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| '''Raymond Jefferson''' was the Assistant Secretary for ] (VETS) between August 10, 2009 and July 25, 2011 during the administration of President ].<ref name="mckinsey"> | '''Raymond Jefferson''' was the Assistant Secretary for ] (VETS) between August 10, 2009 and July 25, 2011 during the administration of President ].<ref name="mckinsey"> | ||
| {{cite web |url= https://alumni.mckinsey.com/alumni/default/public/content/jsp/alumni_news/20090420_RayJeffersonLBN.jsp|title= Ray Jefferson |author= |date=6 August 2009 |work= |publisher= McKinsey |accessdate=17 November 2009}}</ref> Prior to joining the Department of Labor, Jefferson worked as Leadership Consultant with ] in ]. Jefferson resigned on July 25, 2011, following |
{{cite web |url= https://alumni.mckinsey.com/alumni/default/public/content/jsp/alumni_news/20090420_RayJeffersonLBN.jsp|title= Ray Jefferson |author= |date=6 August 2009 |work= |publisher= McKinsey |accessdate=17 November 2009}}</ref> Prior to joining the Department of Labor, Jefferson worked as Leadership Consultant with ] in ]. Jefferson resigned on July 25, 2011, following accusations of violating federal procurement rules.<ref name="all.gov">{{cite web |url= http://www.allgov.com/Appointments_and_Resignations/ViewNews/Labor_Official_Resigns_Following_Corruption_Investigation__Who_is_Raymond_Jefferson_110730|title= Labor Official Resigns Following Corruption Investigation: Who is Raymond Jefferson? |author= Matt Bewig and Noel Brinkerhoff | ||
| |date=30 July 2011 |work= |publisher= allgov.com |accessdate=17 October 2011}}</ref> | |date=30 July 2011 |work= |publisher= allgov.com |accessdate=17 October 2011}}</ref> | ||
Revision as of 10:27, 1 November 2012
| Raymond Jefferson | |
|---|---|
 DOL Official Portrait | |
| Former Assistant Secretary for VETS | |
| In office August 10, 2009 – July 25, 2011 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1966 Guilderland, New York |
| Political party | Democrat |
| Residence | Honolulu, Hawaii |
Raymond Jefferson was the Assistant Secretary for Veterans' Employment and Training Service (VETS) between August 10, 2009 and July 25, 2011 during the administration of President Barack Obama. Prior to joining the Department of Labor, Jefferson worked as Leadership Consultant with McKinsey & Company in Singapore. Jefferson resigned on July 25, 2011, following accusations of violating federal procurement rules.
Background
Prior to being appointed to this role by President Barack Obama, he served as a Leadership Consultant with McKinsey & Company in Singapore where he created and delivered leadership training and development programs for clients and offices throughout Asia. His focus areas were organizational change, inspirational leadership, top team development and peak performance.
Jefferson graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point with a major in leadership. He served as an Army Officer with the infantry, Rangers and Special Forces, with leadership positions in the U.S. Presidential Honor Guard, 3rd Ranger Battalion and 1st Special Forces Group. While attempting to protect his teammates from a hand grenade detonating prematurely during classified Special Forces training, he lost all five fingers on his left hand. After recuperating in Hawaii, Ray attended Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, earning an MPA in Strategic Management with Distinction as a Littauer Fellow. He then earned an MBA from Harvard Business School and was recognized with the Dean's Award for exceptional leadership and service. Upon graduation, he was selected as a White House Fellow and worked as a Special Assistant to the U.S. Secretary of Commerce. Jefferson then served as a Fulbright Fellow in Singapore, where he studied leadership within Asian contexts. Afterwards, he served as the Deputy Director for the State of Hawaii’s Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT). DBEDT’s mission involves creating jobs, facilitating business development, diversifying the economy and creating renewable energy initiatives. While at DBEDT, Ray Jefferson co-led the organizational transformation for a department of over 230 team members with an operating budget of $182 million.
