Governor M. Jodi Rell today announced that she will nominate Robert T. Ross, First Selectman of Salem, to be the state’s next Executive Director of the Office of Military Affairs.

 The Office of Military Affairs was created in 2007 to coordinate efforts to prevent the closure or downsizing of the U.S. Navy submarine base in Groton and to serve as liaison to the Connecticut congressional delegation on defense and military issues. The office is also responsible for coordinating programs to support Connecticut’s military families and enhance their quality of life.

The nomination is subject to review by the Legislature’s Executive and Legislative Nominations Committee and a vote by the General Assembly.

Ross, a retired U.S. Navy officer, has served as a spokesman at the Pentagon on defense issues and was the Public Affairs Officer for Submarine Group TWO and Navy Region Northeast. In his last post in the Navy, he was Director of Public Affairs for the United States Sixth Fleet. He is a graduate of Bethany College in Bethany, Okla. He has a master’s degree in security and strategy from the U.S. Naval Command & Staff College and a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Connecticut.

“Bob is an outstanding candidate for this critical post,” Governor Rell said. “His extensive Navy service includes three years at Navy Region Northeast in New London, so he knows very well the vital role that the sub base plays to our national defense and to the economy of our state. Preserving and enhancing that value continues to be one of my top priorities and I know Bob will be a superior advocate for the base, for its importance to southeastern Connecticut and to all of our state.

“His many years as a communications professional and his service as a government leader show he knows how to work with a wide range of people to get things done,” the Governor said. “I am confident the Legislature will swiftly endorse this nomination and I look forward to the contributions Bob will undoubtedly make.”

Ross, 50, also serves as an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Public Policy at the University of Connecticut.

“I am eagerly looking forward to this new challenge,” Ross said. “I am honored by Governor Rell’s nomination and share her commitment to the preservation of the sub base – not just as an essential element of the state’s economy but as a vital part of our national defense. I welcome this opportunity to serve the people of Connecticut.”