Harriett Jenkins: Biographical Sketch

Harriett G. Jenkins is a retired member of the Federal Senior Executive Service, who consults on a variety of projects. Currently she is a member of the Board of Directors of the Social Equity Panel, and of the Prison Committee of the National Academy of Public Administration. Formerly, she served as Director of the Office of Senate Fair Employment Practices in the United States Senate. For over 18 years, she was Assistant Administrator for Equal Opportunity Programs at NASA. In that role she managed exemplary programs and strategies, which ranged from the hiring and advancement of minorities, women, and individuals with disabilities within the agency, to adjudication of allegations of discrimination, and to the establishment of research centers in Historically Black Colleges and Universities and other minority Universities. Dr. Jenkins served as teacher, vice-principal, principal, director of elementary education and Assistant Superintendent for Instruction in the Berkeley Unified School District in Berkeley, California. She received numerous awards and recognition during her professional career including: two President's Meritorious Executive Awards (1980, 1992); the President's Distinguished Executive Award (1983); NASA's highest awards, the Distinguished Service Medal (1977, 1988), and the Outstanding Leadership Medal (1981); and two Equal Opportunity Medals (1992, 1997). In 1986, Dr. Jenkins was elected a Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration. In 2000, NASA honored her by establishing in her name the "Harriett G. Jenkins Pre-doctoral Fellowship Program.” Dr. Jenkins earned an Ed.D. in Policy, Planning, and Administration and an M.A. in Education, both at University of California at Berkeley. She received her B.A. in Mathematics from Fisk where she also holds an Honorary Doctorate of Science. She completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School. Dr. Jenkins earned a J.D. from Georgetown University.