Alphonso Jackson
Encyclopedia
Alphonso Jackson served as the 13th United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
(HUD). He was nominated by President George W. Bush
on January 28, 2004 and unanimously confirmed by the Senate on March 31, 2004. On March 31, 2008, Jackson announced his resignation, effective April 18, 2008.
Jackson became the Deputy Secretary of HUD
in June 2001. After former HUD Secretary Mel Martinez
left the administration to campaign for the November 2004 election for a U.S. Senate seat
in Florida
, Jackson became acting secretary of HUD.
, Jackson grew up in South Dallas
. His father was a lead smelter; Jackson was the youngest of twelve children. He earned a bachelor's degree in political science
and a master's degree in education administration from Northeast Missouri State University (now Truman State University
) and a J.D.
from Washington University School of Law
. Jackson is a member of the Kappa Alpha Psi
fraternity.
Jackson's career started in 1973 as an assistant professor at the University of Missouri - St. Louis. From 1977- 1981, Jackson served as the Director of Public Safety for the City of St. Louis, MO. Jackson later served as interim Executive Director of the St. Louis, MO Housing Authority(1981). In 1987, he became Director of the Department of Public and Assisted Housing and Community Development Washington, DC.
From January 1989 until July 1996, Jackson served as President and CEO of the Housing Authority of the City of Dallas, Texas
.
In 1996, Jackson became President of American Electric Power-TEXAS (NYSE: AEP), formerly Central and Southwest Utilities, a major multinational utility company located in Austin, Texas
. In 1994, shortly after George W. Bush was elected Governor of Texas, Jackson was appointed to one of the most powerful Texas state commissions as Chairman of the Texas General Services Commission Then in 1998, Governor Bush asked Jackson to serve on the Texas Southern University
Board of Regents.
Since 2008, Jackson is the Distinguished University Professor and Director of the Center for Public Policy and Leadership at Hampton University, Hampton,Virginia.
Benedict College, Hampton University, Harris Stowe State University; Hiram College; Morehouse College; North Carolina A&T State University; Paine College; Tuskegee University; Texas College; Texas Southern University
As Deputy Secretary, Jackson managed the day-to-day operations of HUD, which had an annual budget of over $30 billion. After HUD Secretary Mel Martinez
left the administration to campaign for the November 2004 election for a U.S. Senate seat
in Florida
, Jackson became acting secretary of HUD. He was nominated by President George W. Bush
on January 28, 2004 to take that position on a permanent basis, and was unanimously confirmed by the Senate on March 31, 2004. Jackson was the fourth African American to hold that post. On March 31, 2008, Jackson announced his resignation, effective April 18, 2008.
One important tool in this effort was HUD's first-ever Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress. This groundbreaking survey of homelessness found that 704,000 people nationwide sought shelter at least once in a three-month period. Through the data collection for the report, and the subsequent analysis of that data, HUD learned a great deal about the demographics of homelessness. Prior to the report,according to Jackson, HUD had a hard time figuring out if national or local programs were working and a tough time just trying to figure out where the homeless might be on a given night.
, argues that Secretary Jackson should be credited with increasing minority contracting at HUD to record levels, citing The Department of Housing and Development as leading among all other federal agencies in minority and women contracting during Jackson's tenure:
Jackson, who instituted sweeping changes as HUD Secretary, became the target of critics who falsely claimed he influenced the awarding of contracts.
This led to the publicized accusations of wrongdoings and controversies at HUD. After a thorough investigation, on April 30, 2010 the U.S. Justice Department found no basis for the false accusations lodged against Secretary Jackson; the Department declined and closed the case without any charges .
United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
The United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development is the head of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, a member of the President's Cabinet, and thirteenth in the Presidential line of succession. The post was created with the formation of the Department of Housing...
(HUD). He was nominated by President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
on January 28, 2004 and unanimously confirmed by the Senate on March 31, 2004. On March 31, 2008, Jackson announced his resignation, effective April 18, 2008.