Jefferson was selected by then-Secretary of State Colin Powell as one of the two inaugural recipients of the Harrison H. Schmitt Fulbright Alumni Leadership Award for dedication to public service. He is a member of the Asia Society, the Fulbright Association, the NAACP and the Special Forces Association. Born and raised in Guilderland, New York, his home is Honolulu, Hawaii.
Career
Raymond Jefferson was appointed to the role of Assistant Secretary for the Veterans' Employment and Training Service of the US Department of Labor by President Barack Obama in 2009. While serving in this position, Jefferson implemented methods to accelerate the agency, which allowed it to achieve its goals quicker. This involved raising awareness of the employment situation for veterans in the armed forces in rural areas of America. This was planned to overhaul the Transition Assistance Program that was in place at the time. One of those initiatives was applying talent development best practices to achieve results in securing meaningful employment for veterans. The work he carried out was acknowledged in Fortune & Forbes Magazines, along with Bloomberg Businessweek. Jefferson was praised for his leadership at VETS by Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. “He has worked tirelessly for the last 18, 19 months,” she said. “I know that we have much more to accomplish, but under his leadership I know we can bring so many more people together to understand the importance and sacrifices of our veterans, their families and their communities."
On May 6, 2010, Ray Jefferson launched a "100-Day Sprint" that included deadlines for specific goals to be met within the agency. The sprint focused on achieving dramatic improvement in four primary areas: improving new programs, launching new initiatives, improving management practices in the agency, and developing talent in the agency. The VETS team, led by Jefferson, set forth 22 goals in 4 areas and reached all goals within the 100-Day Sprint deadline of August 13, 2010.
Ray Jefferson’s work and achievements at the agency were studied by business in government experts Paul R. Lawrence and Mark A. Abramson and published in their book Paths to Making a Difference: Leading in Government.
Jefferson resigned from his position as Assistant Secretary at the Department of Labor on July 25, 2011, following accusations that he violated federal procurement rules. Peter Choharis, the lawyer representing Jefferson after the allogations said the findings relied on hearsay and had many internal inconsistencies and contradictions.
An Inspector General's report alleged there were complaints by employees and government contractors that Jefferson violated procurement policies associated with directing VETS employees into awarding contracts to management consultant Stewart Liff. According to the Washington Post, Jefferson denied giving any special treatment for Liff, telling investigators that he believed Liff could help transform the culture at VETS. In a separate response, Liff asserted he received no special treatment and conformed to all government contracting requirements and work performance.
External links
- "HR 'Can Help Heal Our Country'". 23 November 2010. Retrieved 17 September 2011.
- "U.S. Department of Labor Assistant Secretary for Veterans Services to Speak at Columbia University School of Social Work Commencement". Columbia University. 5 April 2010. Retrieved 17 September 2011.
References
- ^ "Ray Jefferson". McKinsey. 6 August 2009. Retrieved 17 November 2009.
- ^ Matt Bewig and Noel Brinkerhoff (30 July 2011). "Labor Official Resigns Following Corruption Investigation: Who is Raymond Jefferson?". allgov.com. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
- GOVERNOR LINGLE APPOINTS RAY JEFFERSON AS DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF DBEDT , archive.lingle.hawaii.gov
- Jefferson wins leadership award, www.bizjournals.com
- www.gpo.gov
- NOMINATION HEARINGS OF THE 111TH CONGRESS: PART 2, www.gpo.gov
- Sports And Helping Military Veterans Transition To The Private Sector, www.forbes.com
- In Your Corner, www.gijobs.com
- Paths to Making a Difference: Leading in Government , www.barnesandnoble.com
- Cite error: The named reference
Paths to making a differencewas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - BILL LAMBRECHT (28 July 2011). "McCaskill criticizes Labor Department contracting 'boondoggle'". St Louis Today. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
- Steve Vogel (28 July 2011). "Raymond Jefferson leaves Labor Department after ethics finding". Washington Post. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
- Steve Vogel (28 July 2011). "Obama appointee at Labor resigns after ethics probe". Washington Post. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
- Stewart Liff (22 August 2011). "I'm not a thief". Liff Consulting. Retrieved 17 September 2011.