Raymond M. Jefferson III | |
---|---|
Assistant Secretary of Labor for Veterans' Employment and Training | |
In office 2009–2011 | |
President | Barack Obama |
Personal details | |
Born | Albany,New York | June 13,1966
Died | October 13,2024 58) | (aged
Education | United States Military Academy (BS) Harvard University (MPA,MBA) |
Military service | |
Branch/service | United States Army |
Unit | 3rd Ranger Battalion 1st Special Forces Group |
Raymond M. Jefferson III (June 13,1966 - October 13,2024) [1] was an American government official and retired military officer who was assistant secretary of labor for the Veterans' Employment and Training Service. [2] [3] He graduated from the United States Military Academy and served in the United States Army. [4] During a training session as an Army officer with Special Forces,he lost all of his fingers on his left hand while attempting to protect his teammates from a defective hand grenade that was detonating prematurely. [3]
In 2009,he was appointed to his position at the United States Department of Labor. He resigned in 2011 after an Inspector General's report concluded he had violated federal procurement rules. [2] In 2019,the Inspector General reversed its ruling,stating that the claims were unsubstantiated. [3] From 2011 until his death in 2024,he worked as the sole proprietor of a global leadership consultancy company. [3] [1]
[3] He was raised in Albany,New York [5] and graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1988 with a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology. [4] [6] Jefferson earned a Master of Public Administration degree in strategic management from the Kennedy School of Government,graduating with distinction as a Littauer Fellow. [5] [6] He also earned an MBA from Harvard Business School and received the Dean's Award for exceptional leadership and service. [5] [7]
Jefferson was an army officer with the infantry and Special Forces,as well as the Presidential Honor Guard,3rd Ranger Battalion and 1st Special Forces Group. [5] In 1999,he lost all five fingers on his left hand while attempting to protect his teammates from a hand grenade detonating prematurely during Special Forces training. [3] He recuperated from his injuries at the Tripler Army Medical Center in Hawaii. [5]
Jefferson was a White House Fellow from 2000 to 2001 as a special assistant to the United States secretary of commerce and the under secretary of state for management. [5] He was then a Fulbright Fellow in Singapore studying leadership within Asian contexts. [7]
In January 2003,Jefferson was appointed deputy director of Hawaii Department of Business,Economic Development and Tourism. [5] In July 2003,he was awarded the Harrison H. Schmitt Leadership Award for dedication to public service. [4] [8] He also worked in Singapore as a leadership consultant at McKinsey &Company,developing leadership training and development programs for his clients. [9]
In 2009,Jefferson was appointed by President Obama as assistant secretary for the Veterans' Employment and Training Service (VETS) of the United States Department of Labor. [10]
Jefferson resigned from his position as assistant secretary on July 25,2011,following accusations that he had violated federal procurement rules. [2] [11] An Inspector General's report alleged that two whistleblowers had reported that Jefferson directed VETS employees to award contracts to the management consultant Stewart Liff at a higher cost than could have been procured in an open selection process. [2] On September 26,2019,the inspector general reversed a predecessor's finding,stating that the accusations could not be substantiated. The government also agreed to pay some of Jefferson's legal fees. [3]
Jefferson was the sole proprietor of Jefferson Group, [12] a global leadership consultancy based in Singapore. [3]
In March 2022,Jefferson was nominated by President Joe Biden as under secretary of veterans affairs for benefits. [13] However,his nomination was withdrawn on July 11,2022,after stalling in committee over Republicans' objections. [14]
In 2022,Jefferson was appointed by President Joe Biden as a Member of the President’s Commission on White House Fellowships. [15]
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