Van Jones, a leading proponent of green jobs development, has been tapped to become President Barack Obama’s first-ever “Green Jobs Czar,” according to the White House Council on Environmental Quality.

The appointment was announced by council chair Nancy Sutley, who added that Jones will come on board starting next week.

Founder and president of Green for All, Jones has already been providing advice to the White House through his participation in the new Middle Class Task Force headed up by Vice President Joe Biden. He was recently one of three panelists to take part in a discussion on “Green Jobs: What are They & How Can They Help the Middle Class?”

Green for All is a nationwide organisation dedicated to “building an inclusive green economy strong enough to lift people out of poverty.”

Jones is also author of the book, “The Green Collar Economy: How One Solution Can Fix Our Two Biggest Problems.”

Tags: Van Jones