John W. Snow was the 73rd Secretary of the Treasury serving from February 2003 until June 2006.
He came to office following a recession, the aftermath of the September 11th terrorist attacks, and the corporate scandals that produced the largest overhaul of corporate governance since the Securities Acts of the thirties. As Secretary, he worked to pass the Jobs and Growth Act of 2003, and later to extend its key features, many of which remained in effect long after he left office. In particular, he was a strong advocate for the lower rates on the taxation of capital income.
63 1/8 x 47 ½ x 3 ½”
His leadership in the financial war on terror was a hallmark of his tenure. He created the new Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, which included the first ever dedicated intelligence unit within a cabinet level finance ministry, and worked to internationalize this critical initiative. America and the rest of the world are safer as a result of these efforts.
He spoke often before Congress of the potential systemic risk posed by housing –related government sponsored enterprises (GSE's), and was tireless in urging adoption of legislation to create a strong regulator to supervise them.
His extensive international economic diplomacy focused attention on the need to address growing global imbalances. These efforts led to heightened focus on this issue by the IMF, and to China taking the historic step in 2005 to introduce a more flexible currency regime.
Through his leadership role in the G-7 and G-8, he broadened participation of emerging market economies, including China, India, Brazil, and South Africa on a regular basis. He played a pivotal role in international efforts to establish a far-reaching plan to completely cancel the burden of international debt on the world's poorest and most heavily indebted countries.
About the Artist
Steven Polson began his formal study at the Art Students’ League in New York City, receiving a Fine Arts degree in 1984 from the Cooper Union for the Advancement for Science and Art. He won numerous awards for his painting, including an Elizabeth T. Greenshields Foundation grant and The Allied Artists of America Gold Medal of Honor. His most recent works in portraiture include three official State Department secretaries’ portraits as well as the official cabinet portraits for the Departments of Commerce, Energy, Transportation and the Environmental Protection Agency. He is represented in numerous private and public collections throughout the United States. His portrait of Secretary John Snow was completed in 2010.