President Barack Obama will nominate Sally Jewell, CEO of outdoor equipment retailer REI, to succeed Ken Salazar as interior secretary, Reuters reports.
Jewell initially joined Recreation Equipment Inc.’s board of directors in 1996 and became chief operating officer in 2000 before elevating to the CEO post in 2005.
If confirmed by the Senate, she will lead a department responsible for managing land containing 30 percent of the nation’s oil and gas production and 40 percent of the nation’s coal, according to Reuters.
She has served on the National Parks Second Century Commission, which Reuters reports was started to help shape the future of the National Parks System.
Reuters reports Jewell also served as leader with the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust, an initiative aimed at developing green corridor around the Puget Sound to inland Washington State.
