Jason Jenkins (October 30, 1974 – August 27, 2022) was the heart and soul of the Miami Dolphins reach, impact and legacy in the South Florida community.
For the past 14 years, Jenkins dedicated his life in service to the Dolphins organization and the community through a variety of roles. While his accomplishments and accolades were many, at the foundation of all he did was his love for people – those he worked for, worked with or worked for him, those in need, those seeking a hand up, and especially those who could do nothing for him. He was an advocator, a trailblazer, a selfless giver, a mentor and a friend.
Since 2015, Jenkins served as Senior Vice President of Communications and Community Affairs and oversaw the organization's front-facing brands, including media outreach, public relations, social media and community efforts for the Dolphins, Hard Rock Stadium and Formula One Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix. In this role, he managed a team of more than 50 people and overhauled the organization's community relations and charitable efforts, with a focus on making South Florida a better place for people from all walks of life. Since the time he moved to the area and joined the team in 2009, Jenkins was intensely focused on making a positive difference and improving the world around him.
Jenkins was inclusive of all people. He championed the Miami Dolphins FOOTBALL UNITES program, whose mission is to unite groups of different races, genders, sexual orientations, identities, abilities and faith around the power of football.
Jenkins' inclusivity was evident in how many diverse organizations recognized his work in the community.
He served as a board member for numerous South Florida based community organizations providing leadership to a wide range of causes including Anti-Defamation League Florida, Breakthrough Miami, Dolphins Challenge Cancer, Pro Sports Assembly, Urban League of Broward County, Women of Tomorrow and YWCA Miami.
His many awards and honors include: 2022 Miami-Dade County's Black Affairs Advisory Board's Corporate Pillar Award, 2021 Civil Society Fellowship: A Partnership of ADL and the Aspen Institute, 2021 Co-Chair of the Social Justice and Racial Equality Committee as part of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance, 2021 Generational Cure Honoree, 2021 Miami-Dade County Public Schools Superintendent CHOICE Award, 2020 Big Brothers Big Sisters of Broward County Visionary of the Year, 2019 Equality Ally by SAVE-Dade, 2019 Men of Valor Award.
He was also recognized by his alma mater, Texas Tech University, as the school's faculty and alumni selected him as the 2017 Outstanding Alumni Award winner. He served as commencement speaker for the 2018 Texas Tech graduating class.
Jenkins was influential in Dolphins Challenge Cancer since its inception in 2010 and served as the board chairman since 2020. He helped build DCC into the largest fundraiser in the NFL, which has raised more than $53 million for the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center to fund life-saving cancer research in South Florida.
During the global pandemic in 2020, Jenkins led the Miami Dolphins Foundation Food Relief Program to help those in need during the tumultuous time. The program donated over 1 million meals to help address food insecurity in the community while also providing resources to local minority-owned restaurants and businesses at a time when the restaurant industry was struggling.
Jenkins' unifying presence helped build bridges between local law enforcement and the Black community at a time when tensions were high in America. His efforts in social justice programs became a model for the NFL.
Jenkins also worked closely with the Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality (RISE), a national nonprofit that educates and empowers the sports community to eliminate racial discrimination, champion social justice and improve race relations.
Additionally, Jenkins led the all crisis communications and media relations efforts for the Dolphins, including ownership, CEO and team executives, as well as create the team's first-ever comprehensive publicity plan for all off-field efforts and corporate partnerships. He was also instrumental in the community outreach, publicity and marketing drive towards securing a Formula One circuit at Hard Rock Stadium and served as the first National Press Officer for the Formula One Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix.
Prior to joining the Dolphins, Jenkins worked in the media relations department for the San Francisco 49ers, as well as served as the Associate Athletic Director at Texas Southern University from 1999-2002 and as Athletic Sales and Promotion Manager and Sports Communications Assistant at Lehigh University from 1997-99.
Jenkins was a native of Houston, Texas. He was proud of his Texas roots, which was evident in his musical taste and occasional drawl, but nothing made him prouder than his family. Above all, Jenkins was a devoted husband to Elizabeth and father to Liya, Aiden and Sloane. Of his countless accolades and accomplishments, nothing mattered more to Jenkins than his family. They were the foundation of his life and are the greatest lasting legacy of his love.
Jenkins will be remembered for his impact, his kindness, his joy, his selflessness and his humility. Nothing he did was about him – it was always in service for the betterment of others. His legacy will live on through the lives he changed, through his family and through the continued community efforts of the Miami Dolphins.
"It won't be your geography that marks your journey. It'll be three things: the depth of your relationships, the foundation of your values and the courage of your decision-making."
-Jason Lorenzo Jenkins
