Albany County Executive Daniel P. McCoy, now a month into his first term as chief executive of the most populous county in the Capital Region, defended his choice for county attorney after a barrage of complaints from the progressive and LGBT communities.

In a statement first published by the Times Union this afternoon, McCoy said that Thomas Marcelle, a senior counsel with the Alliance Defense Fund (an organization labeled to watch for by the Southern Poverty Law Center), was “overqualified for the job of county attorney.”

Marcelle will go before a vote of the full county legislature next week. According to a number of sources, at least 16 legislators out of the 39 will oppose Marcelle’s nomination.

“I have every belief that he will follow the law. During his meeting with the County’s Personnel Committee, he unequivocally stated that he would uphold New York’s new same-sex marriage law should it come before him as a matter of county business. With his commitment to this specific law publicly stated, I don’t believe that we should have a political litmus test for county employment,” said McCoy in a statement.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Empire State Pride Agenda called Marcelle’s appointment an “insult” and would bring “grave danger” to the LGBT community.

“My own personal commitment to equal rights is well documented publicly, as evidenced by my previous support for proposed civil rights and equal protection laws, and by the statement I made last June supporting the passage of marriage equality in New York State,” McCoy continued in the statement.

Before marriage equality was passed by New York in June, County Legislator Bryan Clenahan had proposed a pro-marriage equality declaration before the county legislature – a declaration in which McCoy never signed. McCoy at the time was county legislature chair.

Clenahan, along with fellow legislator Noelle Kinsch and others, made the opinion of Marcelle known as the RFK Democratic Club meeting last week.

The fight over Marcelle’s appointment reached a boiling point earlier this month when Libby Post published stoptommarcelle.com, a web site dedicated to opposing Marcelle’s appointment as county attorney. The county attorney is responsible for legal matters within county government and should not be confused with the duties and responsibilities of the district attorney, who is the county’s chief prosecutor.

“It is unfortunate those who oppose this appointment on personal and political grounds are doing so by seeking to frustrate the equal protection rights of an individual. Albany County is committed to providing and assuring equal opportunity is extended to all persons in employment matters without regard to their race, color, religion, age, national origin, marital status, sex or disability,” McCoy concluded.

It remains seen whether McCoy will consider other potential nominees in the event that Marcelle’s vote fails.

Update (2/2/2012, 2:49 p.m.): Bill Ritchie, President of the Albany County Central Federation of Labor (AFL-CIO), representing 30,000 union members and their families in Albany County, has announced the Federation’s opposition to the proposed appointment of Thomas Marcelle to the position of Albany County Attorney and is urging Albany County legislators to reject this candidacy. This position was adopted tonight by a vote of the delegates at the Federation’s monthly meeting.

“Tom Marcelle is by no means well-qualified for the County Attorney job,” said Ritchie.

“While his competence as a lawyer is not being debated, his lack of experience in matters pertaining to labor law and practice – collective bargaining, public employee contracts, arbitration and initiatives such as project labor agreements–is glaring.”

Apple has officially become the world’s top computer maker, according to research firm Canalys, beating longtime leader Hewlett-Packard.

Canalys included tablet PCs in their calculation, such as Apple’s iPad. The global PC market grew by 16 percent to a total of 120 million computers in the final quarter of 2011.

Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple sold 20.6 million units, compared to HP’s 15.3 million units in the last quarter. Lenovo placed third, selling 13.5 million. Dell and Acer rounded out the top five, with 11.9 million and 11.2 million sold respectively.

The calculation by Canalys could be used by other analyst firms such as Gartner to calculate the total amount of computers sold and used across the world. With more users switching from desktop/laptop-based platforms to a tablet, Apple could in fact be the mainstream maker it has long sought to become.

As the New Jersey Nets prepare to make their move to Brooklyn from New Jersey, using the slogan, “Jersey Strong, Brooklyn Ready,” another major league team is preparing to possibly make a move from “Strong” Island to the borough of Kings.

