“The shameful failures of government that the world witnessed in the wake of Hurricane Katrina have given me a special appreciation for the importance of public service. Those failures have galvanized my commitment to working tirelessly to protect the health and safety of the people of New Jersey and to enhancing our quality of life.”
— Lisa Jackson, Obama’s pick to head the EPA and a native of the 9th Ward of New Orleans, in her speech at her swearing-in ceremony [PDF] as commissioner of the N.J. Department of Environmental Protection
