Lisa P. Jackson

The first African American to serve as administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Jackson held that position from 2009 to 2013, following her nomination by President-elect Barack Obama and confirmation by the U.S. Senate.

During her tenure, Jackson oversaw the development of stricter fuel efficiency standards and guided the EPA's response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. She authorized the recognition of carbon dioxide as a public health threat, granting the EPA authority to regulate greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act, and proposed amending the National Ambient Air Quality Standards to set stricter smog pollution limits.

Before her federal role, Jackson served in New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection, first as assistant commissioner of compliance and enforcement and then as assistant commissioner for land use management. Governor Jon Corzine appointed her the state's commissioner of environmental protection in 2006, and she served as Corzine's chief of staff in late 2008.