The New York Islanders announced they will play the first National Hockey League game at Barclays Center, the new multi-million arena in Downtown Brooklyn, on Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2012. Ironically, they will play the New Jersey Devils, who moved from the Izod Center in East Rutherford, N.J. to their own arena in Newark, the Prudential Center. The game will also mark the first ever hockey game played in Brooklyn.

“We’re extremely excited to play the first NHL game in the new, state-of-the-art Barclays Center,” Islanders General Manager Garth Snow said in a statement. “We already have some of the most passionate fans in the league supporting our young team, and we are looking forward to expanding our base into Brooklyn.”

Speculation arising over the Islanders relocation has been fierce since Long Island voters rejected a $400 million bond plan to finance a replacement to Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale. With Barclays Center being able to handle an NHL-regulation ice rink, a move to Brooklyn may be easier for the Islanders than building a new arena or rehabbing the coliseum.

The arena will officially open days earlier, as Jay-Z will play a series of concerts.

“We feel Brooklyn is an untapped hockey market that offers the Islanders with an exciting opportunity to grow its fan base,” Barclays Center CEO Brett Yormark said. “Barclays Center will also afford current Islander fans with great accessibility, as the Long Island Rail Road and nine subway lines will come directly to the arena at the Atlantic Terminal transit hub.”

The on sale date has yet to be announced.

We, as a generally spiteful society, love to see the bad guy get what’s coming to him. And of course, if a gorgeous woman is doling out justice, heap it on! Who didn’t love Kill Bill and apparently someone out there actually liked Colombiana, but my problem with female vengeance stories or female actions stars in general is this: who could actually believe those women could hurt someone?

Now before any women out there get angry, I have to preface this with saying I love ass kicking women in really good action movies. I am simply saying these women tend to be waifish chicks that are in desperate need of a sandwich. I was once an immensely athletic gym rat and when I could (kind of) bench and definitely whoop some butt, I was no wilting flower. Gina Carano is, first of all, gorgeous. Second of all, she is an actual professional MMA fighter with a decent record. I actually went on YouTube and looked up her fights. Every man and woman should be terrified of fighting her.

This was her first big acting gig and a great one at that. Like I have said before, I am a big fan of action movies. This story is a classic one, but is told in a much more original way. Although it is mostly told in flashback: it is blunt, to the point, and gritty. Mallory Kane (Carano), a former Marine and now mercenary, works for a private company run by her former boyfriend Kenneth (Ewan McGregor). In the beginning of the movie, she makes it clear that now that she has left him, she will be leaving the company as well. With his best employee leaving and his company on shaky ground, Kenneth feels spurned to the point of treason and vicious revenge on his former lover.

I liked Ewan McGregor as a bad guy. He is one of my favorites for sure, but usually he is so likable and chivalrous. It was fun to see him as a sniveling and conniving jaded ex. He hires a man named Paul (Michael Fassbender) to kill Mallory under the guise of a friendly Mi6 agent. This had to be my favorite scene in the film. Fassbender and Carano go at each other like wild animals. The fight is brutal and believable. One of my favorite things this film did was not add that cheesy punch sound. They beat the living daylights out of each other in a swanky hotel room. Let’s just say Carano drop kicking him through a glass door was not the worst thing that happens to him.

It’s films like this that make me sad we don’t offer Oscars for fight choreography. Each of the actors, as well as their doubles, moved with grace and fluidity. All I wanted to do was kick box after leaving the theatre. And it isn’t all violence either. Some would say that an MMA fighter can’t act and I would agree for the most part. Carano is no Meryl Streep but the character called for a matter of fact and practical attitude which Carano delivered on fully. I didn’t even mind the usually boring and Ken doll like Channing Tatum. As for the rest of the cast, Michael Douglas was charming and sneaky as the government agent working Kenneth over for Mallory’s sake and Antonio Banderas is well… Antonio Banderas. Enough said. All joking aside though, this is a film that’s short enough to be suspenseful, but long enough to tell a good story. As for the end, let’s just say I hope to see Haywire II in theatres in the next year.

