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Subscribe to RSSUpdated 10:36 am ET, Feb. 6. President Obama will nominate the head of the outdoor retail chain REI to head up the Interior Department. The president will make the nomination official during a 2:00 pm ET announcement from the White House.
The choice of CEO Sally Jewell is an unconventional one, as the post has been filled in the past by politicians from the West. For example, the last five secretaries have been governors of Idaho and Arizona, a senator and attorney general from Colorado, and a congressman from New Mexico.
If confirmed by the Senate, Jewell would be the second woman to fill the post being vacated by former Sen. Ken Salazar (D-CO), who announced he would step down last month. Obama has taken some criticism for not replacing outgoing, high-level women in his cabinet with women.
Jewell, a former banking executive and petroleum engineer, began her career as an engineer for Mobil. She worked in the fields of Oklahoma, spending three years there after receiving her degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Washington.
That's not going to be a problem, though, it appears. The League of Conservation Voters came out in support of her.
"Sally Jewell has a unique appreciation for public lands and has been nationally recognized for her conservation efforts. She's the right choice to promote conservation and protect America's national treasures," League of Conservation Voters President Gene Karpinski said in a statement. "We look forward to working with her and thank Secretary Salazar for his leadership over the last four years."
She took over at REI in 2005.
NBC's Peter Alexander reports that a White House official says Jewell's management experience of a $2 billion company makes her "uniquely qualified."
"She will bring to the position integrity, keen management skills, as well as dedication to the Department's mission of managing our nation's lands," the official said, touting her "commitment to conservation."
The official adds, "Conservation has been a central principal of Sally's life, both personally and professionally. She believes deeply in the American tradition of preserving our nation's wild places, while also understanding firsthand the inextricable link between conservation and the economy. She also believes we must be good stewards of our nation's natural resources, underscoring the Administration's ongoing priority of expanding safe and responsible energy production, beginning her career as an engineer for Mobil Oil Corporation.
The official also notes Jewell being "a key contributor to the establishment and implementation of the President's America's Great Outdoors program. In 2011, Sally introduced President Obama at the White House conference on 'America's Great Outdoor Initiative,' noting that the $289 billion outdoor-recreation industry is the source of 6.5 million jobs."
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OMG - a woman. GOP heads will explode. Popcorn popping on the apricot tree. We can only hope this woman is an environmentalist vs. a survivalist. All we need is a Leona Helmsley, er em, Carly Fiorina, or in other words, a woman competent at filling her pockets whilst driving a great company into the ground, at the head of an important agency.
Why would they explode? The GOP knows women better than anyone else! They love women! They have binders full of women! ☺
game kid
I am a conservative and I vote republican. I don't care what binder Obama chose this woman from. If she is qualified for the job than I commend Obama for his pick. But the only way to find out is to question her past performances in the work she has done. Do you think that would be a good idea or do you think that anyone Obama selects should just automatically get the job? I would think that progerssive/liberals would be having a fit right now because she is a former banking executive and she worked for Mobile Oil. But sometimes people on the left don't give a rats rear end what a person does if they vote democrat. Pathetic lefties today, don't you think?
dbl post
Nailed it JH.
I do not know the woman, but she is head of REI and that is tops with me. RWNJ's take a hike.
Why don't YOU Exito stage left.
At this point I think she's a good choice and a welcome change.
JH-4799999 - Your post shows how little you actually know about "lefties".
The story does not say much about who this person is. She worked for Mobil? A Conservationist? That is vague at best.
Conservation means "Wise Use". Just ask any conservative.
From what she said, it seems that "commercialization of wildlife" will be her first concern, It is good for the economy ?
conservation is good for the economy?
Questioning a nomonee's past performance did not stop Hillary "Mrs.Impeached" Clinton from being nominated and confirmed. it is "a vast right wing conspiracy". correct? and the Attorney General is still in Criminal Contempt of Congress.
Obama* paid a $375,000.00 fine for his campaign violations in the 2008 election, and the news of that was withheld from the public untill after the 2012 election.
This is payback to someone.
Thank you President Obama! The GOP will go nuts that you picked a woman!
Ah, I wish he would have taken Raul "the Toad" Grijalva off our hands.
And he thinks this woman is qualified for this position? Yes I could tell by the experience she has already had with the REI.
Not.
And yes I am a Democrat and a woman, these so called "appointments to appease" do nothing for women that have worked years in their fields to comman respect.
This brainless appointment is surely a payback to somebody.
"Brainless" appointment, her accomplishments and credentials beg to differ--check out her bio. Smart woman.
I've read her bio; engineering degree, camping enthusiast, successful banker, CEO. She sounds like an excellent choice.
Fellow Dennis
Of course she is an excellent choice. It's for that very reason that the Republicans, baggers and cons will hate her. If nothing else their pathological hatred of all things, ideas and Cabinet nominations by President Obama will come b bubbling to the surface once again.
