The nomination of Thomas Marcelle, County Executive Daniel P. McCoy‘s pick for Albany County Attorney, passed the Albany County Legislature Monday night in a vote of 27-10 with two abstentions.

Marcelle, who had been most recently the senior counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund, said that the vote was “a great moment for Albany County.” Over 125 residents and onlookers were in attendance for the standing-room-only meeting in the legislature’s newly renovated chamber at the Albany County Courthouse.

“This is about my qualifications, they know my capabilities,” said Marcelle after the vote.

Marcelle’s nomination for the $110,000-a-year post had been met with opposition in the last few weeks, cap-stoned by the creation of stoptommarcelle.com by LGBT activist Libby Post (Post was not present at the vote).

The votes in the opposition included legislators Doug Bullock, Frank Commisso, Bryan Clenahan, Chris Higgins, Raymond Joyce, Noelle Kinsch, Lucille McKnight, Tim Nichols, Joe O’Brien, and Phil Steck.

“This is about a basic vision of government, this is why I have a problem with this nomination,” said Clenahan.

“(Tom) Marcelle does not use judgment, does not understand ‘one man, one vote’,” said McKnight. McKnight alluded to the comments made by former Albany Common Council Member and 2009 mayoral candidate Corey Ellis, who called for a more diversified county government. ”We continue to not embrace diversity,” said Ellis.

“I applaud the legislature for its determination to advance my appointments after an exhaustive vetting process,” said McCoy in a prepared statement. McCoy was not present for the vote.

During the public comment period – which lasted about two hours – the entire first hour of comments were all in favor of Marcelle.

“The county executive is entitled to his county attorney. That should be the issue. Nothing else,” said former county legislator Nancy Wiley.

Bill Ritchie, a labor activist and the president of the Albany Central Federation of Labor, was the first to speak in opposition to the appointment.

“This nomination could have united us, instead of dividing us,” said Ritchie.

Marcelle’s nomination culminated a nearly month long fight between allies of McCoy and the progressive community, who has cited concern over the “closeness” between McCoy Democrats and the Albany County Conservative Party led by Richard Stack.

“I do not support of the arraignment between McCoy and the Conservative Party. I do not support the arraignment between Chairman Morse and the Conservative Party. And I do not support the arraignment between Mike Connors with Conservative Party,” said Steck, referring to all three elected officials taking on the Conservative Party line in addition to running as Democrats.

“I said when I took office that I will run this county as a business and that I will appoint the most qualified individuals to help me lead, based upon their history of accomplishments rather than their political or personal ideology. I will continue to govern by that standard in the best interest of the people who elected me,” McCoy continued.

McCoy’s campaign manager, Tom Nardacci, chimed in on the Marcelle nomination on Twitter, saying “For the record, 99.97% of Albany County residents aren’t paying attention to #albmarcelle. It’s twitter spam at this point.” Nardacci is also the president of Gramercy Communications.

In addition to Marcelle, the legislature unanimously approved Darrell Duncan of the Town of New Scotland as Commissioner of the Department of Public Works and Kathleen Dalton of Colonie as the Commissioner of the Department of Social Services.

Photo Credit: DCA Photos

The vote for Albany County Attorney, the $110,000-post that County Executive Daniel P. McCoy hopes that attorney Thomas Marcelle will fill, is tonight at the Albany County Courthouse in Downtown Albany.

The 39-member legislature will begin public comment at 6:30 p.m. and will vote on the nomination later tonight in what is expected to be a lengthy session (the Working Families Party has set up a Facebook event for the public hearing for more information).

Marcelle’s nomination came under fire in the past few weeks, stemming from Marcelle’s connections to the Alliance Defense Fund, a “servant organization that provides the resources that will keep the door open for the spread of the Gospel through the legal defense of religious freedom, the sanctity of life, marriage  and the family,” according to their website.

LGBT activist Libby Post, who is also the CEO of Communication Serivces, set up a website in opposition to Marcelle’s nomination. StopTomMarcelle.org calls for “McCoy to withdraw this nomination and if he refuses for the members of the Albany County Legislature to vote against it. No member of the Albany County Legislature, who is pro-choice, pro-equality, and pro-separation of church and state, should vote in good conscience be able to vote for this nomination.”

In recent days, elected officials outside of the legislature have gotten involved, with Marcelle “has a record of supporting attacks on the rights of women and the LGBT community,” according to Albany City Treasurer Katherine M. Sheehan in a statement via e-mail and on Facebook.

