Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr. today appointed Peter James Gravett as Secretary of the California Department of Veterans Affairs. Gravett, of Rolling Hills Estates, is a retired major general with more than 35 years of commissioned service in the California National Guard with service in ten countries. He has been the state chair for the Southern California Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Committee since 2007. He is currently a principal business associate at Traiden Global Solutions, where he has worked since 2008.

Previously, Gravett served as president and chief executive officer of Gravett and Associates from 2002 to 2008. Before retiring from the Guard, he served as commander of the 40th Infantry Division from 1999, when he was promoted to major general, to 2002, becoming the first African-American division commander in the 225-year history of the United States National Guard. In this role, Gravett served a dual assignment in Kiev, Ukraine with the Partnership for Peace program.

Previously, Gravett served as assistant division commander-support from 1996, when he was promoted to brigadier general, to 1999. In 1990, Gravett was promoted to colonel, and he served as commander of an armor brigade from 1993 to 1996, and division chief of staff from 1990 to 1993. He served as division provost marshal, military police battalion commander, armor battalion commander, division civil-military operations officer and armor brigade executive officer after he was promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1981.

As a major, from 1976 to 1980 Gravett served as an assistant division logistics officer and a division transportation officer. From 1974 to 1975 he served as a logistics officer, intelligence officer and acting operations officer. Gravett also served as an armored cavalry troop commander from 1971 to 1974. He began his commissioned service as a military police platoon leader and an armored cavalry troop platoon leader in 1968.