Sandy Blitz, a native of Hudson, Maine, has been nominated for the post by the Obama administration.

A Hudson native has been nominated to be the federal co-chair of a commission established to help boost the economy in northern regions of the Northeast. The Obama administration has nominated Sandy Blitz to serve in the post with the Northern Border Regional Commission.

Blitz served as New England Regional Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration from 2007 to 2009. Prior to that, he served as the economic development representative for the Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration. He currently owns a company that helps public and private institutions get grants and loans, according to the Associated Press.

The Northern Border Regional Commission was established last year to help boost jobs, education, healthcare and other things in the 36-county region, as well as develop transportation and telecommunications infrastructure and encourage private investment.

Blitz's nomination, which must be approved by the U.S. Senate, was hailed by Maine Sen. Susan Collins. "I worked closely with Sandy when he was the Regional Administrator at SBA and during his many years at the Economic Development Administration.? Sandy would bring extraordinary talent and experience to the Northern Regional Border Commission because he truly understands the unique economic challenges facing our region," Collins says in a statement.