President Barack Obama on Friday
nominated two openly gay men to serve as ambassadors, bringing the
total number of nominees to five.
Obama named James “Wally” Brewster,
Jr. to be ambassador to the Dominican Republic and John Berry to be
ambassador to Australia.
The nominations were announced along
with 13 additional posts.
“These men and women have
demonstrated knowledge and dedication throughout their careers,”
Obama said in a statement. “I am grateful they have chosen to take
on these important roles, and I look forward to working with them in
the months and years to come.”
Brewster is a senior managing partner
for SB&K Global in Chicago, while Berry is the former director of
the Office of Personnel Management. During his tenure, Berry was
considered the highest-ranking openly gay official in the Obama
administration. He left the post in April after 4 years of service.
The president previously nominated
three openly gay men to serve as ambassadors: James Costos (Spain),
Rufus Gifford (Denmark) and Daniel Baer (Organization for Security
and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)).