U.S. President Barack Obama today announced his pick for a new Secretary of the Interior. Sally Jewell, the CEO of Recreational Equipment Inc. (REI), will be nominated by the president to head up the U.S. Department of the interior. If confirmed, Jewell will replace former U.S. senator Ken Salazar, who currently holds the position.

“…even as Sally has 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,” said Obama. “She is committed to building our nation-to-nation relationship with Indian Country. She knows the link between conservation and good jobs. She knows that there’s 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. She has shown that a company with more than $1 billion in sales can do the right thing for our planet.

The Department of the Interior manages and conserves federal resources, including 500 million acres of public land and national parks. It also oversees the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs, which operates programs for Native Americans, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians.

“I have a great job at REI today, but there’s no role that compares than the call to serve my country as Secretary of the Department of Interior,” said Jewell. “I’m humbled and I’m energized by this opportunity, and I look forward to getting to know members of the Senate as they consider my nomination in the coming weeks.”

Jewell has been CEO of REI since 2005. Since that time, the consumer cooperative has nearly doubled its sales from $1 billion to almost $2 billion and added 71 stores across the U.S.

(Image courtesy REI)