If nothing else they are incredibly predictable.
Dennis Price - Please tell us which baggers and cons will hate her. Or did you just pull that out of your rear end?
I'll tell you who is predictable. People like you. No thought, just hatred for anyone who doesn't think like you. This country will do much better without mindless followers of the progressive/liberal agenda.
JH
It's just that you and your fellow minions are so predictable. I have zero hatred for you. That would mean that you actually register on my radar as being meaningful. No such luck.
Just witness what happens in the next few hours and days when all you guys come out from under the appliances. The storm of hatred will me impressive. We'll be hearing from baggers Limbaugh, Hannity and faux. Like I said, you're predictable.
What is it with you lack of imagination types that you're using everything we've ever said about you to say to us? Are you that devoid of imagination. Are you that vacuous and hollow? That's the problem with you guys on the right. You're completely devoid of original thinkers and imaginative ideas. You have become hollow and empty vacuum. Unfortunately all that vacuum sucked in were those like you.
Ah Dennis, "Minions" says it all, derogatory and demeaning post belies your disclaimer of hating, so sad, but not unexpected.
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Excellent choice! Way to go Pres.!!! Pick a qualified woman to command this post, and watch the GOP/TP"s collective heads explode! This should be interesting to watch?
Congratulations on being selected for this post, Sally Jewell, you will do a magnificent job!!! I just know it!!!
When the press writers compose articles for the public, they are blindly providing initials for agencies or businesses, without first providing what these initials stand for.
earlyn
Which initials? If it's REI that's the company she heads up. Please be specific.
I agree. I would venture most people know the company as REI and have no idea what it stands for. Had they lead with Recreational Equipment Inc., most people would have to think a bit before knowing it was REI. REI is what they use on all their signs.
Plus, they have great, high quality equipment.
I like the idea of having somebody in there that is actually familiar with our great National Parks and forests. I think it's an incredible choice.
I suggest Sally jewell to convert to judaism ASAP.
That is the only way republicans will not harass her in the confirmation hearings.
Seriously fugly woman. Obviously, Moochelle is picking the fugly ones. All she has
is an undergrad degree in engineering. No qualifications required for Skeeter's cabinet.
Nasty.
Urban Roman wrote - "Seriously fugly woman. Obviously, Moochelle is picking the fugly ones."
Seriously that's the best you can do? You win for the most infantile comment of the day, hands down.
Since most of us aren't likely to know much, if anything, about this pick we should wait for the hearings to see what she is all about. This should be interesting.
REI stands for Recreational Equipment, Inc. You libtards are morons.
She actually got booted for incompetence 4 weeks ago, nice acquisition, Skeeter.
Can't find anything regarding getting "booted" cite source please. Why the name calling?
Mooshell - hahaha. Oh, Urban Roman. When you change people's names to something so clever it just cracks me up. I used to do the same thing in third grade and it was sooo funny. Shouldn't you be getting back to your elementary school now? It could be nap time...
It was actually "Moochelle", which determines your parroting skills have waned.
The hive is calling, did you get today's subject email from MSNBC? It seems
Feisty and Piggy are on vacation. I hope it is Acapulco!
Read her bio, impressive--credentials and experience worthy of being appointed, can't wait to watch the confirmation process and the smear to start--anyone the President appoints to his cabinet gets the spin and twist treatment. We all know the Republicans hate the Interior Dept., by tomorrow the chorus of demeaning and derogatory comments will commence--tomorrow is here, started already with the nasty posts.
@skyParrot,
Unfortunately, I have to agree with you. I wish they wouldn't live down to my expectations like they do.
REI is a good company, and they are paying her a fortune to leave. Yeah, she's qualified.
roman
As usual, nothing intelligent or meaningful from the likes of you.
Do you really believe a person (male or female, it doesn't matter) with an expertise in retail and pushing 'no motorized travel in the forest' will actually understand how to manage this country's natural resources? Just forget about oil drilling, logging, mining and taking any kind of motorized devices into our national forests from now on.
I think HELL has frozen over. I know and have worked with Sally Jewel and she is a brilliant choice. I never thought I would EVER say those words when it came to anything having to do with Barack Obama.
She cares deeply for the environment, is educated and active on environmental issues--and has extensive business experience not only as head of REI but her work as a banker and with Mobil as a petroleum engineer. SHe understands both sides. She is level-headed, fair-minded and VERY smart--and most importantly NOT an academic spouting theory with no REAL world experience. Bravo Obama maybe there is hope for you yet.
What is her religion?
It would be very nice if she is muslim.
Sure...her first job is to find a suitable park for Mount Obama.
The leading narcissist must have a monument, ride Sally, ride.
OK Roman, I get it. You're actually a leftie assigned to make the right look like idiots. Well done, VERY well done!