It was a snow-on/snow-off mix on Monday morning as Albany Parking Authority workers began installing the new parking meter machines along Washington Avenue in Albany, between the New York State Capitol and the State Education building.

The machines, installed as part of a larger effort to eliminate metered parking across the City of Albany, allow for credit cards to be used as well. Criticism over the machines stem from the very thing the meters had initially disavowed, which was that downtown workers would stay in prime parking spots near government or office buildings for the entire day, not allowing for visitors to park.

Meter parking still exists along Madison Avenue in Pine Hills and in various mini-sections in Albany.

The Cain Train officially boarded the Newt-mentum Express.

On Saturday, former GOP presidential candidate and business man Herman Cain officially endorsed Newt Gingrich for the Republican presidential nomination. Cain’s endorsement wasn’t unexpected, as Gingrich and Cain had been friendly to each other before and during the campaign season.

Cain’s endorsement helps a Gingrich campaign that looks weary just before the Florida primary against Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, former Penn. Sen. Rick Santorum, and Texas Rep. Ron Paul.

Earlier this month, I was on the uptown campus of my alma mater – the University at Albany – meeting with two friends of mine who still attend the university. Now, this was during what is known as “intersession” – that time between the end of finals in mid December and the return of students on campus in mid January, so the campus was fairly dead.

It was snowing and I decided to park on Dutch lot – I figured I would do this to save the $5 from not parking in one of the newer Visitor’s lots, since I was only going to be on campus briefly.

After meeting with my two friends, I offered to drive one of them back to Empire Commons. We walk back to Dutch lot and find that the car’s gone. Instead of panicking, I knew the culprit immediately.

Parking and Mass Transit Services.

I called their office and asked whether my vehicle had been, in fact, towed by their department. The woman over the phone, in a snide manner, confirmed. I then proceeded to walk over to their trailer of an office. When I entered, I was greeted in a lovely manner by one of their associates (note the deep sarcasm). Their story was that during my time as Director of Programming for the Student Association (in which we brought President Clinton, Barbara Walters, and others to campus), that my account had been tacked on tickets for vehicles registered in the name of the department, not the Student Association.

When pleading with them to instead charge these tickets to Student Association, the woman went on the offense, saying “Well, I don’t know you from anyone.” Not the kindest words, nor even words to be uttered to anyone who went to this campus – considering we pay your salary.

$400 later, I got my car out of Dott’s Garage (who were very nice). The reason why I’m telling you this story is not to simply rant (which I wanted to anyway), but to plead with Albany County and other municipalities to strengthen the anti-towing laws currently in effect. According to the Times Union, a number of landlords and towing companies want to repeal the five-year old “predatory towing” law.

It all comes down to the money. UAlbany’s Parking and Mass Transit Services, in an e-mail sent to both staff and students, said they would start booting cars (yes, now you can get a boot while you educate yourself or go to work) after $100 in tickets incurred. This, of course, from a department that outpaces every other university center or college in the SUNY system in revenue collected.

I spoke to another friend of mine about parking. She once incurred $500 worth of tickets, therefore making education a second priority to of course, paying tickets. She pleaded, cried, and begged for them to negotiate. No answer.

She called her father, who then called their office. He called her back, saying he got them down to $150. So, pretty much, no regard for the student or staff member, but if “Mommy or Daddy” calls, then they bend over backwards. I see.

The problem is what gives an institution or a private company the right to impose this behavior on your own private property. I asked, after the 30 or so minutes debating with one woman and finally asked a reasonable associate at Parking and Mass Transit about their appeal board. She told me, “Well, I can’t tell you who is on the board.”

What?

When did we, I don’t know, completely just not care about open meetings? When I was at Hudson Valley, I served on the parking appeals board – you knew the members, they consisted of students, faculty, and staff members, and the decisions were explicitly stated – not some e-mail that says “your appeal has been denied.” Did you know that they also place a hold after 14 days, regardless of whether or not you have appealed or knew you had a ticket? Again, where is the accountability here.

