Don Beyer
Encyclopedia
Donald Sternoff "Don" Beyer, Jr. (born June 20, 1950) is the U.S. ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein. In addition, he owns automobile dealerships in Virginia, and has a long record involved in community, political and philanthropic work.
From 1990–98 he served as Lieutenant Governor of Virginia
as a Democrat
during the gubernatorial administrations of Democrat Doug Wilder (1990–1994) and Republican George Allen (1994–1998).
, Italy, the son of U.S. Army officer Don Beyer and his wife, Nancy. The oldest of six children, he was raised in Washington, D.C. In 1968 he graduated from Gonzaga College High School
, where he was salutatorian
of his class; in 1972 he graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Williams College
, magna cum laude, in economics. Beyer was a presidential scholar in 1968, and was a National Merit Scholarship winner. He graduated from a winter Outward Bound
course at Dartmouth College
in January 1971, and attended Wellesley College that year as part of the "12 College Exchange" program.
He is also credited with writing the original welfare reform legislation in Virginia.
Beyer was the Democratic nominee for governor in 1997, losing in the general election to Republican
James S. Gilmore III. He served as Finance Chairman for Mark Warner
's Political Action Committee, "Forward Together" and as the National Treasurer for the 2004 presidential campaign of former Vermont Governor Howard Dean
.
During 2007–08, he endorsed and campaigned extensively for President Barack Obama
, for whom he also raised more than $500,000 in donations. He was appointed by the Democratic National Committee to serve at the 2008 DNC Convention on the Credentials Committee.
Following the 2008 election, President-elect Obama asked Beyer to head up the transition team at the Commerce Department.
Obama nominated Beyer for the post of United States Ambassador to Switzerland on June 12, 2009. In December 2010 Beyer attracted public attention when it was reported that he had warned the Swiss government against offering asylum to Wikileaks
publisher Julian Assange
.
, Land Rover
, Kia
, Volkswagen
, and Subaru
car dealerships in Northern Virginia
. He is the immediate past chair of the National Volvo Retailer Advisory Board.
In 2006, he served as chairman of the American International Automobile Dealers Association
.
Beyer served as a member of the board of Demosphere International, Inc., a leading soccer registration software provider. He also is a board member of History Associates, which bills itself as "The Best Company in History." He has served on the Virginia Board of First Union National Bank, the board of Shenandoah Life Insurance Company, and the board of Lightly Expressed, a fiber optic lighting design and manufacturing firm.
. He has received numerous awards and honors, including the Grand Award for Highway Safety from the National Safety Federation; the James C. Wheat, Jr. Award for Service to Virginians with Disabilities; and the Earl Williams Leadership in Technology Award.
He currently chairs the board of the Alexandria Community Trust, Alexandria's community foundation, and the board of Jobs for Virginia Graduates, the state's largest high school dropout prevention program. He is past president of the board of Youth for Tomorrow, Washington Redskins
' coach Joe Gibbs
' residential home for troubled adolescent boys and girls. He also serves on the board of the DC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy.
Beyer and his wife, Megan
, along with his two younger children, Clara and Grace, currently live in Bern, Switzerland. In addition, he has two adult children, Don and Stephanie from a previous marriage.
From 1990–98 he served as Lieutenant Governor of Virginia
Lieutenant Governor of Virginia
The Lieutenant Governor is a constitutional officer of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Lieutenant Governor is elected every four years along with the Governor and Attorney General. The office is currently held by Republican William T. Bolling. The governor and lieutenant governor are elected...
as a Democrat
Democratic Party of Virginia
The Democratic Party of Virginia is based in Richmond in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is affiliated with the national Democratic Party of the United States. The organization is governed by a State Party Plan, which guarantees an open and fair candidate selection process...
during the gubernatorial administrations of Democrat Doug Wilder (1990–1994) and Republican George Allen (1994–1998).
Early life
Beyer was born in TriesteTrieste
Trieste is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is situated towards the end of a narrow strip of land lying between the Adriatic Sea and Italy's border with Slovenia, which lies almost immediately south and east of the city...
, Italy, the son of U.S. Army officer Don Beyer and his wife, Nancy. The oldest of six children, he was raised in Washington, D.C. In 1968 he graduated from Gonzaga College High School
Gonzaga College High School
Gonzaga College High School is a Jesuit high school for boys located in Washington, D.C. The school is named in honor of St. Aloysius Gonzaga, an Italian saint from the 16th century...
, where he was salutatorian
Salutatorian
Salutatorian is an academic title given, in the United States and Canada, to the second highest graduate of the entire graduating class of a specific discipline. Only the valedictorian is ranked higher. This honor is traditionally based on grade point average and number of credits taken, but...
of his class; in 1972 he graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Williams College
Williams College
Williams College is a private liberal arts college located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States. It was established in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams. Originally a men's college, Williams became co-educational in 1970. Fraternities were also phased out during this...
, magna cum laude, in economics. Beyer was a presidential scholar in 1968, and was a National Merit Scholarship winner. He graduated from a winter Outward Bound
Outward Bound
Outward Bound is an international, non-profit, independent, outdoor educationorganization with approximately 40 schools around the world and 200,000 participants per year...
course at Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
in January 1971, and attended Wellesley College that year as part of the "12 College Exchange" program.
Political career
During his tenure as Lieutenant Governor he served as president of the Virginia Senate. He chaired the Virginia Economic Recovery Commission, the Virginia Commission on Sexual Assault, the Virginia Commission on Disabilities, the Poverty Commission and was co-founder of the Northern Virginia Technology Council, an outgrowth of the Chamber of Commerce. He was active in promoting high-tech industries, and lead the fight to eliminate disincentives in the Virginia Tax Code to high-tech research and development.He is also credited with writing the original welfare reform legislation in Virginia.
