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2023 SESSION


HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 373
Commending the Honorable Karen Rollins Jackson.

 

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 21, 2023

 

WHEREAS, the Honorable Karen Rollins Jackson, former Secretary of Technology and an accomplished technology consultant, concluded her term as interim executive director of the New College Institute in 2022; and

WHEREAS, Karen Jackson served as the first director of the Office of Telework Promotion and Broadband Assistance under Governor Timothy M. Kaine and as the deputy secretary of technology under Governor Robert F. McDonnell, with a leading role in the Commonwealth’s establishment of the Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership (MAAP) and the selection of the MAAP as one of the initial seven Federal Aviation Administration–designated test sites for unmanned aerial systems; and

WHEREAS, as Secretary of Technology from 2014 to 2018 under Governor Terence R. McAuliffe, the only woman to have held the position, Karen Jackson advocated for technology matters, including innovation, data analytics, telecommunications cybersecurity, autonomous systems, and smart communities, and for women and rural community engagement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) related opportunities and employment; and

WHEREAS, as the primary advisor for Governor McAuliffe’s cybersecurity initiatives, Karen Jackson built a world-class cybersecurity ecosystem in the Commonwealth, including initiatives and policies in the areas of education, workforce development, public safety, cybercrime, economic development, infrastructure, and public awareness; and

WHEREAS, over a distinguished career, Karen Jackson’s accomplishments include advancing Internet and other computer technologies, improving broadband access in rural and underserved areas of the Commonwealth, and attracting technology companies and other ventures to Virginia, including Amazon HQ2 in Arlington; and

WHEREAS, in 2019, Karen Jackson was appointed interim executive director of the New College Institute (NCI), an institution of higher education in Martinsville established by the Commonwealth in 2006 with a vision of supporting the region’s economy by expanding educational and workforce training opportunities; and

WHEREAS, during her three-year tenure at NCI, Karen Jackson developed several new programs and initiatives, cultivated institutional partnerships, and guided the institution through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic; and

WHEREAS, Karen Jackson worked closely with state government agencies and the General Assembly to establish NCI as a leading institution of higher education in Southside Virginia; and

WHEREAS, Karen Jackson will continue to make an impact as president of Apogee Strategic Partners, LLC, providing technology consulting and advisory services to benefit companies, universities, governmental entities, and nonprofits in the Commonwealth and beyond; and

WHEREAS, in 2020 Karen Jackson was elected chair of the Unmanned Systems Association of Virginia, where she has helped guide the nonprofit coalition’s efforts to promote a legal and regulatory framework that fosters the unmanned systems industry in the Commonwealth; and

WHEREAS, Karen Jackson’s exceptional leadership and vision have propelled the New College Institute forward and prepared the institution for many years of future success; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That the Honorable Karen Rollins Jackson, former interim executive director of the New College Institute, hereby be commended for her service; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the Honorable Karen Rollins Jackson as an expression of the House of Delegates’ admiration for her contributions to the Commonwealth and best wishes in her future endeavors.