Cast of Characters
Ron Sims Named Deputy Secretary of HUD
By Ed O'Keefe
President Obama has nominated Ron Sims, county executive of King County, Wash., to become the deputy secretary at the Department of Housing and Urban Development, responsible for HUD's day-to-day activities.
"Ron's track record as an innovative leader with an exciting vision for the future of our nation's communities make him the perfect deputy secretary candidate as we tackle the nation's housing crisis amidst the biggest economic downturn in decades," HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan said in a statement.
"I am deeply grateful and overwhelmed by his trust and confidence in me," Sims said earlier today at his Seattle office, adding he hopes to address inequities faced by urban residents.
Elected to the King County Council in 1985, Sims was appointed county executive in 1996 when then-Executive Gary Locke was elected Washington governor. Sims won election to the position in 1997 and was reelected in 2001 and 2005. Last year he was named American City & County Magazine's County Leader of the Year in recognition for his work on urban environmental, health and transportation issues. King County includes the cities of Seattle, Bellevue and Redmond and is the 13th most-populous county in the nation with 1.8 million residents.
If confirmed by the Senate, Sims will manage the department's approximately $39 billion operating budget. He would also lead an agency criticized for acting too slowly to address the nation's foreclosure crisis.
Sims is a graduate of Central Washington University, where he served as student body president. He later worked on consumer protection issues at the Washington State Attorney General's office and the Federal Trade Commission.
Posted at 5:32 PM ET on Feb 2, 2009
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