Appointment of James E. Jenkins as Deputy Counsellor to the President

The President today announced the appointment of James E. Jenkins to be Deputy Counsellor to the President, serving under Counsellor to the President Edwin Meese III.

Since 1975 Mr. Jenkins has been executive vice president and cofounder of Mark Briggs and Associates, Inc., a local government and economic development consulting firm headquartered in Sacramento, Calif. He was secretary of health and welfare, State of California, in 1974-75. He served concurrently as a member of the Governor's cabinet and was responsible for supervisory authority over the Department of Health, Department of Benefit Payments (Welfare), Department of Corrections, Youth Authority, Rehabilitation, Employment Development, and Office of Aging. In 1971-74 he was assistant to the Governor and director of public affairs, State of California, with responsibility for all State-Federal relations. He was deputy director of finance, State of California, in 1969-71.

Previously, in 1966-69, Mr. Jenkins was Washington representative for the city of San Diego, Calif. He served in the United States Navy as Director of Public Affairs, 11th Naval District, in 1964-66. In 1959-64 he was Public Affairs Assistant to four Secretaries of the Navy.

Mr. Jenkins attended the United States Merchant Marine Academy (Class of 1944); Armed Forces Information School (1946-47); and Naval War College (1957-58). He is married, has three sons, and resides in Carmichael, Calif. He is 57.