[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 72 (Thursday, April 23, 2026)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E360-E361]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            RECOGNIZING THE RETIREMENT OF LISA PEREZ JACKSON

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. TROY A. CARTER

                              of louisiana

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 23, 2026

  Mr. CARTER of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor an 
incredible woman, Mrs. Lisa Perez Jackson, a distinguished native of my 
hometown and the district I serve. Her career includes an incredible 
path, spanning nearly four decades in state and federal government, 
public policy, and the private sector. While Mrs. Jackson was born in 
Philadelphia, she was raised in Pontchartrain Park by her adopted 
parents, Benjamin and Marie Perez. In 1979, she graduated as 
valedictorian from St. Mary's Dominican High School and would later 
graduate summa cum laude from Tulane University in 1983 with a degree 
in chemical engineering. As a National Merit Scholar, Ms. Jackson went 
on to earn a Master of Science in Chemical Engineering from Princeton 
University in 1986. Shortly thereafter, Jackson would begin her 
distinguished career in government, first as an engineer with the 
United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Washington, D.C. 
before subsequent promotions as deputy director and acting director of 
enforcement of the Agency's regional office in New York City.
  After 16 years with the EPA, Jackson joined the New Jersey Department 
of Environmental Protection (DEP) in March 2002 as assistant 
commissioner of compliance and enforcement and would later serve as 
assistant commissioner for land use management. She was appointed to 
lead DEP in 2006 by then Governor Jon Corzine and would later serve as 
the Governor's Chief of Staff.
  On January 23, 2009, Jackson was confirmed by the United States 
Senate to serve as President Barack Obama's Administrator of the 
Environmental Protection Agency. During her tenure as EPA 
Administrator, Jackson oversaw the development of stricter fuel 
efficiency standards and EPA's response to the Deepwater Horizon oil 
spill and setting National Ambient Air Quality Standards. In 2013, 
Jackson became Apple, Inc.'s Vice President of Environment, Policy and 
Social Initiatives. During her tenure at Apple, Jackson led the 
company's transformation into a global leader in corporate 
environmental responsibility, achieving 100 percent renewable energy 
for Apple's worldwide operations in 2018 and implementing an industry-
leading supplier clean energy program that added over 5 gigawatts of 
new clean energy globally. Jackson oversaw Apple's commitment to become 
carbon neutral across its entire business and supply chain by 2030, a 
commitment that Apple is still on track to meet to this day.
  Beyond environmental leadership, Jackson launched Apple's Racial 
Equity and Justice Initiative (REJI) in June 2020 following nationwide 
protests against racial injustice. Under her leadership, the program 
more than doubled its initial $100 million commitment to surpass $200 
million in investments over three years, focusing on three core 
pillars: education, economic empowerment, and criminal justice reform. 
These investments include the creation of the Propel Center--a $25 
million global innovation and learning hub serving the entire HBCU 
community with curriculum in AI, machine learning, social justice, and 
entrepreneurship. Jackson also expanded the HBCU C \2\ initiative to 45 
community coding centers and regional hubs on HBCU campuses, reaching 
more than 160,000 learners, and committed over $50 million to HBCUs and 
Hispanic-Serving Institutions for STEM opportunities. These investments 
also include but are not limited to the funding of venture capital 
firms, Community Development Financial Institutions, and Minority 
Depository Institutions supporting Black, Hispanic/Latinx, and 
Indigenous entrepreneurs.
  Jackson was also responsible for Apple's worldwide government affairs 
function, product accessibility work, and education policy programs, 
reporting directly to CEO Tim Cook. She was recognized by TIME Magazine 
as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World. Throughout her 
career, Jackson earned the respect of engineers, environmentalists and 
peers alike for her deep understanding of the legislative process and 
her commitment to accuracy and fairness, viewing politics not simply as 
a beat, but as a public trust, connecting government actions to the 
people they affect. As she retires, she leaves behind a legacy of 
integrity, insight, and service to the country. Today, I salute her on 
an incredible life of service.

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