Lisa P. Jackson Bio
Lisa Perez Jackson (born 8 February 1962) is an American chemical engineer, government official, and corporate executive whose career has spanned federal and state environmental leadership. She is best known for serving as the 12th Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from 2009 to 2013, becoming the first African American to hold that position. Before leading the EPA, she built a reputation through senior roles in New Jersey state government focused on environmental protection and public health.
After leaving the EPA, Jackson joined Apple Inc. as a vice president, where she oversees environment, policy, and social initiatives. A member of the Democratic Party, she has remained an influential voice on climate change, clean air, and corporate sustainability.
Early Life and Background
Lisa Perez Jackson was born on 8 February 1962 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and was adopted two weeks after her birth by Benjamin Perez and Marie Perez. She was raised in Pontchartrain Park, a predominantly African-American middle-class neighborhood of New Orleans, Louisiana. Her adoptive parents supported her strong interest in math and science, and she excelled academically from an early age.
Jackson graduated as valedictorian from St. Mary’s Dominican High School in New Orleans in 1979. Her exceptional performance in mathematics earned her a scholarship from the National Consortium for Graduate Degrees for Minorities in Engineering and Science, which gave her early exposure to a college environment. She later attended Tulane University on a Shell Oil Company scholarship and was also named a National Merit Scholar.
Jackson graduated summa cum laude from Tulane with a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering in 1983, inspired by a dean at the Tulane School of Engineering to pursue the field. She went on to earn a Master of Science in chemical engineering from Princeton University in 1986, sharpening the technical expertise that would define her career.
Path to US Politics
Jackson’s interest in environmental matters grew following the national coverage of the Love Canal Disaster. Before entering government, she spent a year and a half working at Clean Sites, a nonprofit that advocated for the accelerated cleanup of contaminated areas. In 1987, she joined the EPA at its headquarters in Washington, D.C., as a staff-level engineer, and later moved to the agency’s regional office in New York City.
During her 16 years at the EPA, Jackson worked in the federal Superfund site remediation program, developing hazardous waste cleanup regulations and directing multi-million dollar cleanup projects throughout central New Jersey. She eventually served as deputy director and acting director of the region’s enforcement division, building a strong record of regulatory and enforcement experience that positioned her for senior state leadership.
Lisa P. Jackson Career
Early Career (1987-2002)
Jackson’s federal career began in 1987 at the EPA, where she focused on Superfund cleanups and enforcement across the New York regional office’s territory. She developed regulations and managed major hazardous waste projects, gaining a reputation for combining technical skill with strong enforcement.
After more than a decade and a half with the EPA, she joined the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) in March 2002 as assistant commissioner of compliance and enforcement. She later served as assistant commissioner for land use management in 2005, overseeing water supply, watershed management, and the implementation of the Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act.
New Jersey Commissioner Era (2006-2008)
Governor Jon Corzine nominated Jackson to serve as commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection in 2006. In that role, she led a staff of 2,990 and oversaw state parks, beaches, fish and wildlife programs, historic preservation, and environmental programs. As commissioner, she had to shut down all state parks and beaches during the 2006 state governmental shutdown linked to a budget delay.
She also launched compliance sweeps in Camden and Paterson, two working-class cities with majority populations of color, mobilizing more than 70 inspectors and conducting upward of 1,000 compliance investigations. The initiative was designed to address long-standing pollution and public health concerns in communities that had historically been overlooked.
Chief of Staff Transition (2008)
On October 24, 2008, Governor Jon Corzine announced that Jackson would become his chief of staff effective December 1, 2008, succeeding Bradley Abelow. She was set to serve as Corzine’s top advisor and chief political liaison to the State Legislature.
Just days after taking the role, Jackson was tapped by President-elect Barack Obama to become administrator of the EPA and resigned as chief of staff on December 15, 2008. The swift transition marked a major step from state government to national leadership.
EPA Administrator Era (2009-2013)
On December 15, 2008, President-elect Barack Obama nominated Jackson to serve as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. She was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in January 2009 and took office that same day, becoming the first African American, the fourth woman, and the second New Jerseyan to hold the position. Her deputy was Bob Perciasepe, and she oversaw some 17,000 agency employees.
As administrator, Jackson pledged to focus on protecting air and water quality, preventing toxic contamination in vulnerable communities, and reducing greenhouse gases. She became the first EPA administrator to push for reform of the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976, calling it “the issue closest to my heart.” She also oversaw the development of stricter fuel efficiency standards and the EPA’s response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010, leading air and water monitoring efforts and chairing the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force.
In December 2009, Jackson authorized the recognition of carbon dioxide and five other greenhouse gases as a threat to public health, granting the EPA authority to regulate greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act. She also proposed stricter National Ambient Air Quality Standards for smog, though the final rule was set at 75 parts per billion. She spoke out against efforts in Congress to strip the EPA of its greenhouse gas authority and urged caution on the proposed Keystone XL Pipeline.
Apple Inc. Era (2013-Present)
In 2013, Jackson joined Apple Inc. as vice president of Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives, reporting to CEO Tim Cook. In this role, she has shaped Apple’s environmental policies, sustainability reporting, and corporate social responsibility programs. She has continued to be a prominent voice on climate change, clean energy, and supply chain responsibility.
Apple announced in December 2025 that Jackson would retire from the company in January 2026. In February 2026, Conservation International named her interim chair of its board of directors, extending her environmental leadership into the nonprofit and conservation arena.
Notable Events and Milestones
One of the defining moments of Jackson’s EPA tenure was her role overseeing the federal response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, including the controversial use of the dispersant Corexit, which she defended as an “environmental tradeoff.” Another milestone came in December 2009, when she authorized the endangerment finding that recognized carbon dioxide as a public health threat, opening the door to new greenhouse gas regulations. She also broke barriers as the first African American to lead the EPA, a historic appointment that expanded representation in federal environmental leadership.
Lisa P. Jackson Family
Family Background and Adoption
Lisa Perez Jackson was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and adopted two weeks after her birth by Benjamin Perez and Marie Perez. She was raised in Pontchartrain Park, a predominantly African-American middle-class neighborhood of New Orleans, Louisiana, where her parents encouraged her academic ambitions in math and science.
Her mother’s experience during Hurricane Katrina in 2005, when Jackson drove her out of flooded New Orleans, underscored the close bond between them. In 2013, Jackson was initiated into Delta Sigma Theta sorority as an honorary member during the organization’s Centennial Celebration in Washington, D.C.
Personal Life
Lisa P. Jackson is married to Kenneth Jackson, and the couple has two children. The family has been long-time residents of East Windsor Township, New Jersey, where they have built their life away from the public spotlight. Jackson’s personal life has remained largely private despite her high-profile career in government and the private sector.