Council President James Billington.
The Council President is an office of the Grand Council of the Confederation of North America created by the Reform Bill of 1936. Sobel states that most Council Presidents have been either old veterans honored for their service, or defeated rivals selected in the name of unity. The only occupant of the office mentioned by Sobel is James Billington of the Northern Confederation.
The Reform Bill of 1936 was a response to the unexpected death of Governor-General Henderson Dewey in May 1929. The Grand Council was not in session at the time, and so was not available to select a replacement for Dewey. Under the terms of the Second Britannic Design of 1842, the Viceroy was to serve as acting governor-general in the event that the Grand Council was unable to choose one, but presumably the office of Viceroy was also vacant, or had been abolished.
The Reform Bill of 1936 created the office of Council President, who would be chosen by the Grand Council and preside over its meetings, and would also succeed the governor-general in the event of his death or incapacitation. Presumably, the Nineteenth Grand Council chose a Council President after passage of the Bill in 1936, but Sobel does not mention his name.
During the campaign for the 1938 Grand Council elections, People's Coalition candidate Bruce Hogg pledged to support Billington, a Negro, for Council President if elected. Hogg's strategy payed off, since the seats the Coalition won in Southern Vandalia gave them a narrow majority in the Twentieth Grand Council. Billington was chosen as Council President, and along with his duties presiding over the Council, also sat in on Cabinet meetings. In 1939, Hogg appointed Billington to head his Commission on the Defense Effort. Billington was again chosen as Council President in 1943 by the Twenty-first Grand Council, and yet again in 1948 by the Twenty-second Grand Council. Following Hogg's death in September 1950, Billington automatically succeed him as governor-general.
Sobel does not mention any of Billington's successors as Council President.
Sobel's source for the Council President is John Deak's The Britannic Design in the Twentieth Century (New York, 1959).