Long inspired by Justice Brandeis, he ends up at Brandeis University

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April 26, 2017





As a kid growing up in a Jewish family in the Boston area, Ira Jackson was fascinated with the legacy of Louis Brandeis, the first Jewish justice on the US Supreme Court.
Now, in a way, Jackson will have his own opportunity to contribute to that legacy.



He joined Brandeis University, named after the famed judge, this week as senior vice president for communications and external relations following new president Ron Leibowitz’s decision to recruit Jackson from UMass Boston.Jackson says he sees his job at Brandeis as being a “dot connector,” linking folks at the Waltham university with leaders at businesses, colleges, and nonprofits:



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“Part of my role would be to try to connect more directly some of the [Brandeis] centers of excellence with the many other great institutions that exist in Boston.”

To many in the business community, Jackson is best known for his 12 years in a top job at BankBoston, under CEOs Ira Stepanian and Chad Gifford. Jackson left the bank in 1999 for a career in academia, one that included stints at Harvard and MIT as well as out-of-state roles with Arizona State University and Claremont Graduate University.He spent more than four years at UMass Boston and says his decision to join Brandeis had nothing to do with UMass Boston’s financial turmoil. “I’m sad to leave UMass Boston,” Jackson says, “where some of my heart will remain.”




Leibowitz praised Jackson in a memo to the Brandeis community, saying he “has energy and creativity, and a proven track record of working with complex organizations to achieve big things in a way that makes people feel good about being part of the change.” — JON CHESTO
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