern streetcar in more than 60 years. She was appointed to the U.S. Manufacturing Council by former Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke in 2010 and served as its vice-chair.

Ms. Brown has received numerous awards, including White House Champion of Change in 2011 and the Right Stuff Award from the Apollo Alliance in 2010. She was named one of the 50 most influential Portlanders in 2012 and received her Master of Business Administration from Miami University in Oxford, OH.