In a move that surprised many, President Obama has nominated REI chief executive Sally Jewell to replace Ken Salazar as the next Secretary of the Department of Interior. Salazar announced in January that he would be stepping down by the end of March.
Jewell is an engineer by trade, and has previously worked in both the banking and energy industries. Conservation groups have expressed support for her nomination, and no major opposition to her nomination has emerged to date.
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will hold a confirmation hearing and a vote on her nomination in the coming weeks. Ranking Member Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) has taken a measured approach to Jewell’s nomination, stating that she looks forward to “hearing about the qualifications Ms. Jewell has that make her a suitable candidate to run such an important agency…” Former Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne, a Republican, recognized Jewell’s love of the outdoors as an asset for the Department.
The Department of the Interior oversees one-fifth of U.S. lands spanning 14 time zones. Agencies within the Department include the National Park Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, and U.S. Geological Survey, among others.