One Man’s Opinion, “‘Action Jackson’ Is His Name,”

He stood straight, arms crossed, in a navy blazer, looking in a way both vigilant and discerning. I guessed he was probably former military or law enforcement. A bit stout at that time, he did not look like someone you wanted to mess with. I assumed he was there as event security.

Boy was I wrong. I would never have guessed he was a millionaire, or even someone with a primarily business background, but he paid keen attention to everything around him, standing several feet behind my good friend and WSB Radio colleague, Clark Howard.  We were at a Walmart that Saturday afternoon, deep in the holiday season. Clark, the as always happy and able ringmaster, was being assisted by all the rest of us, who were there to support the cause, Clark’s Christmas Kids. This year will be the 36th year of the effort to insure that four holiday gifts (of their choosing and preference) make their way to the foster homes of these children all across the Peach State, especially when their holiday cupboard might otherwise remain entirely bare. (https://www.clarkschristmaskids.com/).

Clark Howard began this tradition 35 years ago as part of his nationally syndicated consumer advice and travel radio show on WSB. As Clark’s fame and national reach have grown, so has this special fundraiser, one of WSB Radio’s two annual flagship community give-back events, along with the AFLAC Cancer Center Careathon each summer benefiting pediatric cancer treatment and research by Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. But back to our security guard…

One year, more than a decade ago, the fundraiser fell financially short of supplying gifts for every Georgia foster child. Clark was personally devastated, and he speaks of this potential shortfall with some degree of alarm each year. But after that shortfall year, he got a phone call. The caller identified himself as a businessman, who grew up in foster care. He shared a story about how a generous Christmas Eve gift from a stranger, when he was a young teen, helped to turn his life around by teaching him the strength and benefits of kindness toward complete strangers. The caller was Rick Jackson who told Clark that he was ‘in the healthcare business,’ and though he wanted no publicity or recognition, he just wanted Clark to know that he would never again have to worry about not being able to fill every foster child’s stockings (a pair of socks is also part of each gift package).

Jackson remains the CEO and Chairman of Jackson Healthcare, founded just over 25 years ago and now an estimated $25-billion corporation and holding company, with nearly 20 other companies operating under that corporate banner, specializing in numerous subsets of healthcare staffing, coding, billing and cost management and other industry innovations too numerous to list here.  Spending half a day this spring at the impressive Jackson Healthcare campus in Alpharetta, along with a then new candidate for Georgia’s Governor and my WSB-TV Action News colleague, News Anchor Jorge Estevez, I was struck by how down to earth and approachable Jackson is, as well as how I noted that he listened to others, took counsel and seemed to be revered – not feared – by every employee we encountered. His ebullient Executive Assistant has been with him more than 20-years.

Full circle, and though Mr. Jackson would have no reason to recall our brief earlier meeting several years prior at Walmart, he wasn’t wearing the blue blazer that day, and he had considerably trimmed down. But as he discussed his philanthropy and family gifting strategy, I again saw the same smile I saw that day in Walmart, while he assisted families shopping their foster child holiday wish list of choice.

With all due respects to Atlanta’s former Mayor, and his opponent, Keisha Lance Bottoms, if you compare the track records, accomplishments, contributions back to community and society as well as proven abilities of fiscal stewardship, economic development and managing change… that comparison is not even close. Regardless of how the coming Congressional mid-term elections go, though I think I can make a pretty accurate forecast, I feel a bumpy patch is coming soon for our nation. Georgia typically weathers recessions and downturns better than most states, but that does not happen by accident. It requires firm and steady hands on the wheel… And for that, I think the safer bet may well be Rick “Action” Jackson.