I normally don’t ask folks to get behind anything, but this is a serious ethical issue that has long range ramifications on the way our institutions and governments earn revenue. If you could, please sign the petition - I appreciate it.

Really, sorry for the rant, but I’m mad and I’m not going to take it anymore.

In fiery remarks at a packed backroom at McGeary’s in Downtown Albany on Monday, Albany City Treasurer Katherine M. Sheehan delivered a terse and direct response to last week’s State of the City address given by Mayor Gerald D. Jennings.

The event, billed as a forum on progressive business ownership, was organized by the Robert F. Kennedy Democratic Club (co-chaired by Maureen O’Brien and Matthew Peter). Since it’s resurrection, the club (which is soon to become a PAC according to Peter) has held forums and rallies that have included speakers such as Sen. Neil Breslin, U.S. Rep. Tonko, and others.

Sheehan, who was elected city treasurer against longtime incumbent Betty Barnette in 2009, said that the city “cannot hope to eliminate our budget deficit, revitalize our neighborhoods or reduce property taxes if we continue to engage in magical thinking that all is well in our city.”

Prior to elected office, Sheehan served as general counsel and corporate secretary for Intermagnetics General Corporation before the company was acquired by Philips Electronics. Undoubtedly tying in her previous technology sector experience, Sheehan also called for the creation of a city chief information officer to manage information technology needs in city government.

“As the heart of Tech Valley, we should be at the forefront of smart government. It is time to hire a CIO who can centralize our IT services and rapidly put us on a path to smart technology investment,” said Sheehan.

On education in response to Jennings appointing University at Albany President George M. Philip and College of St. Rose President R. Mark Sullivan to co-chair a committee to structure a new curriculum for Albany High School, Sheehan says that the curriculum design must be “headed by our independent City School District.” In attendance and adjacent to Sheehan was Daniel Egan, the president of the Albany City Schools board.

Both Philip and Sullivan have announced their retirements in the last few months, so it would be unclear whether their successors would continue to be involved.

The remarks followed speeches given by local business owners Anton Pasquill and Sarah Gordon. Pasquill, who owns the Hudson River Coffee House on Quail Street, said that the most often-asked question he gets is why he opened a business in the middle of what some call “the student-ghetto.”

“Most of the time, I give a flippant response. I cite insanity or wanting to avoid looking for a job. The truth is, like any entrepreneur, I saw opportunity,” said Pasquill.

Gordon, who’s the daughter of recently retired Albany County Legislator Alexander “Sandy” Gordon, operates the Helderberg Marketplace that prides itself on organic, farm-fresh produce items that can be delivered to area residents.

With the event’s background focused on building up neighborhoods and the Albany community through smart development, Sheehan concluded that Albany’s best days are yet to come.

“Our brightest days can be ahead of us, but only if we are willing to work together, face our challenges head on and create a City government that works for everyone.”

It’s a crazy awards season, folks. This year, the list of films and actors that would be nominated for Oscars wasn’t as glaringly obvious as it’s been in years past. There are so many “very good” films, and not the usual stack of five or six great ones to choose from.  We believe the nominees are more exciting this year than ever, as many more films were in contention for the coveted nominee spots. In fact, several films that critics were sure would be included were almost completely left out (Young Adult, Drive), and there were films that no one thought would be included that were (Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close…this year’s The Blind Side. Our theory is that old white men in the Academy have a weird thing for Sandra Bullock). The Oscars, thanks to the recent, confusing addition of many smaller films and indie releases getting big, critical praise, as well as the decreasing relevance of the Golden-Globes-as-Oscar-predictor, are pretty up in the air, and as movie fans with a vested interest in watching Hollywood react to its own, incestuous, self-congratulatory traditions,  who could ask for anything more?

