With Nancy Sutley joining Team Obama as chairwoman of the Council on Environmental Quality, she becomes the first prominent, openly gay or lesbian to join the Cabinet.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/detail?blogid=14&entry_id=33670&type=gaylesbianAs of December 10, 2008, Sutley became President-elect Barack Obama's pick to lead the White House Council on Environmental Quality.<2> She was an EPA official during the Clinton administration, including being a special assistant to the EPA administrator in Washington.
Sutley is the first prominent gay person to earn a senior role in Obama's new administration.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nancy_SutleyPresident-elect Barack Obama on Dec.15 formally announced his first high-ranking openly gay appointee, naming Los Angeles deputy mayor Nancy Sutley as chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality.
Sutley, 46, is deputy mayor for Energy and Environment for the City of Los Angeles. She was, according to ABC News, a member of Hillary Clinton’s LGBT steering committee in California. She served in the administration of President Bill Clinton as a senior policy advisor to the Environmental Protection Agency’s regional administrator in San Francisco.
<.....>
Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund President Chuck Wolfe called the nomination "another step toward full equality for gay Americans."
"It sends a signal to young people," he said, "that they can participate in their government at its highest levels, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender or ethnicity."
"I think we ought to celebrate it," said Virginia Apuzzo, a former assistant to the president for management and administration in the White House during the Clinton administration. Apuzzo said Sutley "will most certainly have the ear of the President’s top folks."
"She will have the opportunity to be seen and heard on an important issue," said Apuzzo.
http://www.baywindows.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=glbt&sc2=news&sc3=&id=84795President-elect Barack Obama has selected a deputy mayor of Los Angeles to lead the White House Council on Environmental Quality, transition officials said Wednesday.
Nancy Sutley is the first prominent member of the gay and lesbian community to earn a senior role in the Democrat's new administration.
http://www.pridesource.com/article.shtml?article=33334The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) is a division of the White House that coordinates federal environmental efforts in the United States and works closely with agencies and other White House offices in the development of environmental and energy policies and initiatives.
The United States Congress established the CEQ within the Executive Office of the President as part of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). Additional responsibilities were provided by the Environmental Quality Improvement Act of 1970.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_on_Environmental_Quality