As the public relations person for The Haskell Company, Erin Jenkins not only has to think on her feet to get things done, she prefers it that way.
WHERE SHE FROM?
Jenkins, 26, is a Jacksonville native who attended Mandarin High School and later the University of Florida. “I actually wanted to go into biology and, later, become the next Jacques Cousteau. Then I realized how much math was involved and realized that my strengths could be better utilized in a different field.” Jenkins is currently pursuing a master’s degree in mass communication at UF — she’s there one day a week — while working full-time for Haskell. “It’s not easy.” Jenkins graduates in December.
WHY GO FOR A MASTER’S?
“I really love what I do, but I felt like I needed to know more if I was to become an expert at it and eventually do more here. Obviously, experience is very valuable, but I really wanted to go back and get more of an education.”
WHAT DOES SHE DO?
After graduating from college four years ago, Jenkins first took a job as a marketing assistant at Stein Mart’s corporate headquarters. “Before long, I was ready for more of a challenge. That’s how I got here. Now, I’m sort of a Jill of all trades.” As an in-house public relations contact for Haskell — Jenkins is not only the first person to fill the position, she’s the only one in the entire department — she writes press releases and coordinates their distribution, drafts submissions for awards on the local, regional and national levels and, when necessary, handles crisis communication. “Luckily, that almost never happens.”
HER ROLE MODEL
“[Presidential press secretary] Ari Fleischer. He is in such an amazing position of influence. There is such a large amount of respect and trust between President Bush and Ari.” Jenkins also cited Senior Presidential Advisor Karen Hughes as someone she looks up to.
COMPETITIVE BY NATURE
Though she says she has been “outgoing” and “ambitious” since high school, Jenkins doesn’t try to outrun anybody but herself. “I’ve always held myself to a very high standard. Even when I was at UF, I wasn’t concerned with what my peers were doing. I was too busy competing with myself and doing the best that I could do.”
IN HER SPARE TIME
“What’s that? It isn’t easy because I stay so busy during the week, but I always try to make time to work out because it’s a real stress reliever for me. I also love spending time with family, and when I get the chance, I go to Orlando to spend time with my boyfriend.”
WHERE WILL
SHE BE IN 10 YEARS?
“I’ll still be working in P.R. I’d really love to watch my position grow and evolve so that I’ll eventually manage an entire department and oversee larger efforts here. It will be important for me to put my master’s degree to good use.”
HOW DOES SHE LIKE JACKSONVILLE?
“I love it, but I’m partial to it because I’ve always been here. It has been incredible to think about how much this city has grown in the last few years. I’m from Mandarin and I can remember when San Jose Boulevard was a two-lane road. Now you don’t have to leave Mandarin to do anything. My parents used to joke about how one day there would be a Mandarin High School and, as it turns out, I was actually in the first class that went all the way through.”
WHEN DOES SHE SLEEP?
On top of working full-time, going to graduate school, spending time with family and friends and staying in shape, Jenkins has also been bitten by the political bug. She is City Council candidate Art Shad’s press secretary. “I’ve been interested in working in politics for a while so it has been a great experience. My plate is pretty full, but I’m having a lot of fun.”
— by J. Brooks Terry