So with that, Knickerbocker Ledger’s two self-proclaimed resident People Who Like To Tell You Their Opinions About Movies, Cait Rooney and Robin Zlotnick, give you our Oscar Predictions…

Read more

Steve Jobs’s widow Laurene Powell Jobs and San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro are among the select few to be invited to sit with First Lady Michelle Obama at tonight’s State of the Union speech.

Each year since the early 1980s under First Lady Nancy Reagan, the White House has invited ordinary citizens, members of the armed forces, business leaders, and other dignitaries to sit with the First Lady as the President delivers their annual State of the Union address each January.

The box is located on the second tier of the House of Representatives chamber at the U.S. Capitol.

Castro, the mayor of one of Texas’s largest cities and seen as a potential Democratic challenger to Gov. Rick Perry in 2014, is only second as Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa as the chief executive of a major U.S. city from Latino descent.

Powell Jobs was the wife of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. Jobs passed away this past October due to complications from pancreatic cancer.

Mark Kelly will also attend, who is the husband of soon-to-be-retired Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.

Joining the guests will be Second Lady Dr. Jill Biden and Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett.

Information about each invitee (via the White House):

SGT Ashleigh Berg, USA – Malibu, Calif.

SGT Ashleigh Berg is from Malibu, California, and joined the United States Army in July of 2004.  SGT Berg has been stationed in South Korea and Germany, and has served two tours of duty in Iraq.  Her husband, SGT Matthew Berg, USA is currently deployed to Afghanistan on his 3^rd combat tour.  SGT Berg is currently assigned to the 94^th Army Missile Defense Command in Fort Shafter Hawaii, and is serving a three year tour as the Commanding General’s Executive Administrative assistant.

Alicia Boler-Davis, Plant Manager, General Motors Orion Assembly – Detroit, Mich.

Alicia Boler-Davis lives in Detroit with her husband, Fitzgerald, and their two young sons.  She is the plant manager at General Motors Orion Assembly and Pontiac Stamping, and is responsible for overseeing the production of the first new small car program from General Motors to be manufactured in the United States.  Last October, Ms. Boler-Davis led President Obama and President Lee of South Korea on a tour of the General Motors Orion Assembly and Pontiac Stamping.  President Obama and President Lee traveled to the GM plant to highlight the free trade agreements and the resurgence of the American auto industry.

Debbie Bosanek, Assistant, Berkshire Hathaway – Bellevue, Neb.

A Nebraska native, Debbie Bosanek has worked for Berkshire Hathaway for 37 years and has been Warren Buffett’s secretary for almost two decades.  Last September, the President proposed the “Buffett Rule” as part of comprehensive tax reform, and is working to build an economy that works for everyone, including Americans like Ms. Bosanek, not just a wealthy few.  Ms. Bosanek lives in Bellevue, Nebraska with her husband of 23 years and their son, and spends most of her time and energy trying to keep up with her boss.

Jackie Bray, Process Operator at the Siemens Charlotte Energy Hub – King’s Mountain, N.C.

Jackie Bray is a single mother from King’s Mountain, North Carolina.  Last January she was laid off from her job as a high speed packaging mechanic.  That is when she enrolled in Central Piedmont Community College to prepare for Siemens pre-hiring test.  After finishing the course and passing the test, Ms. Bray was hired by Siemens in August of 2011. This type of partnership between businesses and community colleges is exactly what President Obama hopes to strengthen to maximize workforce development strategies, job training programs, and job placements.  Ms. Bray now works as a process operator, combining her machinist background with new skills she has been trained on since working at Siemens: laser training, robotics training, penetrant inspection training, and product orientation.

Mayor Julián Castro – San Antonio, Tex.

