From Grist:
Word around the blogs is that Van Jones has been tapped to serve as a “green jobs czar” in the Obama administration. We’re still trying to confirm, and we’ll have more soon on this potential new role for someone who’s been a household name here at Grist.
We asked Jones at the Democratic National Convention last August whether he’d want to be a “green jobs czar” or something similar in the Obama administration. At that point, he told us, “I can’t imagine what position he would offer me except the janitorial recycling staff, which I’d be happy to be a part of.”
Read the whole story at Grist
Update (March 15, 2009): The White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) Chair Nancy Sutley announced late last week that Van Jones – an early green jobs visionary — will start tomorrow as Special Advisor for Green Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation at CEQ. Jones will work with departments and agencies to advance the President’s agenda of creating 21st century jobs that improve energy efficiency and utilize renewable resources. Jones will also help to shape and advance the Administration’s energy and climate initiatives with a specific interest in improvements and opportunities for vulnerable communities.
Jones is the founder of Green For All, an organization focused on creating green jobs in impoverished areas. He is also the co-founder of the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights and Color of Change, and was the author of the 2008 New York Times best-seller, The Green Collar Economy.
