President Obama on Wednesday announced that he is nominating Sally Jewell, the CEO of outdoor gear giant REI, to succeed outgoing Interior Secretary Ken Salazar.
“I am extraordinarily proud to nominate another strong and capable leader to take the reins at Interior,” Obama said when introducing Jewell at the White House Wednesday afternoon.
“Sally has helped turn a stalling outdoor retailer into one of America’s most successful and environmentally conscious companies,” Obama said.
He called for a quick Senate confirmation.
“Even as Sally spent the majority of her career outside of Washington, where I might add, the majority of our interior is located, she is an expert on the energy and climate issues that are going to shape our future,” Obama said.
“She knows the link between conservation and good jobs,” he said. “She knows that there is no contradiction between being good stewards of the land and our economic progress, that in fact those two things need to go hand in hand.”
Jewell is the first new female cabinet nominee for Obama's second term. The president has come under some criticism for not nominating more women to his cabinet, though officials have said the cabinet will become more diverse as it is filled out.
For more on Obama's nomination, click " href="/%7Bflowplayer%20size=580x326%20img=/images/stories/videos/2012/10/19_McCainFox/McCainFox.jpg%7Dmp4:images/stories/videos/2012/10/19_McCainFox/McCainFox%7B/flowplayer%7D">here.
