Michael P. Jackson
Encyclopedia
Michael Peter Jackson was the George W. Bush
administration's Deputy Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security
, beginning in March 2005 and ending with his resignation in October 2007.
. In February 2009, he was elected to the board of AirTran Holdings
, Inc., which, among other things, controls the regional airline, AirTran
.
to serve as Deputy Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security
on March 10, 2005. In this role, he served as the Department's chief operating officer
, with responsibility for managing the day-to-day operations. Jackson resigned this post effective October 26, 2007, "for financial reasons I can no longer ignore."
of the U.S. Department of Transportation
(DOT) from May 2001 to August 2003. As Deputy Secretary, Jackson was that Department’s chief operating officer, with responsibility for day-to-day operations of an organization that, following the terrorist
attacks of September 11, 2001, grew to a $68 billion
annual budget
supporting over 179,000 employees.
His tenure was particularly focused on DOT’s response to the terrorist attacks, including standing up the new Transportation Security Administration
and management of recovery efforts for the nation’s aviation
industry. He served as a member of the Board of Directors
of Amtrak
and was chairman of its Audit Committee
.
In 2004, Jackson was appointed to serve on the President
's Commission on Implementation of United States
Space Exploration
Policy, which provided management recommendations to the President
on NASA
and its future mission management.
In addition to holding three positions during the tenure of George W. Bush
, Jackson also held positions for two earlier Presidents. In the Administration of President George H. W. Bush
, he served at the White House
as Special Assistant to the President for Cabinet
Liaison and later as Chief of Staff to the Secretary of Transportation. He held several positions reporting to the Secretary of Education in the Administration of President Ronald Reagan
.
Before returning to DOT in 2001, Jackson worked in the private sector as Chief Operating Officer at Lockheed Martin
IMS’s Transportation Systems and Services. IMS’s transportation group provided high technology services to toll authorities, freight companies and 35 state governments. From 1993 until 1997, Jackson was Senior Vice President at the American
Trucking Associations, where he managed inter modal, international and technology policy matters.
He has been a researcher at the American Enterprise Institute
and has taught political science
at the University of Georgia
and at Georgetown University
.
Jackson studied at the University of Houston
(B.A.
) under Ross M. Lence
and received a Ph.D.
with distinction from the Government Department at Georgetown University
in 1985.
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....
administration's Deputy Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security
United States Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security
The Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security is the chief operating officer of the United States Department of Homeland Security. In this role, the Deputy Secretary serves as Department of Homeland Security's chief operating officer, with responsibility for managing day-to-day operations...
, beginning in March 2005 and ending with his resignation in October 2007.
Private sector career
After leaving government service, Jackson became a founder and the president of Firebreak Partners, LLC, a firm which was created to "design, integrate and lease core security technology systems needed to protect commercial aviation, maritime freight transportation and other critical infrastructure.". In February 2009, he was elected to the board of AirTran Holdings
AirTran Holdings
AirTran Holdings was a Nevada corporation, based in Orlando, Florida, United States, that operated as an airline holding company. Its primary asset was AirTran Airways until Southwest Airlines acquired AirTran on May 2, 2011.- History :...
, Inc., which, among other things, controls the regional airline, AirTran
AirTran
AirTran may refer to:* AirTran Airways, a low cost airline* AirTran Holdings, an airline holding company* AirTran JetConnect, an outsourced and defunct brand operated by Air Wisconsin* Airtrans APM, an automated people mover system...
.
Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security
Jackson was confirmed by the United States SenateUnited 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...
to serve as Deputy Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security
United States Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security
The Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security is the chief operating officer of the United States Department of Homeland Security. In this role, the Deputy Secretary serves as Department of Homeland Security's chief operating officer, with responsibility for managing day-to-day operations...
on March 10, 2005. In this role, he served as the Department's chief operating officer
Chief operating officer
A Chief Operating Officer or Director of Operations can be one of the highest-ranking executives in an organization and comprises part of the "C-Suite"...
, with responsibility for managing the day-to-day operations. Jackson resigned this post effective October 26, 2007, "for financial reasons I can no longer ignore."