Beyer was the Democratic nominee for governor in 1997, losing in the general election to Republican
Republican Party of Virginia
The Republican Party of Virginia is the Virginia chapter of the Republican Party. It is based in the Richard D. Obenshain Center in Richmond in the Commonwealth of Virginia.- Organization and candidate selection :The State Party Plan...
James S. Gilmore III. He served as Finance Chairman for Mark Warner
Mark Warner
Mark Robert Warner is an American politician and businessman, currently serving in the United States Senate as the junior senator from the Commonwealth of Virginia. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Warner was the 69th governor of Virginia from 2002 to 2006 and is the honorary chairman of...
's Political Action Committee, "Forward Together" and as the National Treasurer for the 2004 presidential campaign of former Vermont Governor Howard Dean
Howard Dean
Howard Brush Dean III is an American politician and physician from Vermont. He served six terms as the 79th Governor of Vermont and ran unsuccessfully for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination. He was chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2005 to 2009. Although his U.S...
.
During 2007–08, he endorsed and campaigned extensively for President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
, for whom he also raised more than $500,000 in donations. He was appointed by the Democratic National Committee to serve at the 2008 DNC Convention on the Credentials Committee.
Following the 2008 election, President-elect Obama asked Beyer to head up the transition team at the Commerce Department.
Obama nominated Beyer for the post of United States Ambassador to Switzerland on June 12, 2009. In December 2010 Beyer attracted public attention when it was reported that he had warned the Swiss government against offering asylum to Wikileaks
Wikileaks
WikiLeaks is an international self-described not-for-profit organisation that publishes submissions of private, secret, and classified media from anonymous news sources, news leaks, and whistleblowers. Its website, launched in 2006 under The Sunshine Press organisation, claimed a database of more...
publisher Julian Assange
Julian Assange
Julian Paul Assange is an Australian publisher, journalist, writer, computer programmer and Internet activist. He is the editor in chief of WikiLeaks, a whistleblower website and conduit for worldwide news leaks with the stated purpose of creating open governments.WikiLeaks has published material...
.
Business interests
Beyer and his younger brother, Michael, are the owners of nine VolvoVolvo
AB Volvo is a Swedish builder of commercial vehicles, including trucks, buses and construction equipment. Volvo also supplies marine and industrial drive systems, aerospace components and financial services...
, Land Rover
Land Rover
Land Rover is a British car manufacturer with its headquarters in Gaydon, Warwickshire, United Kingdom which specialises in four-wheel-drive vehicles. It is owned by the Indian company Tata Motors, forming part of their Jaguar Land Rover group...
, Kia
Kia Motors
Kia Motors , headquartered in Seoul, is South Korea's second-largest automobile manufacturer, following the Hyundai Motor Company, with sales of over 1.4 million vehicles in 2010...
, Volkswagen
Volkswagen
Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
, and Subaru
Subaru
; is the automobile manufacturing division of Japanese transportation conglomerate Fuji Heavy Industries .Subaru is internationally known for their use of the boxer engine layout popularized in cars by the Volkswagen Beetle and Porsche 911, in most of their vehicles above 1500 cc as well as...
car dealerships in Northern Virginia
Northern Virginia
Northern Virginia consists of several counties and independent cities in the Commonwealth of Virginia, in a widespread region generally radiating southerly and westward from Washington, D.C...
. He is the immediate past chair of the National Volvo Retailer Advisory Board.
In 2006, he served as chairman of the American International Automobile Dealers Association
American International Automobile Dealers Association
The American International Automobile Dealers Association is a United States lobbying force dedicated to the economic and political interests of America's international nameplate automobile dealers...
.
Beyer served as a member of the board of Demosphere International, Inc., a leading soccer registration software provider. He also is a board member of History Associates, which bills itself as "The Best Company in History." He has served on the Virginia Board of First Union National Bank, the board of Shenandoah Life Insurance Company, and the board of Lightly Expressed, a fiber optic lighting design and manufacturing firm.
Community, family, personal
During nearly three decades of community activism, he has taken leadership roles on the boards of many business, philanthropic and public policy organizations, including the Virginia Commonwealth Transportation Board, the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce and the American Cancer SocietyAmerican Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society is the "nationwide community-based voluntary health organization" dedicated, in their own words, "to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from cancer, through research, education, advocacy, and...
. He has received numerous awards and honors, including the Grand Award for Highway Safety from the National Safety Federation; the James C. Wheat, Jr. Award for Service to Virginians with Disabilities; and the Earl Williams Leadership in Technology Award.
He currently chairs the board of the Alexandria Community Trust, Alexandria's community foundation, and the board of Jobs for Virginia Graduates, the state's largest high school dropout prevention program. He is past president of the board of Youth for Tomorrow, Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
' coach Joe Gibbs
Joe Gibbs
Joe Jackson Gibbs is a former American football coach, NASCAR Championship team owner, and two time NHRA Pro Stock team owner. He was the 20th and 26th head coach in the history of the Washington Redskins...
' residential home for troubled adolescent boys and girls. He also serves on the board of the DC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy.
Beyer and his wife, Megan
Megan Beyer
Megan Beyer is an American journalist, commentator and civic leader, and is a regular panelist on To the Contrary, a weekly news-analysis program airing on more than 251 public television stations in the United States, in Canada, and internationally on Worldnet Television.-Early life and...
, along with his two younger children, Clara and Grace, currently live in Bern, Switzerland. In addition, he has two adult children, Don and Stephanie from a previous marriage.