Mayor Castro was first elected mayor of San Antonio in 2009 and at 37 years old is the youngest mayor of a top 50 American city. He is a former city councilman and founder of a law firm. He graduated from Stanford University and earned his J.D. from Harvard Law School in 2000. During his Administration, the Milken Institute ranked San Antonio as the best-performing city in the nation in 2011. In January 2012, Mayor Castro announced that CPS Energy, a municipally-owned utility, has entered negotiations to bring at least 800 jobs and $100 million in capital investment to San Antonio. This is expected to be one of the nation’s largest solar projects resulting in 400 megawatts of zero-emissions solar energy.

Bruce Cochrane, President and CEO of Lincolnton Furniture, Lincolnton, N.C.

Bruce Cochrane comes from a family that has manufactured furniture in North Carolina for decades, but when Cochrane Furniture was sold in  1997,  the new owners moved manufacturing to China. Two years ago, Mr. Cochrane decided the time had come to start his own furniture company back in his home state. In January 2012, production began at Lincolnton Furniture in the same plant his family once ran. Lincolnton Furniture is expected to add 130 new jobs to the area.  Mr. Cochrane attended President Obama’s Insourcing American Jobs Forum earlier this month.

Sara Ferguson, Teacher, Columbus Elementary – Parkside, Penn.

Sara Ferguson teaches literacy and math at Columbus Elementary, and has worked for the Chester Upland School District for 20 years.  She is a third generation educator in Chester Upland, and a proud product of that district.  When the Chester Upland School District faced bankruptcy earlier this year in light of severe state budget cuts, Ms. Ferguson vowed to continue teaching even without being paid, saying “we are adults; we will make a way. The students don’t have any contingency plan. They need to be educated, so we intend to be on the job.”

Dr. Hiroyuki Fujita, Founder, President and CEO Quality Electrodynamics – Cleveland, Oh.

Dr. Hiroyuki Fujita is founder, president and chief executive officer of Quality Electrodynamics (QED), in Cleveland, Ohio. Coming to America from Japan in 1988 and after receiving his Ph.D. in physics from Case Western Reserve University in 1998, Dr. Fujita chose to continue his professional training in America.  In 2006 he started his own company, QED, which is a developer and manufacturer of highly proprietary state-of-the-art MRI radiofrequency antennas. QED is now one of the world’s largest suppliers of these products and ships throughout the globe.  In 2010, Dr. Fujita founded his second company, eQED, a solar energy-related electronics development and manufacturing company.  With the founding of both QED and eQED, today Dr. Fujita is creating high tech, advanced manufacturing jobs in the healthcare and energy sectors in the United States.

Mahala Greer, Student – Denver, Colo.

Mahala Greer grew up in Paonia, a small town in rural Colorado.  She is currently a student at the University of Colorado Denver majoring in Spanish, and has just been accepted into Teach for America as a Bilingual Education Corps Member.  In May she will graduate with more than $35,000 in student loans. Last October, Ms. Greer introduced President Obama when he spoke to students at CU Denver about how his Administration is working to make college more affordable and reduce student loan debt.

Adrienne Howard – San Diego, Calif.

Adrienne Howard is a military spouse from Lynchburg, Virginia, and currently lives in San Diego, California with her three children.  Her husband, Commander Colby Howard, USN, is currently on a seven month deployment. Mrs. Howard has moved 14 times during her husband’s career, and their oldest child has attended 9 different schools along the way.  For nearly 20 years, she has been heavily involved as a volunteer in family readiness groups and Navy spouse organizations.  This past September, Mrs. Howard was inspired by First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden’s Joining Forces initiative to reach out to her community, and the response was overwhelming.  Mrs. Howard shared her story of rallying her community to ‘adopt’ a Sailor on the Joining Forces Blog.

Mike Krieger, co-founder, Instagram – San Francisco, Calif.

Mike Krieger is the co-founder of Instagram, the fastest growing social mobile startup in the U.S. today, with over 15 million registered users. Mike was born in São Paulo, Brazil, and moved to California in 2004 to attend Stanford University, where he studied computer science and cognitive science. In 2010, he joined up with Kevin Systrom to co-found Instagram, and now employs a talented, growing team of designers and engineers. After graduation, Mr. Krieger worked for a year on his student F-1 visa, later applying for and receiving an H-1B visa as a high-skill worker.  Mr. Krieger wants to permanently stay in the U.S. and has applied for a green card.

