Valerie Richardson Jackson is the former first lady of Atlanta and the award winning host of NPR station WABE's Between the Lines. On the show, Jackson interviews some of today's most notable writers and thinkers. Among those she has interviewed include President Jimmy Carter, Hillary Clinton, Maya Angelou, Sidney Poitier, and Deepak Chopra.
Jackson integrated the high school she attended in Richmond and went on to major in business management at Virginia Commonwealth University. She earned her M.B.A. degree from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. After graduating, she worked as an advertising executive at Grey Advertising in New York City, and as Regional Marketing Supervisor for TWA's corporate headquarters in New York. During her tenures as Atlanta's First Lady, Jackson served as Special Advisor to the Mayor's Office of Economic Development, representing Atlanta from Moscow to Lagos. Her direct efforts helped to bring the Democratic National Convention to Atlanta in 1988 and in 1996.
Jackson has served on numerous boards, including the American Cancer Society, Habitat for Humanity and the Northwest Georgia Girl Scout Council. She is past president of the Georgia Chapter of the International Women's Forum, and is currently an active board member of The Alliance for a New Humanity. She has received many awards that reflect her deep commitment to service. Jackson shared more than 25 years of marriage with the late Maynard H. Jackson and is the mother of their two daughters, Valerie-Amanda and Alexandra.