Seattle area official picked as No. 2 at HUD

President Obama announced Tuesday that he will nominate Ron Sims, county executive of King County, Wash., to be deputy secretary at the Housing and Urban Development Department.

Sims will oversee day-to-day operations, a $39 billion operating budget and HUD's 8,500 employees, per a White House press release.

Sims is in his third term as the top official in King County, which encompasses Seattle and ranks as the 13th most populous county in the nation, with an annual budget of $4.9 billion and more than 13,000 county employees.

HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan said in the press release that he is "thrilled and honored that Ron has agreed to be considered for this role," adding that "he is the perfect person to help HUD return to national leadership on metropolitan planning.

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