Captain Mark Kelly, USN, Ret.

Mark Kelly is an American astronaut, retired US Navy Captain, best-selling author, and an experienced naval aviator who flew combat missions during the Gulf War. The winner of many awards, including the Legion of Merit, two Defense Superior Service Medals and two Distinguished Flying Crosses, Kelly was selected as an astronaut in 1996. He flew his first of four missions in 2001 aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour, the same space shuttle that he commanded on its final flight in May 2011. He has also commanded Space Shuttle Discovery and is one of only two individuals who have visited the International Space Station on four different occasions.

Already a celebrated American, Kelly became the center of international attention after the January 2011 assassination attempt on his wife, US Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. In their best-selling memoir, Gabby, the couple shares their story of hope and resilience with the world.

Lorelei Kilker, Analytical Chemist – Brighton, Colo.

Lorelei Kilker is an analytical chemist for an environmental laboratory, and lives in Brighton, Colorado with her domestic partner and their two children.  In October of 2011, Ms. Kilker was one of a class of women who benefitted from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) investigation of alleged systematic sex discrimination at her former employer that resulted in the award of back wages and significant remedial relief, arrangements that were achieved through a cooperative process between the employer and EEOC.  Since the creation of the President’s Equal Pay Task Force in January 2010, EEOC obtained almost $50 million in monetary relief through administrative enforcement for victims of sex-based wage discrimination, obtained changes to workplace practices that benefit over one quarter of a million workers, and filed five cases including sex-based wage discrimination claims.

Admiral William McRaven, USN

Admiral McRaven assumed command of the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) on June 13, 2008. Prior to assuming command, he served from June 2006 to March 2008 as commander, Special Operations Command Europe (SOCEUR). In addition to his duties as COMSOCEUR, he was designated as the first director of the NATO Special Operations Forces Coordination Centre (NSCC), where he was charged with enhancing the capabilities and inter-operability of all NATO Special Operations Forces.

Adm. McRaven has commanded at every level within the special operations community, including assignments as deputy commanding general for operations at JSOC, commodore of Naval Special Warfare Group 1, commander of SEAL Team Three, task group commander in the CENTCOM area of responsibility, task unit commander during Desert Storm and Desert Shield, squadron commander at Naval Special Warfare Development Group, and SEAL platoon commander at Underwater Demolition Team 21/SEAL Team 4.

Adm. McRaven’s diverse staff and interagency experience includes assignments as the director for Strategic Planning in the Office of Combating Terrorism on the National Security Council Staff, assessment director at U.S. Special Operations Command, on the Staff of the Chief of Naval Operations and the chief of staff at Naval Special Warfare Group 1.

Adm. McRaven’s professional education includes assignment to the Naval Postgraduate School, where he helped establish and was the first graduate from the Special Operations/Low Intensity Conflict curriculum.

Joan Milligan – Orlando, Fla.

As deep rooted Orlando, Florida, residents, Joan Milligan and her husband Bill share a strong commitment to their community and volunteering.  Faced with losing their home, President Obama’s Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) allowed Joan and her husband to refinance their existing loan when other means of refinancing were not open to them. As Mrs. Milligan has said, “I can’t believe how easy the process was.  The bank bent over backwards to accommodate us”.  The Milligans will celebrate 50 years of marriage in October 2012.

Amber Morris, Attorney – Virginia Beach, Va.

