President Barack Obama on Thursday announced the nomination of Cameron Kerry, the brother of Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), to be general counsel at the Commerce Department. Kerry is currently a partner in the Boston office of Mintz Levin, a national law firm, and has practiced for more than three decades as a communications lawyer and a litigator, according to a statement by the White House.

Obama also announced that Jon Wellinghoff, currently serving as acting chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, will be designated as chairman.

And the president nominated two people to serve as agency legislative affairs chiefs. Obama nominated Elizabeth King, an aide to Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) to be the Defense Department assistant secretary for legislative affairs. He tapped Gabriella Gomez, an adviser to Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.) to serve as the congressional liaison for the Department of Education.