“Surely the spirit of bi-partisanship cannot cause us to relinquish our core Democratic values. As Democrats, how can we allow a far right social conservative like Mr. Marcelle to hold such a crucial policy posiiton in our County,” said Sheehan.

“Albany and New York State have come a long way since then when it comes to advancing human rights and embracing diversity. We must continue to move forward in these respects, not turn the clock back. That’s why I’m deeply troubled by the appointment of Thomas Marcelle to be Albany County Attorney,” said Albany Common Council President Pro Tempore Richard Conti.

Marcelle’s nomination process has been at the forefront of the new McCoy administration, in which at one point the county named Marcelle as county attorney in their phone directory (after our report on the matter, the phone directory was changed to ‘vacant’).

We will have continuous coverage of the Marcelle nomination tonight – check our Twitter or the hashtag #ALBMarcelle.

At Brooklyn Borough Hall on Thursday night, legislative leaders were lauded as part of an awards ceremony for the New York State Federation of Hispanic Chambers of Commerce, highlighting the impact that small businesses and Latinos have in the changing face of American business.

“Hispanic business must be at the table, because the demographics are changing,” said U.S. Representative Nydia Velasquez (D-N.Y.). According to Velasquez, Latino small businesses grew by 43 percent nationally.

The federation, established in 1983, aims on providing a collective voice for Latino business owners.

In addition to Velasquez, Assemblyman Peter Rivera, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz and Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer also gave remarks.

“I’m Scott Stringer and I represent the suburbs of Brooklyn,” joked Stringer. Stringer applauded Speaker Christine Quinn’s plan to turn the Brooklyn Navy Yard into a design center.

“Any candidate for public office knows they need to habla es espanol,” said Markowitz.

Ken Adams, the executive director of the Empire State Development Corporation, was present – consistently getting friendly jabs over development opportunities in Brooklyn.

Sen. Dean Skelos (R-Rockville Centre) was introduced by Sen. Martin Golden (R-Brooklyn).

“We want to make sure the Latino community has the opportunity to create businesses,” said Skelos, the Senate Majority Leader.

Skelos’s attendance at the event is no doubt is an attempt to forge Republican control within the Latino business community.

In a statement posted on Facebook late Wednesday night, Albany Common Council President Pro Tempore Richard Conti joined the opposition to the appointment of Thomas Marcelle as Albany County Attorney.

“My political involvement in Albany politics began as an LGBT activist in 1987. Albany and New York State have come a long way since then when it comes to advancing human rights and embracing diversity. We must continue to move forward in these respects, not turn the clock back. That’s why I’m deeply troubled by the appointment of Thomas Marcelle to be Albany County Attorney,” said Conti in the statement.

Conti joins fellow LGBT activist Libby Post, the Empire State Pride Agenda, and the progressive community in it’s opposition to the appointment of Marcelle to the $110,000-a-year post.

County Executive Daniel P. McCoy has remained steadfast in his defense of Marcelle, saying to the Times Union that the attacks on Marcelle were “politically motivated.” Supporters of Marcelle include the Ephesian House, the Capital City Rescue Mission, among others.

Conti, who represents Albany’s Center Square neighborhood, was first elected in 1997 to the Common Council.

Here’s the full statement.

“My political involvement in Albany politics began as an LGBT activist in 1987. Albany and New York State have come a long way since then when it comes to advancing human rights and embracing diversity. We must continue to move forward in these respects, not turn the clock back. That’s why I’m deeply troubled by the appointment of Thomas Marcelle to be Albany County Attorney.

 

Mr. Marcelle’s affiliation with the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) should give serious pause for concern. The ADF is an organization that seeks to deny equality to members of the LGBT community, to deny a woman the right to choose, and to end the separation of church and state. This is some of the language (from their website) the ADF uses to divide us and malign the LGBT community:

 

“The homosexual legal agenda is one of the greatest threats to religious freedom in America today. For decades, radical activists, led by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and its allies, have tried to divorce America from its Christian heritage and values. Their strategy is twofold: dilute moral values so that homosexual behavior is thought to be normal, natural, and good, while suppressing the religious and free speech rights of those who disagree. If they successfully impose their radical legal agenda, then all people – especially Christians – who do not affirm homosexual behavior could be silenced, punished, and possibly even jailed for so-called discrimination and intolerance.”

