10 Things You Didn't Know About Lisa Jackson
Jackson is the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
1. Lisa Jackson was born Feb. 8, 1962, in Philadelphia. She was adopted by Benjamin and Marie Perez when she was 2 weeks old and grew up in the Ninth Ward of New Orleans.
2. Her father, a postal worker, died at age 49 when Jackson was a high school freshman.
3. She was first in her class at St. Mary's Dominican High School and gave the valedictory address at her 1979 graduation.
4. She was a summa cum laude graduate of the School of Chemical Engineering at Tulane University and has a master's in chemical engineering from Princeton.
5. Jackson worked in the private sector for two years and then joined the Environmental Protection Agency in 1987.
6. She worked for the EPA for 16 years in Washington and New York City in a number of capacities dealing with hazardous waste sites and enforcement.
7. She joined the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection in 2002 and became commissioner in 2006. At Jackson's urging, New Jersey became the third state in the country to pass global warming legislation that mandated steep emissions cuts.
8. In October 2008, Gov. Jon Corzine named Jackson as his chief of staff, citing her "leadership, work ethic, and skills at handling complex issues." She served in that position just two weeks before Obama tapped her for the EPA.
9. She was the first African-American woman to head a state environmental agency and is the first African-American to head the EPA.
10. She is married to Kenny Jackson and has two sons, Marcus and Brian.
Sources:
- New Orleans Times Picayune
- New York Times
- Star-Ledger
- EPA bio
- NJ DEP bio
- NJ DEP Swearing-in Speech
Reader Comments
Highly qualified choice to turn back NeoCons decimation
Unqualified? hey "Kathy Hahn from Georgia"? Yeee- haw! Hows about them DAWGS!!!
Woof woof woof woof.... Know what? I think you are an idiot. She was a summa cum laude graduate of the School of Chemical Engineering at Tulane University, one of the finest schools in the nation, and has a master's in chemical engineering from Princeton, one of the best schools in the WORLD. Jackson joined the Environmental Protection Agency in 1987 and worked for the EPA for 16 years in Washington and New York City in a number of capacities dealing with hazardous waste sites and enforcement.
yeah- what could she POSSIBLY know! (thats sarcasm for all you idiot racist "birthers" out there- and that would be you "Kathy from Texas"
but the biggest fool is "Mad scientist of AR" (what a surprise- yet ANOTHER stupid red neck). rather pay $1.50/gallon? sure why not. how about free? would you like us to gas up your pick up for you there Jethro???
First African-American
Kathy of TX, you are truly an idiot!! African-Americans can and do have spanish last names. African-Americans come in all colors and phenotypes. New Orleans has always been a huge melting pot. I'm sure the Perez family that raiaed her is a "black" family. Jackson identifies herself as African-American....that's what matters! Research New Orleans, you need to educate yourself.
Ethic
Lisa Jackson has NO African physical characteristics. Not the hair, nose, lips or skin. Who classified her African? She was raised by Spanish parents. Was her Mother a victim of rape?
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