Jeffrey David Cox Sr., a 61-year-old nurse and North Carolina native, takes over as president of the American Federation of Government Employees Thursday after beating three rivals in a union election Wednesday.

Cox, better known as “J. David,” succeeds John Gage, who retired after nine years leading the largest federal worker union.

“Strategically, we’re going to take this union to a much higher level,” Cox said in an interview Wednesday night after the ballots were counted in Las Vegas, where AFGE is holding its annual convention.

He won with 51 percent of the vote, beating Alex Bastini, president of AFGE Local 12, which represents Labor Department employees; Phil Glover, on the union’s Council of Prison Locals; and Paul Ferris, representing Department of Defense workers.

Bastini came in second with 24 percent of the vote; Glover third with 22 percent and Ferris last with 1 percent.

AFGE has 277,000 active members. Cox, who grew up in a “very anti-union” community and now lives in downtown Silver Spring, said his chief goal is to raise the visibility of the union at a time when federal workers are coming under fire from many Republicans.

“People need to understand the value government employees provide for this country,” he said. He served the union as secretary-treasurer, the second in command, for six years.

Cox said AFGE has endorsed President Obama for reelection and he plans to campaign actively for the Democratic ticket this fall.

He said his management style will differ from that of Gage, a charismatic but brash leader.

“I have more of a participatory-type management style,” Cox said.

“I think trying to build common ground is a much better way to go.”

In other races for AFGE’s leadership posts, Eugene Hudson, Jr. was elected secretary-treasurer to replace Cox, and Augusta Thomas was reelected vice president of women’s and fair practices.

Walter Reed Army Medical Center closed down operations during summer 2011, moving its outpatients to new facilities at Bethesda and Fort Belvoir. Originally, the plan was conceived by the Defense Department as a way to reduce traffic congestion in the area, though the move increased Bethesda’s workforce by 44 percent.

Research done by Walter Reed found a slight decrease in vehicle traffic during peak morning and evening rush hours after the consolidation. However, conflicting research done by outside traffic analysts found that the decrease could be a result of vehicles overclogging the roads, allowing fewer drivers to reach points measured in the research.

Concern has also grown over the demand for parking at the Bethesda Naval Hospital, as an investigation has begun on the usage of fake parking permits by some employees.

How has this medical consolidation worked for employees? Has your commute been affected? Has service member medical care improved?

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The General Services Administration is freezing federal travel per diem rates for fiscal year 2013, the agency announced Tuesday.

The agency predicts freezing per diem rates at 2012 levels will save an estimated $20 million in avoided costs, according to an agency statement. The freeze will go into effect Oct. 1, the beginning of the federal fiscal year.

In May, the Office of Management and Budget issued a government-wide memorandum ordering agencies to cut travel spending by 30 percent below fiscal year 2010 numbers.

“GSA is undergoing a rigorous review process to find ways in which we can streamline agency operations and save money across the government,” said Acting Administrator Daniel Tangherlini. ”By keeping per diem rates at current levels, we are supporting federal agencies in controlling costs and ensuring that taxpayer dollars are used wisely.”

The Department of Veterans Affairs spent $5 million—and set aside $4 million more — last year for two training conferences whose organizers are under investigation for breaking ethics rules by improperly accepting gifts, congressional committees and government sources said Monday.

The agency’s inspector general is investigating whether event planners and other organizers of the conference for human resources employees improperly accepted alcohol, concert tickets and spa treatments. Investigators also are looking into tens of thousands of dollars spent on promotional items for conference attendees, government sources said.

A total of about 1800 VA employees attended the four-day events, held in July and August 2011 at the Marriott World Center in Orlando, officials said.

The government’s central personnel agency has said that allowing federal employees to phase into retirement is one of its important goals and it will make the option available “as soon as possible.”

However, participation will be “entirely voluntary” for both employees and their employing agencies, and certain categories of workers will be excluded, the Office of Personnel Management added in a fact sheet it recently sent to agencies.

Under phased retirement, an agency will be able to offer employees who are retirement-eligible the choice of switching to part-time work. They would draw a partial salary and a partial annuity, both prorated according to the time worked.