Fitz A Jackson was elected the new Chairman of the Opposition People’s National Party (PNP). But just who is this man?

Jackson is an outstanding graduate of the Central Kingston-based Kingston Technical High School, who also excelled at tertiary studies overseas.

An outspoken critic of certain practices in the Jamaican banking/financial sector, Jackson, 59, graduated from Florida International University and the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, with Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees, in public administration, and political science, respectively.

The newly appointed Opposition spokesman on national security is also the owner of an Associate of Applied Science degree in Civil Engineering Technology.

Jackson defeated former PNP deputy chairman, George Anthony Hylton in the fight to fill the vacancy left by the retirement of Robert Pickersgill, who served as chairman for 25 years. He polled 187 votes to Hylton’s 79 at the meeting of the National Executive Council held in the central St Mary town of Highgate last Sunday. There are just over 300 members of the PNP’s second highest decision-making body, which Jackson joined in 1989.

Jackson, an ally of PNP President Dr Peter Phillips, was the favourite to defeat his opponent, who was said by council members to be not as friendly and receptive to them as the victor was. Bouyed by his fight to get commercial banks to pass on more benefits to the public, Jackson, the Member of Parliament for St Catherine Southern, held the clear momentum heading into the meeting.

Apart from his academic achievements, Jackson — who has been a member of the House of Representatives since 1994, having won his seat in that year, 1997, 2002, 2007, 2011 and last year — has deep roots in community organisations, some of which he helped to form.

The divorced father of two boys and a stepdaughter is the founding president of the Hellshire Heights Citizens’ Association, an area he represents in Parliament, and also served as founding chairman of Portmore Community College.

Now Managing Director of Cemcorp Cement Inc/Cement Jamaica Ltd, and Chief Executive Officer of Suntrax Corporation Ltd, Jackson was at one time the hospital administrator of Medical Associates Hospital in St Andrew, and was part of several boards, among them Hellshire Bay Development Company, National Development Bank, and Spanish Town Regional Hospital Board, which he chaired.

Before returning to Jamaica after studies, he worked as general manager of Midway Oil in Milwaukee.

On the political side, Jackson, whose father Baldwin “Lattie” Jackson served as councillor for the Lluidas Vale Division of St Catherine North Western in the St Catherine Parish Council, was Minister of State in the Ministry of Local Government, Youth and Community Development from 2000 to 2001; Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Culture (2001-2002) and Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance and Planning with responsibility for the public sector, from 2002 to 2007.

He declined an appointment as minister of state after the PNP won the General Election of December 2011. At the time it was felt that he was disrespected by then Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller, as he openly supported Dr Phillips who went up against Simpson Miller for the position of party president in 2006 and 2008.

Also, Jackson was appointed Deputy Leader of Government Business in the House of Representatives in 1996, serving until 2007, and Deputy Leader of Opposition Business from 2007 to 2008.

Now, he is a member of four special select and joint select committees of Parliament — Public Accounts; Public Administration & Appropriations, Economy and Production; and Physical Infrastructure.

Jackson was Jamaica’s Parliamentary representative to the African, Caribbean and Pacific — European Union Joint Parliamentary Assembly, elevated to President and Co-President of the group.