Robert Jackson - Author

Robert Jackson has had concurrent careers in special events and publicity. He began both when on the staff at the Walt Disney organization, starting at WED Enterprises, Inc., then a company personally owned by Walt Disney. WED, and its subsequent re-positioning as Walt Disney company, planned, designed, and supervised construction of all Disney theme parks and their later-added attractions.

Following Disney's death, Jackson relocated to Disneyland where, as publicity manager, he was involved in the planning and implementation of the California theme park's many special events. He then joined the federal government as director of media services for the (now titled) United States Travel and Tourism Administration in the Department of Commerce.

His role called for considerable involvement with special events and their producers throughout the nation, events being a primary instrument for attracting foreign tourists and encouraging within-nation travel by U.S. residents.

Still with the government, Jackson moved into the position of director of public relations and advertising for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC. Again, his duties included pivotal participation in the center's extensive special event programming. In recent years, Jackson has served national companies and agencies as an independent special events and publicity consultant.

He suspended agency operations to accept the 2-year post of special events manager for the 1991 International Special Olympics Games played in Minneapolis–St. Paul, Minnesota. Since 1992, he has been affiliated with INNOVA Marketing, Minneapolis, Minnesota.