Senate Committee to Review Williams' Nomination
WASHINGTON -- A confirmation hearing is scheduled for Dec. 17 on former Youngstown Mayor Jay Williams’ nomination to head the Economic Development Administration in the U.S. Commerce Department.
The U.S. Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works will consider President Obama’s nomination of Williams to serve as assistant secretary of commerce for economic development at the hearing, scheduled for 2:30 p.m.
Williams, who endorsed Obama early in the 2008 primaries and campaigned on his behalf, said he is unable to comment on the confirmation process.
Elected as Youngstown mayor in 2005 running as an independent and re-elected running as a Democrat in 2009, Williams was appointed director of the Department of Labor’s Office of Recovery for Auto Communities and Workers in 2011. He also served for a time as deputy director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs concurrent with his Labor Department post. He was nominated to the Commerce post in September.
U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., is chairwoman of the committee, which has 18 members. U.S. Sen. David Vitter, R-La., is the committee's ranking Republican.
Before his election as Youngstown mayor, Williams served as the city’s community development director. He also was an executive with First Place Bank in Warren and an examiner for the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland. Williams graduated from Youngstown State University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration.
Copyright 2013 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
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