The U.S. Senate has confirmed a former Indiana mayor for a senior position in the U.S. Department of Commerce.
President Barack Obama nominated former Bloomington Mayor John Fernandez in July to become assistant secretary of commerce for economic development. The Senate approved Fernandez for the position on Thursday.
Fernandez said in a statement that he looked forward to working to promote innovation and restore economic growth in communities throughout the country.
Fernandez was Bloomington’s mayor from 1996 to 2003 and was the 2002 Democratic nominee for Indiana secretary of state, losing that race to Republican Todd Rokita. Since leaving office, Fernandez had worked for an Indianapolis law firm and had been a partner of Bloomington-based First Capital Group.
© 2009 Associated Press. Displayed by permission. All rights reserved.
