Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative (SMECO) Board members and employees mourn the loss of Louis P. Jenkins, Sr., who passed away on Saturday, May 6, 2006.
Jenkins served on SMECO's Board of Directors for 13 years as a representative of Charles County, and was later appointed General Counsel to the Board; he served in that capacity for an additional 28 years. During his over 40 years of unwavering dedication to SMECO, he helped guide the Board and the Cooperative through significant changes in the industry. His legal knowledge and ethical standards helped transform SMECO from a small rural electric utility into one of the largest cooperatives in the nation. Jenkins concerns were always focused on the benefit and value the Cooperative brought to its membership. A. Joseph Slater, SMECO's president and chief executive officer, stated, "Mr. Jenkins was a truly dedicated individual. He was a very strong supporter of the Co-op and assisted the Board in innumerable ways."
Jenkins served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and later graduated from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. He practiced law for 51 years in Southern Maryland, and he served 41 years as counsel to Community Bank of Tri-County. Jenkins also served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Charles County Community College for over 22 years, and was active in numerous philanthropic efforts and community and civic organizations.
His wife, Gladys S. Jenkins, six children, and 16 grandchildren survive Jenkins.