Lisa P. Jackson

Lisa Perez Jackson
12th Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
Incumbent
Assumed office January 23, 2009
President	Barack Obama
Preceded by	Stephen Johnson
Chief of Staff to the Governor of New Jersey
In office December 1, 2008 – December 15, 2008
Governor	Jon Corzine
Preceded by	Bradley Abelow
Succeeded by	Edward McBride
Commissioner of Environmental Protection of New Jersey
In office February 28, 2006 – November 30, 2008
Governor	Jon Corzine
Preceded by	Bradley Campbell
Succeeded by	Mark Mauriello
Personal details
Born	February 8, 1962 (1962-02-08) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Political party	Democratic Party
Spouse(s)	Kenneth Jackson
Alma mater	Tulane University Princeton University
Website	Official website

Lisa Perez Jackson (born February 8, 1962) is an American chemical engineer currently serving as the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Previously, she worked at the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) for 6 years, first as an assistant commissioner and later as commissioner. Prior to that, she was employed by the EPA for 16 years.

Early life, education and family

Lisa Jackson was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania , and was adopted weeks after her birth. She grew up in Pontchartrain Park, a predominantly African-American middle-class neighborhood of New Orleans, Louisiana. In 1979, Jackson graduated as valedictorian from Saint Mary's Dominican High School in New Orleans. She received a scholarship from the National Consortium for Graduate Degrees for Minorities in Engineering & Science due to her strong performance in mathematics. This allowed her to gain early exposure to a college environment.

She attended Tulane University with a scholarship from Shell Oil Company. A dean at the Tulane School of Engineering got her interested in that discipline as an academic path, and she graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering in 1983. Jackson then earned her Master of Science degree, also in chemical engineering, from Princeton University in 1986.

Jackson's mother was living in New Orleans at the time Hurricane Katrina flooded the city in 2005, and Jackson drove her out of the city. Jackson is married to Kenneth Jackson and is the mother of two children.

Early EPA and DEP career

Jackson had not grown up as an outdoors person, but became interested in environmental matters following the national and international coverage of the Love Canal Disaster. She worked for a year and a half at Clean Sites, a nonprofit that tried to accelerate cleanup of toxic sites.

Then Jackson joined the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) at its headquarters in Washington, D.C., working as a staff-level engineer. She then moved to its regional office in New York City. During her tenure at EPA, Jackson worked in the federal Superfund site remediation program, developing numerous hazardous waste cleanup regulations, overseeing hazardous waste cleanup projects throughout central New Jersey, and directing multimillion-dollar cleanup operations. She later served as deputy director and acting director of the region’s enforcement division.

After 16 years with EPA, Jackson joined the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) in March 2002 as assistant commissioner of compliance and enforcement. She served as the assistant commissioner for land use management during 2005. Jackson headed numerous programs, including land use regulation, water supply, geological survey, water monitoring and standards, and watershed management. She focused on developing a system of incentives for stimulating what was in her opinion the right growth in the right places. Under her leadership, the state Department of Environmental Protection developed regulatory standards for implementing the landmark Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act.

New Jersey Commissioner of Environmental Protection

Jon S. Corzine, Governor of New Jersey, nominated her for Commissioner of Environmental Protection. Serving in that position, Jackson led a staff of 2,990 professionals responsible for protecting, sustaining, and enhancing water, air, and land of New Jersey and preserving the state's wealth of natural and historic resources. In addition to overseeing environmental programs for the state, as Commissioner, Jackson oversaw state parks and beaches, fish and wildlife programs and historic preservation. As commissioner in July 2006, she had to shut down all state parks and beaches due to the state governmental shutdown in relation to the state budget delay.

As the state's chief environmental enforcer, Jackson led compliance sweeps in Camden and Paterson, communities in which the effects of pollution on public health had long been neglected. She launched the environmental initiative following multicultural outreach efforts to inform and involve community residents and businesses. Working with county officials, New Jersey State Police and the federal Environmental Protection Agency, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection then mobilized more than 70 inspectors to conduct upward of 1,000 compliance investigations in the two cities, the first of a series of enforcement sweeps.

The environmental magazine Grist interviewed several New Jersey environmental activists and reported that opinion about Jackson was divided: "The split seems to be between those who work on energy and climate policy in the state's capital [who were supportive of Jackson] and those who work on toxic cleanups at the local level [who were critical of her]."

Chief of staff to the Governor of New Jersey

On October 24, 2008, Corzine announced that Jackson would take over as his Chief of Staff, effective December 1, 2008, succeeding Bradley Abelow. As Chief of Staff Jackson would have served as Corzine's top advisor and chief political liaison to the State Legislature. However, Jackson was tapped by Obama to become Administrator of the EPA just days after she became Corzine's chief of staff and resigned on December 15, 2008.

EPA Administrator

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and Jackson sign an agreement in 2010 to continue collaboration between the two agencies

On December 15, 2008, President-elect Barack Obama officially designated Jackson as the nominee for Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. She was confirmed by voice vote in the U.S. Senate on January 22, 2009. Jackson is the first person of African American descent to serve as EPA Administrator, along with being the fourth woman and second New Jerseyan to hold the position. Her Deputy Administrator is Bob Perciasepe, and additionally she has three Associate, twelve Assistant, and ten Regional Administrators overseeing some 17,000 agency employees.

By the EPA's own statements, Administrator Jackson has pledged to focus on core issues of protecting air and water quality, preventing exposure to toxic contamination in U.S. communities, and reducing greenhouse gases. She has pledged that all of the agency's efforts will follow the best science, adhere to the rule of law, and be implemented with unparalleled transparency. By the same statements, she has made it a priority to focus on vulnerable groups – including children, the elderly, and low-income communities – that are particularly susceptible to environmental and health threats. She has promised that all stakeholders will be heard in the decision-making process.

She has become the first EPA administrator to focus on reforming the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976, which regulates the introduction of new or already existing chemicals. Indeed, she has called this the issue "closest to my heart ... The law and the structure of the law in no way is modern enough or has enough teeth."

On December 8, 2009, Jackson said in a written statement that the finding, which declares carbon dioxide and five other greenhouse gases a threat to public health, marks the start of a U.S. campaign to tackle greenhouse gas emissions. This has been the action as administrator that she is best known for.

Speaking at Power Shift 2011, Jackson promised that she was more energized than ever to keep America on a path towards a more green and environmentally sustainable future.

External links

• Lisa P. Jackson at WhoRunsGov at The Washington Post
• Appearances on C-SPAN
• Lisa P. Jackson collected news and commentary at The New York Times
• Works by or about Lisa P. Jackson in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
• Why we need to sell environmentalism Article by Lisa P. Jackson
• Lisa Jackson on Real Time with Bill Maher Oct 2, 2009
• About Commissioner Lisa P. Jackson, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, backed up by Internet Archive as of February 2, 2008

Political offices
Preceded by Bradley Campbell	Commissioner of Environmental Protection of New Jersey 2006–2008	Succeeded by Mark Mauriello
Preceded by Bradley Abelow	Chief of Staff to the Governor of New Jersey 2008	Succeeded by Edward McBride
Preceded by Stephen Johnson	Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency Served under: Barack Obama 2009–present	Incumbent