OLYMPIA, Wash. (Legal Newsline)-An official who started his career by working on consumer protection issues at the Washington attorney general's office has been tapped to serve as President Barack Obama's deputy housing secretary.

Longtime King County Executive Ron Sims would oversee daily operations at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the White House announced Monday.

HUD has an annual budget of $39 billion and has about 8,500 employees. Sims's nomination requires confirmation by the U.S. Senate.

Sims, 60, was appointed King County executive in 1996, after then-executive Gary Locke was elected governor. Sims was re-elected as executive in 1997, 2001 and 2005.

"Ron's track record as an innovative leader with an exciting vision for the future of our nation's communities make him the perfect deputy secretary candidate as we tackle the nation's housing crisis amidst the biggest economic downturn in decades," HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan said in a statement.

Donovan said Sims's experience at King County "provides a critical perspective and his collaborative approach to problem-solving has prepared him to effectively lead HUD's operations as the agency charts a new aggressive course."

From Legal Newsline: Reach reporter Chris Rizo at chrisrizo@legalnewsline.com.