Amber Morris, a Virginia Beach resident, responded to the White House’s call in December asking Americans “What does 40 mean to you?” saying, “Forty dollars a pay check means that I’ll be able to pay my bills, but most months it’ll be a tight squeeze.  It means that I’ll have no spending money which means I can’t do my part in encouraging my local economy.  Forty dollars a paycheck may not seem a lot, but it could mean a steady job for me and my coworkers or unemployment.”  Ms. Morris graduated from Northeastern Law School in 2008 and found herself unable to find a job in her field.  She was working for a non-profit in Boston, but after they lost funding she found herself unemployed in 2009 and forced to move back home with her parents. She’s since found work as a waitress in a local restaurant and although it’s less than ideal, she feels “lucky to have paycheck” to help pay student loans and help save up for the Virginia bar exam.

Laurene Powell Jobs, Founder and Chair of Emerson Collective – Palo Alto, Calif.

Ms. Laurene Powell Jobs is founder and chair of Emerson Collective, an organization focused on harnessing the potential of individuals from underserved communities to help them build a better life.

Ms. Powell Jobs also serves as president of the board of College Track, an after-school program she founded in 1997 to prepare underserved high school students for success in college.  Started in East Palo Alto, College Track has expanded to serve students in Oakland, San Francisco, New Orleans and Aurora, Colorado.  The program’s intensive academic and extracurricular program is designed to ensure admittance to and graduation from college.  All of the program’s graduates have completed their secondary education and gone on to college.

In addition to her work with the Emerson Collective and College Track, she serves on the boards of directors of NewSchools Venture Fund, New America Foundation and Conservation International. She also serves as a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Ms. Powell Jobs holds a BA and a BSE from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.  Earlier in her career, she spent several years working in investment banking and later co-founded a natural foods company in California.

Adam Rapp – Fall Creek Township, Ill.

Adam Rapp lives in Fall Creek Township, Illinois, and is the only child of Stephen and Lisa Rapp.  On his 23^rd birthday, he was diagnosed with cancer, and without the Affordable Care Act he would have lost health insurance coverage the same day.  Adam’s mother wrote President Obama a letter last May thanking him for passing the health reform law so that her son could remain on their health insurance policy. After undergoing treatment, Mr. Rapp is now cancer-free and engaged to be married to Adrienne Mast of Quincy, Illinois.

Juan Jose Redín, Attorney – North Hollywood, Calif.

Juan Jose Redín was born in Ixtapan de la Sal, Mexico before coming with his mother and younger sister to the United States at the age of 10. After enduring many challenges throughout his journey to achieve his dream of higher education. Juan benefited from California’s Assembly Bill 540 and was able to enroll, and excel, in his studies at UCLA. He received both his undergraduate (with honors) and law degrees from UCLA. Now a US citizen and a practicing attorney, Juan is as passionate as ever about ensuring educational access to all.

Bryan Ritterby, Lab Technician – Holland, Mich.

Bryan Ritterby had been in the furniture manufacturing industry for more than 25 years working on the manufacturing floor, in the quality department and as a field service representative, but was laid off in February of 2009.  Mr. Ritterby then went through the Grand Rapids Community College Composite Technician Training Program in conjunction with a new start-up company, Energetx Composites.  Upon completion of the program, Mr. Ritterby was hired by Energetx Composites as a composite technician in April of 2010.  Today, Mr. Ritterby is a Lab Technician for Energetx Composites conducting material tests in the company’s laboratory verifying materials to be used in wind turbine blades, as well as working on blade validation tests for all of the community scale wind blades Energetx is manufacturing.

Colonel Ginger Wallace, USAF – McLean, Va.

Colonel Ginger Wallace is an Air Force intelligence officer who has led airlift and intelligence operations during Operations SOUTHERN WATCH, PROVIDE RELIEF, UPHOLD DEMOCRACY, ALLIED FORCE, ENDURING FREEDOM and IRAQI FREEDOM. She currently lives in McLean, Virginia with her partner of over a decade, Kathy Knopf.  In December, Ms. Knopf attended Col. Wallace’s promotion ceremony and participated in the “pinning on” of Col. Wallace’s rank, marking the first such event reported following the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”  Col. Wallace is currently training to deploy to Afghanistan in the Spring 2012 through the Afghanistan-Pakistan Hands program.