Jackson became the Deputy Secretary of HUD
United States Deputy Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
The Deputy Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, in the United States government, is the chief operating officer of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. The Deputy Secretary . The Deputy Secretary is the first in line for the office of Secretary if the Secretary...
in June 2001. After former HUD Secretary Mel Martinez
Mel Martinez
Melquíades Rafael Martínez Ruiz, usually known as Mel Martinez , is a former United States Senator from Florida and served as Chairman of the Republican Party from November 2006 until October 19, 2007, the first Latino to serve as chairman of a major party...
left the administration to campaign for the November 2004 election for a U.S. Senate seat
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, Jackson became acting secretary of HUD.
Early life and career
Born in Marshall, TexasMarshall, Texas
Marshall is a city in Harrison County in the northeastern corner of Texas. Marshall is a major cultural and educational center in East Texas and the tri-state area. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of Marshall was about 23,523...
, Jackson grew up in South Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
. His father was a lead smelter; Jackson was the youngest of twelve children. He earned a bachelor's degree in political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
and a master's degree in education administration from Northeast Missouri State University (now Truman State University
Truman State University
Truman State University is a public liberal arts and sciences university in Missouri, United States and a member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges. About 6,000 students attend Truman, pursuing degrees in 43 undergraduate and 9 Graduate programs. It is located in Kirksville in...
) and a J.D.
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
from Washington University School of Law
Washington University School of Law
Washington University School of Law , is a private American law school located in St. Louis, Missouri. The law school is one of the seven graduate and undergraduate schools at Washington University in St. Louis....
. Jackson is a member of the Kappa Alpha Psi
Kappa Alpha Psi
Kappa Alpha Psi is a collegiate Greek-letter fraternity with a predominantly African American membership. Since the fraternity's founding on January 5, 1911 at Indiana University Bloomington, the fraternity has never limited membership based on color, creed or national origin...
fraternity.
Jackson's career started in 1973 as an assistant professor at the University of Missouri - St. Louis. From 1977- 1981, Jackson served as the Director of Public Safety for the City of St. Louis, MO. Jackson later served as interim Executive Director of the St. Louis, MO Housing Authority(1981). In 1987, he became Director of the Department of Public and Assisted Housing and Community Development Washington, DC.
From January 1989 until July 1996, Jackson served as President and CEO of the Housing Authority of the City of Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
.
In 1996, Jackson became President of American Electric Power-TEXAS (NYSE: AEP), formerly Central and Southwest Utilities, a major multinational utility company located in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
. In 1994, shortly after George W. Bush was elected Governor of Texas, Jackson was appointed to one of the most powerful Texas state commissions as Chairman of the Texas General Services Commission Then in 1998, Governor Bush asked Jackson to serve on the Texas Southern University
Texas Southern University
Texas Southern University is a historically black university located in Houston, Texas, United States....
Board of Regents.
Since 2008, Jackson is the Distinguished University Professor and Director of the Center for Public Policy and Leadership at Hampton University, Hampton,Virginia.
Affiliations
An expert on public housing and urban issues, Jackson has been asked to serve on a number of national and state commissions, most notably the General Services Commission of the State of Texas, where he served as Chairman; the National Commission on America's Urban Families, and the National Commission on Severely Distressed Public Housing. Secretary Jackson has also lent his expertise to numerous nonprofit and corporate boards. He has served on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, The Nature Conservancy of Texas, Vice Chairman of United Way Campaign(Dallas, Texas), Zale-Lipshy University Hospital, The Cotton Bowl Football Classic, Central Power & Light Company, West Texas Utilities and JPMorgan Chase (formerly Texas Commerce Bank).Awards and Honors
The Aspen Institute-Aspen Fellow; The National Boys and Girls Clubs of America-Chairman's Award; The National Academy of Achievement-Golden Plate Award; American Family Life Assurance Company(AFLAC)-Lifetime Achievement Award; The Jewish National Fund, New York-National Tree of Life Award; Truman State University-Distinguished Alumni Award; Washington University, St. Louis, Mo.-Distinguished Alumni Award.Honorary Degrees
Benedict College, Hampton University, Harris Stowe State University; Hiram College; Morehouse College; North Carolina A&T State University; Paine College; Tuskegee University; Texas College; Texas Southern University
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
Jackson first joined the Bush Administration in June 2001 as the Deputy Secretary and Chief Operating Officer of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.Mel Martinez
Melquíades Rafael Martínez Ruiz, usually known as Mel Martinez , is a former United States Senator from Florida and served as Chairman of the Republican Party from November 2006 until October 19, 2007, the first Latino to serve as chairman of a major party...
