Joseph P. Kennedy II

The founder of Citizens Energy Corporation, Joseph P. Kennedy II has served as Chairman and President of the company since 1998 following 12 years of service representing the 8th Congressional District of Massachusetts in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Kennedy founded the non-profit company in 1979 to provide low-cost heating oil to the poor and elderly. Under his leadership, Citizens grew to encompass seven separate companies, including the largest energy conservation firm in the U.S. During his tenure, Citizens became one of the nation's first energy firms to move large volumes of natural gas to over 30 states. As a precursor to market changes under electricity deregulation in the late 1990s, Citizens was a pioneer in moving and marketing electrical power over the grid. More recently, Citizens has expanded its oil heat program to serve customers in 23 states and the District of Columbia, as well as pursued renewable energy projects involving wind and geothermal generation. Each commercial venture is aimed at generating revenues that in turn would be used to assist the poor and those in need in the United States and abroad.

During his 12 years on Capitol Hill, Kennedy devised creative and innovative approaches to addressing social needs, particularly in the ways that the private sector, rather than government agencies, could help communities achieve economic growth and prosperity. Kennedy's many initiatives included legislation that:

§ Expanded the availability of credit to working Americans to buy homes and open businesses. Fair lending reforms introduced by Kennedy have allowed hundreds of thousands of families to obtain mortgages.
§ Helped create hundreds of thousands of new affordable housing units nationwide by introducing tax credits to stimulate private investment in neighborhood housing developments.
§ Proposed a balanced budget amendment as a vehicle to end skyrocketing deficits, bring down interest rates, and free up investment capital for business growth rather than government bonds.
§ Overhauled federal public housing law for the first time in 60 years, giving local housing authorities the tools they need to raise standards while protecting the poorest Americans who depend on public housing for shelter.
§ Preserved and expanded federal research and development accounts that stimulate the creation of new technologies and build the foundation for new jobs and business growth.

Throughout his career in Congress, Kennedy served on the House Banking Committee, where he played an active role in the federal savings and loan bailout, credit reporting reform, Glass-Steagall overhaul, and financial modernization. Kennedy also served on the House Veterans Affairs Committee, passing legislation to strengthen the veterans health care system, investigate the causes of Persian Gulf Syndrome, and provide medical treatment for veterans of the first Persian Gulf War.

In addition to his role as Chairman and President of Citizens Energy, Kennedy advises and serves on the boards of several companies in the energy, telecommunications, and health care industries. The son of the late U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy and Ethel Kennedy, Joe Kennedy is married to Beth Kelly Kennedy and is the father of twin sons. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Boston.