Obama picks female business executive for Interior

Washington, Feb 6 (AFP) President Barack Obama will seek to add another woman to his cabinet today by picking business executive Sally Jewell to head the vast Interior Department, a White House official said. Obama, who has been criticised for naming middle-aged white men to top jobs in his second term team, has pledged to promote diversity in his other picks, and has now settled on several prominent females. If confirmed by the Senate, Jewell � who heads Recreational Equipment Inc., an outdoors retail chain � will succeed Ken Salazar at Interior, which manages US national resources, wildlife, tribal issues and national parks. "With years of experience managing a nearly USD 2 billion a year company, 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," a White House official said. Obama had been under pressure to add more diversity to his new cabinet after picking Chuck Hagel, John Kerry and Jack Lew, to serve as the secretaries of Defence, State and Treasury. In January, Obama nominated high-powered New York prosecutor and organised crime buster Mary Jo White to lead the Securities and Exchange Commission to implement his Wall Street reforms. (AFP) KKM KUN 02070135 NNNN