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Contact Dave Jenkins
David Jenkins joined the staff as REP's first Government Affairs Director in January 2005. He became Vice President for Government and Political Affairs in January 2009.
Dave has been a REP member since 2003; in 2004, he volunteered his time and expertise to REP for a variety of projects. He brings a wealth of experience in government affairs, grassroots advocacy, environmental/natural resource policy, association management and membership development.
David is the driving force behind two of REP's most acclaimed publications: our C.E.P. (Conservative Environmental Policy) Quarterly and our Congressional Scorecard. He is widely credited with playing a key role in stopping a strong congressional push to drill for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in 2005.
Dave was interviewed in 2007 for a Living on Earth radio program. Click here to download that MP3 file.
He has become a popular and provocative speaker:
- The 2008 Congressional Election: More Blue Doesn't Necessarily Mean More Green; at the Society of Environmental Journalists conference, Roanoke, Virginia, October 17, 2008
- Decision 2008: Finding a True Conservative on Climate Change; at the Power Shift 2007 conference, College Park, MD, November 3, 2007
- Beyond Party and Faction; at the Sierra Club National Political Training Conference, Silver Spring, MD, October 13, 2007
- Republicans and Global Warming: Getting Beyond the Climate of Denial; at the National Association of Environmental Law Societies' Great Warming Conference in Washington, DC, March 13, 2007
- New Energy Future; University of the District of Columbia, October 26, 2006
He is the author of the following articles in The Green Elephant:
David also has published several op-eds and letters to the editor on behalf of REP, including:
- McCain's Stewardship Ethic Would Protect Chesapeake, published October 3, 2008 in the Baltimore Sun.
- Keep down the damage to the taxpayers, published April 2, 2008 in the Roanoke Times.
- Alaska's troubled Republicans not real conservatives; published July 25, 2007 in the Anchorage Daily News
- Conservation can be key route on Republican road to recovery; November 24, 2006 in the Kalamazoo Gazette, Jackson Hole News & Guide, and other newspapers
- The Conservative Case for Wilderness, August 2, 2006, in the Rutland (Vermont) Herald
- Republicans Against Arctic Drilling, December 3, 2005, in the Washington Times
- Republican Values in Loudoun, August 2, 2005, in the Washington Post
Before coming to work for REP, David was Director of Conservation and Public Policy for the American Canoe Association (ACA), a position he had held since 1993. He directed and managed all ACA programs and efforts regarding environmental protection, natural resource policy and government regulations and worked extensively on a wide range of outdoor recreation, public land and environmental issues.
David is a life-long conservative Republican. He served on the board of directors of Winter Wildlands Alliance (WWA) and as an adviser for River Runners for Wilderness (RRFW). 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).
Dave lives in Alexandria, Virginia, with his wife, Debbie, and their daughter, Aly.
Contact Dave Jenkins
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