Deputy Secretary of the United States Department of Transportation
Jackson served as Deputy SecretaryUnited States Deputy Secretary of Transportation
The Deputy Secretary of Transportation, in the United States government, advises and assists the Secretary of Transportation in the supervision and direction of the Department of Transporatation . The Deputy Secretary would succeed the Secretary in his absence, sickness, or unavailability.The...
of the U.S. Department of Transportation
United States Department of Transportation
The United States Department of Transportation is a federal Cabinet department of the United States government concerned with transportation. It was established by an act of Congress on October 15, 1966, and began operation on April 1, 1967...
(DOT) from May 2001 to August 2003. As Deputy Secretary, Jackson was that Department’s chief operating officer, with responsibility for day-to-day operations of an organization that, following the terrorist
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
attacks of September 11, 2001, grew to a $68 billion
1000000000 (number)
1,000,000,000 is the natural number following 999,999,999 and preceding 1,000,000,001.In scientific notation, it is written as 109....
annual budget
Budget
A budget is a financial plan and a list of all planned expenses and revenues. It is a plan for saving, borrowing and spending. A budget is an important concept in microeconomics, which uses a budget line to illustrate the trade-offs between two or more goods...
supporting over 179,000 employees.
His tenure was particularly focused on DOT’s response to the terrorist attacks, including standing up the new Transportation Security Administration
Transportation Security Administration
The Transportation Security Administration is an agency of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that exercises authority over the safety and security of the traveling public in the United States....
and management of recovery efforts for the nation’s aviation
Aviation
Aviation is the design, development, production, operation, and use of aircraft, especially heavier-than-air aircraft. Aviation is derived from avis, the Latin word for bird.-History:...
industry. He served as a member of the Board of Directors
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
of Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
and was chairman of its Audit Committee
Audit committee
In a U.S. publicly-traded company, an audit committee is an operating committee of the Board of Directors charged with oversight of financial reporting and disclosure. Committee members are drawn from members of the company's board of directors, with a Chairperson selected from among the committee...
.
In 2004, Jackson was appointed to serve on the President
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
's Commission on Implementation of United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Space Exploration
Space exploration
Space exploration is the use of space technology to explore outer space. Physical exploration of space is conducted both by human spaceflights and by robotic spacecraft....
Policy, which provided management recommendations to the President
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
on NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
and its future mission management.
In addition to holding three positions during the tenure of 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....
, Jackson also held positions for two earlier Presidents. In the Administration of President George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
, he served at the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
as Special Assistant to the President for Cabinet
Cabinet (government)
A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
Liaison and later as Chief of Staff to the Secretary of Transportation. He held several positions reporting to the Secretary of Education in the Administration of President Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
.
Earlier Private sector career
Between 2003 and 2005, Jackson served as Senior Vice President of AECOM Technology Corporation, where he was responsible for AECOM government relations and international business development.Before returning to DOT in 2001, Jackson worked in the private sector as Chief Operating Officer at Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin is an American global aerospace, defense, security, and advanced technology company with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, in the Washington Metropolitan Area....
IMS’s Transportation Systems and Services. IMS’s transportation group provided high technology services to toll authorities, freight companies and 35 state governments. From 1993 until 1997, Jackson was Senior Vice President at the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Trucking Associations, where he managed inter modal, international and technology policy matters.
He has been a researcher at the American Enterprise Institute
American Enterprise Institute
The American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research is a conservative think tank founded in 1943. Its stated mission is "to defend the principles and improve the institutions of American freedom and democratic capitalism—limited government, private enterprise, individual liberty and...
and has taught 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...
at the University of Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
and at Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
.
Jackson studied at the University of Houston
University of Houston
The University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...
(B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
) under Ross M. Lence
Ross M. Lence
Ross Marlo Anthony Lence, Ph.D. Indiana University , B.A. University of Chicago , was a professor of Political Science at the University of Houston from 1971-2006, where he was John and Rebecca Moores Scholar and held the Ross M. Lence Distinguished Teaching Chair...
and received a Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
with distinction from the Government Department at Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
in 1985.