David W.

Garrett
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
June 15, 1992
(Phone: 202/453-8400)

RELEASE: 92-89

JENKINS LEAVES NASA TO DIRECT SENATE OFFICE

Dr. Harriett G. Jenkins, Assistant Administrator for Equal

Opportunity Programs, has resigned her NASA position to become
first Director of the newly established Office of Senate Fair
Employment Practices. In that role, she will administer
processes that review allegations of prohibited discrimination
practices and will implement programs for the Senate to
heighten awareness of employee rights in order to prevent
violations from occurring.

Jenkins served for 18 years as the NASA Assistant

Administrator for Equal Opportunity Programs. In that
position, she was responsible for helping NASA integrate its
workforce and for ensuring equal opportunity in personnel
transactions and in the use of NASA's resources.

Before being appointed to NASA in 1974, Jenkins was a

consultant to the District of Columbia school system for the
Response to Educational Needs Project for about 4 months,
beginning in late 1973. Prior to that, she served for 19
years as a public school educator in Berkeley, Calif.,
entering as a teacher and rising through the ranks to
vice-principal, principal and Director of Elementary Education
before reaching the post of Assistant Superintendent for
Instruction in 1971.

In 1977, Jenkins received NASA's highest award, the

Distinguished Service Medal. Also during 1977, she chaired
the Task Force on Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action,
one of nine task forces of the Personnel Management Project,
which led to the Civil Service Reform Act. For this work, she
received the Civil Service Commissioner's Award for
Distinguished Service. Dr. Jenkins received the President's
Distinguished Executive Award in 1983.

In 1986, Jenkins was elected to the National Academy of

Public Administration and in 1987, she received the Black
Engineer of the Year Award for Affirmative Action. In 1988,
she received a second Distinguished Service Medal from NASA
and in 1990, the Women in Aerospace Lifetime Achievement
Award.

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