Bush to nominate Homeland Security official as Navy secretary

President Bush on Friday announced that he intends to nominate Gordon England as Navy secretary, a position England held for two years until he left in January to join the new Homeland Security Department as deputy secretary.

England would replace Acting Secretary Hansford Johnson. Colin McMillan, nominated by Bush in May as secretary, committed suicide at his New Mexico ranch on July 24. McMillan, who had cancer, was head of the Permian Exploration Corp., an oil company based in Roswell, N.M.

England will remain at Homeland Security until President Bush nominates a new deputy secretary, according to department spokeswoman Rachel Sunbarger.

After his Jan. 30 Senate confirmation, England helped build a solid foundation for the fledgling Homeland Security Department, Secretary Tom Ridge said in a statement.

England "is an exemplary public servant and true patriot," Ridge said. "His experiences with mergers and the establishment of complex management and organizational systems has been critical to the effective start of the new department."

During his previous tenure as Navy secretary, England focused on modernizing equipment and preparing service members to meet post-Sept. 11 defense challenges on a tight budget.

England left a 35-year career at General Dynamics Corp. in 2001 to become Navy secretary. He served as the Falls Church, Va.-based defense contractor's executive vice president from 1997 to 2001.