By Eugene T. Lowe
January 12, 2004

President George W. Bush has nominated Alphonso Jackson to become the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Jackson, widely known in the housing and community development community, will replace Secretary Mel Martinez. Speculation is that Martinez is leaving to run for a U.S. Senate seat in Florida, a race that opened up with the retirement of Senator Bob Graham following his withdrawal from the Democratic Presidential nomination races. Since the spring of 2001, Jackson has served as the department's Deputy Secretary.

During his tenure at HUD, Jackson has spoken at two Conference of Mayors Annual meetings: Detroit in 2001 and Denver in 2003. Mayors from across the nation have also met individually with Jackson at HUD headquarters over the last several years. In his remarks to the mayors, Jackson has made it clear that he will pursue administrative practices that work over those that have been implemented over the years with little or no results.

Jackson is no stranger to local government, having directed public housing authorities in Washington (DC), St. Louis and Dallas. He was also Director of Public Safety for St. Louis, and Chairperson for the District of Columbia Redevelopment Land Agency Board. Before his nomination by President Bush to be HUD's Deputy Secretary in 2001, Jackson was the President of American Electric Power- Texas, a $13 billion utility company, located in Austin (TX).

Jackson is a graduate of Truman State University, where he also received a master's degree in education administration. He earned a law degree from Washington University School of Law.

Conference President Hempstead (NY) Mayor James A. Garner commended President Bush for nominating Jackson. Garner said, "Since coming to HUD, Secretary Jackson has shown time and again that he is dedicated to mayors and the citizens of our cities. He will do an outstanding job at HUD in his new position. We look forward to working with him."