 

Some have argued that the County Attorney’s position is not a policy making position, and therefore Mr. Marcelle’s views and past affiliations are not a relevant consideration. I disagree.

 

The County Attorney is head of a public law firm that represents the residents of Albany County, is responsible for enforcing our laws and provides legal advice to the County Executive and County Legislature. Appointment and confirmation of the County Attorney is akin to a client seeking legal representation; you want to seek the best attorney or firm possible, but you also want an attorney or firm that represents your values.

 

My concern with this confirmation does not relate to a disagreement on policy; however, the affiliation with an organization that vehemently seeks to divide is contrary to the progress we’ve made and to our collective values.

 

I do not support Mr. Marcelle’s nomination as County Attorney and urge the County Legislature to reject this nomination.

In the same spirit as “Dewey defeats Truman,” the Albany County phone directory lists Thomas Marcelle as County Attorney.

One problem though: Marcelle hasn’t been confirmed yet by the Albany County Legislature.

The directory, last updated on January 31, 2012, lists Marcelle as county attorney even as his nomination for the $110,o00-yearly position won’t hit the full floor of the county legislature until February 13, 2012 – nearly a week away. The legislature’s personnel committee voted 7-1 to send Marcelle to the full chamber without it’s endorsement.

The phone directory, which lists every county office, department, and officeholder, failed to include recently elected Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple. On another county website, it lists Craig Denning, the former county attorney, as the current.

Marcelle’s nomination as county attorney has met significant opposition from progressive and gay-rights groups, in which the Empire State Pride Agenda listed the nomination as “dangerous” to the gay community.

Update (5:23 p.m.): Albany County updated their directory to now list the County Attorney as “vacant.”

The news cycle for the next few days is going to be dominated with stories saying something like “Mitt Romney regains momentum with Florida win!”  However, if you read between the lines and pay attention to the numbers, you’ll see Willard has done nothing more than stop Newt Gingrich.  Considering the former Speaker’s past record, this isn’t exactly a challenge.  Arguably, he has not regained any momentum.

Ever since Iowa, the campaigns have gone full tilt negative.  For the duration of the GOP primary, especially in Florida, the message of each GOP candidate has been something like “Trust me, you don’t want to vote for my opponent… and here’s why.”  Unfortunately for the GOP, all of the candidates, past and present, have a lot to contribute to the “here’s why” section.  Whether it’s Mr. Gingrich pretending to be the moral values candidate, Mr. Santorum with his, ahem, “pro-issue” legislative record, Mr. Paul who belongs in the Libertarian Party, and Mr. Romney who invented the flip flop, the potential GOP nominees have a plethora of baggage.

The negative ads are backfiring on the candidates too.  The caveat with negative advertising is that you hurt yourself a little bit as well as doing damage to your opponent.  Mr. Romney, whose approval ratings were pretty low to begin with, is taking a hit.

The weak field is not happening by chance.  The Obama campaign recognized and acknowledged early on that the economic conditions of the country were going to make for a tough re-election bid.  They have been taking an active role in the primary as demonstrated here, here, and my personal favorite here.  The Obama campaign got out in front of the GOP field in an attempt to define their opponents early on, a strategy seen in recent campaigns such as Senator Harry Reid’s successful re-election last year.  This is at least partially why stronger GOP candidates are staying out of the race, such as Gov. Mitch Daniels or Gov. Chris Christie.

I’ll leave you with this thought.  A new Public Policy Poll shows President Obama up 8 points on Mitt Romney in Ohio and up by 12 on Newt Gingrich.  Can someone remind me who the last Republican was who won a Presidential campaign without Ohio?  I certainly wasn’t alive yet.

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.”

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.

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.

U.S. Senator Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) suffered a stroke over the weekend, first reported by the Chicago Tribute.

“On Saturday, Senator Kirk checked himself into Lake Forest Hospital, where doctors discovered a carotid artery dissection in the right side of his neck,” said Kirk’s office in a statement.

“(Kirk) was transferred to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, where further tests revealed that he had suffered an ischemic stroke,” it said. “Early this morning, the senator underwent surgery to relieve swelling around his brain stemming from the stroke. The surgery was successful.”

“Due to his young age, good health and the nature of the stroke, doctors are very confident in the Senator’s recovery over the weeks ahead,” his office continued.

Kirk entered the U.S. Senate in 2010, succeeding Roland Burris. Kirk’s seat had been previously President Barack Obama’s Senate seat.