Mr. Jenkins was born and raised in Long Beach, California. He attended the University of Minnesota on a full athletic scholarship and graduated with a bachelor's degree in marketing.

Launching his career as a marketing representative for General Mills, Inc., Mr. Jenkins quickly climbed the corporate ladder. As a Regional Marketing Assistant, he took on the task of developing an effective marketing strategy for grocery store chains in a five-state area. He was one of only six managers assigned that level of responsibility for the corporation's national marketplace performance.

After seven years of career advancement at General Mills (in locations that included Shreveport, LA, Memphis, TN and Little Rock, AR), Mr. Jenkins accepted the position of Regional Marketing Manager with Turtle Wax, Inc. There he was responsible for all marketing functions, including the development of a marketing team for the Northeast region. Based in Woodbridge, New Jersey, his efforts generated gross sales in excess of $27 million.

In June 1988, Mr. Jenkins realized a lifelong dream of opening his own business-Mid-Atlantic-Marketing Consultants, Inc., in Baltimore. In addition to his business success, he is recognized as a trailblazer, a civic leader and a man of faith who is active in his church. Tributes to his public service include the Mayor's Unsung Heroes Citation for making a positive difference in the lives of Baltimoreans.

Mr. Jenkins is founder of the Baltimore Business Partnership Pledge Initiative. Through this program, numerous local corporations have agreed to approach Baltimore-area suppliers for potential business partnerships before approaching suppliers from out of state.