David Jenkins is Vice President for Government and Political Affairs at Republicans for Environmental Protection (REP), a national grassroots organization dedicated to strengthening the Republican Party's commitment to responsible environmental stewardship. In addition to maintaining REP's Washington D.C. presence and its relationships with members of Congress, the White House and federal agencies, Jenkins serves as staff advisor to REP's Political Committee and is the driving force behind the organization’s most notable publications: C.E.P. (Conservative Environmental Policy) Quarterly and REP's Congressional Scorecards.
Mr. Jenkins has written extensively about many of today's most pressing environmental issues. He also writes frequently about conservatism from a traditionalist perspective, the Republican Party, and the corrosive effect of radicalism on talk radio. His writing appears on the FrumForum blog, in C.E.P. Quarterly and other policy publications, and has also been published in dozens of major newspapers across the nation.
As a life-long conservative, Jenkins has been actively involved in the political process since campaigning for former Senator Jesse Helms (R-NC) while in high school. In 2008 he served as National Coordinator of the Environmental Stewardship Coalition for McCain-Palin 2008.
Prior to joining REP, Jenkins served for 13 years as Director of Conservation and Public Policy for the American Canoe Association (ACA). Under his direction, ACA became a leader in conservation that is widely recognized for its effective legal enforcement of the Clean Water Act, its landmark efforts to reduce pulp and paper mill pollution, its success protecting waterways from jet ski use, and its stalwart defense of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
He has served on the board of directors of Winter Wildlands Alliance (WWA) and North American Water Trails, as an adviser for River Runners for Wilderness (RRFW) and as a section editor for Paddler Magazine. He earned a bachelor's degree in political science from Furman University, and immediately after college served on the legislative staff of Senator Pete Domenici (R-NM).
Jenkins lives in Oakton, Virginia, with his wife, Debbie, their daughter, Alyeska, and their two dogs, Denali and Kona.
Recent published writing includes:
- Measuring Obama’s Environmental Record, published in the Spring 2010 edition of InFOCUS Quarterly
- President Reagan's Model on Addressing Climate Change, published February 26, 2010, in the Washington Post
- Beck’s Small Tent GOP, featured February 25, 2010 on FrumForum.com
- Graham Deserves Praise, Not Censure, for Climate Change Stance, published November 20, 2009, in the Post & Courier, Charleston, SC
- Conservatism’s Green Roots, published in the Fall 2009 edition of InFOCUS Quarterly
- The Right Climate for Bipartisanship, featured October 19, 2009 on FrumForum.com
- Inglis Is Thoughtful Conservative That the GOP Needs, published July 9, 2009, in the Greenville (SC) News
- Don’t Know Much About Science Books, featured April 29, 2009 on FrumForum.com
- God’s Climate Plan, featured April 8, 2009 on FrumForum.com
LEADING THE WAY:
“I'm proud of having been one of the first to recognize that States and the Federal Government have a duty to protect our natural resources from the damaging effects of pollution that can accompany industrial development.”
Ronald Reagan, July 19, 1984
