Jackie Jenkins-Scott

Jackie Jenkins-Scott (born August 18th, 1949) is a nationally recognized leader with more than three decades of experience in senior and executive leadership positions in higher education and public health. She was the 13th President, and the first African-American President, of Wheelock College, serving from 2004 - 2016.

Education

Jenkins-Scott received her B.S. from Eastern Michigan University, a M.S.W. from Boston University School of Social Work, and completed a Post Graduate Research Fellowship at Radcliffe College. She is also a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Jackie Jenkins-Scott, while President of Wheelock College in 2009.

In 2003, Jenkins-Scott received an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Education from Wheelock College when she served as the Commencement speaker. She also holds Honorary Doctorate Degrees from Suffolk University, Northeastern University, Bentley College and Mount Ida College.

Career

From 1983 until 2004, Jenkins-Scott served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Dimock Community Health Center in Roxbury, Massachusetts. Prior to joining Dimock, she held several positions with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Departments of Public and Mental Health.

From 2004 - 2016, Jenkins-Scott served as the President of Wheelock College, a small institution with the mission of improving the lives of children and families. Jenkins-Scott helped to host Wheelock College's first international conference on children, youth, and families in July 2013, which drew attendees from more than 40 countries.^[1] Under her leadership, Wheelock increased its enrollment and diversity, and the number of first-generation college students grew from 25 to 41 percent from 2005 to 2014, according to the school. The college also opened a new campus center and dormitory in May 2013.^[2]

Jenkins-Scott has served on many professional, civic, and community boards. Jenkins-Scott has served on the Board of Directors of The Boston Foundation, the Kennedy Library Foundation and Museum, the Boston Plan for Excellence, WGBH, the National Board of Jumpstart, the Council on Social Work Education, Century Bank and Trust Company, and the Tufts Health Plan. In April 2007, Boston’s Mayor Thomas M. Menino selected her to co-chair his School Readiness Action Planning Team. Jenkins-Scott was asked by Governor Deval L. Patrick to co-chair the Readiness Project, the group responsible for developing a 10-year strategic plan to implement the vision for education in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as outlined by Governor Patrick in a June 2007 speech.^[3] She currently serves on the board of directors of The Boston Foundation, John F. Kennedy Library, Schott Foundation for Public Education, Tufts Health Plan, and Century Bank. In July 2012, Jenkins-Scott began a monthly blog on the Huffington Post.^[4]

Awards

She has received numerous awards and citations, including an honorary Doctor of Laws Degree from the University of Massachusetts-Boston in 2012, the 2010 Visiting Nurse Association of Boston Lifetime Achievement Award, and the 2010 Color Magazine Change Agent Award. She is a recipient of the Associated Industries of Massachusetts Legacy of Leadership award and the Pinnacle Lifetime Achievement Award from the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce. In 2004 Jenkins-Scott received the Boston University Distinguished Alumni Award.^[5]

References