Velva Jenkins

Velva Jenkins’ professional career has provided the background for her to become an advocate for economic and workforce development and women in leadership. Ms. Jenkins believes in entrepreneurial and economic uniformity in which she advocates through education and community partnerships.

Ms. Jenkins began her career in economic and workforce development as the Director of the Small Business with Brunswick Community College is 1986. Under her leadership, she launched the Small Business Center, the Brunswick County Small Business of the Year Award for entrepreneurs, the Brunswick County Leadership program in Brunswick County and secured over $1.5 million in grant funding for Brunswick Community College Economic and Workforce Development Division.

Ms. Jenkins served in many positions, and on many boards and committees: Brunswick Community College SACS Leadership Team, Brunswick Community Planning Council, NC Community College Adult Education Conference Committee, NC Community College Focus Industrial Training Conference Planning Committee, Brunswick Community College March of Dimes Champaign Team Captain, Southport-Oak Island Area Chamber of Commerce Education Committee, South Brunswick Island Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, Cape Fear United Way Board, UNC-W Alumni Association Board of Directors, North Carolina Community College Systems Workforce Development Leadership, The Southeastern Economic Development Commission, Brunswick County Hospital Authority, The State Employees Credit Union Advisory Board, YWCA Lower Cape Fear, The Cape Fear Area Red Cross Board of Directors, and a member of The Link, Incorporated, Wilmington (NC) Chapter.

At Brunswick Community College, she has served as the Chief Diversity Officer, Marketing Director, Dean of Continuing and Workforce Development, and Vice President for Continuing Education, Economic and Workforce Development. Ms. Jenkins has been honored with several awards, including the Distinguished Women Achievement Award, the Outstanding Citizens Award, and the YWCA Women of Achievement Education Award.

Ms. Jenkins has degrees in Business with a concentration in Marketing from the Cameron School of Business at the University of North Carolina Wilmington and a in Business Administration from Webster University.

Ms. Jenkins is currently the Chief Executive Officer of the YWCA of the Lower Cape Fear. In her role, she oversees all YWCA sustainable programs and community outreach programs that empower and advocate for women and people of color; programs include Grandparent Support
Network, New Choices Economic Empowerment, Early Parenthood Program, and What’s Wrong with Different, Early Childcare Development and Aquatics. At the YWCA, Ms. Jenkins also created new initiatives to engage the community on issues of racial equity, social justice, health disparities through Talk On Race, Talk On Health, and small business equity program, We Can’t Wait, Equity and Justice Now (formed from a campaign of the YWCA USA). In 2020, she envisioned a Community Health Summit, Empowering and Building Healthier Communities that would bring awareness to health inequities in the community. She partnered with United Healthcare and held in May 2022 the first health summit on improving the social determinants of health. Under her leadership, she has secured over $5 million in grant awards for the YWCA.