left the administration to campaign for the November 2004 election for a U.S. Senate seat
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, Jackson became acting secretary of HUD. He was nominated by President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
on January 28, 2004 to take that position on a permanent basis, and was unanimously confirmed by the Senate on March 31, 2004. Jackson was the fourth African American to hold that post. On March 31, 2008, Jackson announced his resignation, effective April 18, 2008.
HUD Removal from High Risk List
For the first time in thirteen years, the United States Government Accountability Office(GAO) removed HUD from the government's " high-risk" list. GAO's report recognized HUD's progress under Secretary Alphonso Jackson's leadership in implementing management controls that led to significant improvements to HUD departments and programs. Jackson stated , " HUD serves the nation best when all its programs are working effectively and efficiently. GAO's removal of a high risk designation shines a bright light on our efforts over the past six years to ensure taxpayer dollars are spent wisely and well."Reduction in Homelessness
During Jackson's tenure at HUD, HUD announced an 11.5% reduction in the number of persons reported as chronically homeless by Continuums of Care (CoCs) during a one-day count. Over 1,500 cities and counties reported a combined decrease of over 20,000 fewer chronically homeless persons between 2005 and 2006.One important tool in this effort was HUD's first-ever Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress. This groundbreaking survey of homelessness found that 704,000 people nationwide sought shelter at least once in a three-month period. Through the data collection for the report, and the subsequent analysis of that data, HUD learned a great deal about the demographics of homelessness. Prior to the report,according to Jackson, HUD had a hard time figuring out if national or local programs were working and a tough time just trying to figure out where the homeless might be on a given night.
Controversy with Contracting
Harry Alford, founder and CEO of the National Black Chamber of CommerceNational Black Chamber of Commerce
The National Black Chamber of Commerce was incorporated in 1993 by Harry Alford and Kay DeBow, who in 2011 continue as President/CEO and Executive Vice President, respectively. Harry Alford is also a Board member of the United States Chamber of Commerce. It is organized as a 5013 corporation and...
, argues that Secretary Jackson should be credited with increasing minority contracting at HUD to record levels, citing The Department of Housing and Development as leading among all other federal agencies in minority and women contracting during Jackson's tenure:
It didn’t take long for the minority portion of contracts to rise from 14.5 percent to over 45 percent. This is something unheard of from a federal agency until then. Blacks, Asians, Hispanic, White women became euphoric but the mainstream, predominantly male faction( companies who had monopolized federal contracts for many years) found little to be happy about. So, the start of a formal press condemnation of Secretary Jackson began.
Jackson, who instituted sweeping changes as HUD Secretary, became the target of critics who falsely claimed he influenced the awarding of contracts.
This led to the publicized accusations of wrongdoings and controversies at HUD. After a thorough investigation, on April 30, 2010 the U.S. Justice Department found no basis for the false accusations lodged against Secretary Jackson; the Department declined and closed the case without any charges .
Media Appearances
- Jackson and NYCHA Chairman Tino Hernandez appeared at the Clinton Foundation Initiave for 'Green' Public Housing to work with the Clinton Foundation and the City of New York to make public housing energy-efficient.
- Stuart Varney interviewed Jackson on Fox News' Your World with Neil Cavuto to discuss the RESPA(Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act)
- He appeared on CNBC's Kudlow and Company to discuss FHA loans.