Former EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson to join Apple

Jackson with Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus (center), and Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley (right). Photo via Wikipedia.

Per Tim Cook’s announcement at this year’s AllThingsD conference, former EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson will be joining Apple. Jackson, who left the EPA in February of this year, will oversee environmental issues at Apple.

When you get larger, you get more attention. It comes with a territory. I think we’re doing incredible work. Environment for example. [Apple] is the first to eliminate all toxins in products. We ship the most efficient products. We own the largest solar farm of any non-utility firm. Lisa Jackson is joining Apple. She ran the EPA for the last four years. She will run environmental duties.

Jackson, who has a chemical engineering background, will report directly to Tim Cook. Jackson stepped down from EPA Administrator in January when the Obama administration was moving toward supporting the Keystone pipeline which was highly controversial among environmentalists.

Tim Cook announcing that Apple has hired the former head of the EPA is especially notable in light of the company’s back and forth over EPEAT certification earlier last year which ultimately resulted in a letter signed by Bob Mansfield addressing the issue.