Bonnie Jenkins facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bonnie Jenkins
18th Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs
In office July 22, 2021 – December 31, 2024
President	Joe Biden
Preceded by	Andrea L. Thompson
Succeeded by	C.S. Eliot Kang (acting)
Coordinator for Threat Reduction Programs
In office July 13, 2009 – January 19, 2017
President	Barack Obama
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Vacant
Personal details
Born	New York City, New York, U.S.
Education	Amherst College (BA) State University of New York, Albany (JD, MPA) Georgetown University (LLM) University of Virginia (PhD)

Bonnie Denise Jenkins was born in Queens, New York. She is an American diplomat who has worked to make the world safer. She served as the Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security under President Joe Biden. This important job means she helps the U.S. government deal with dangerous weapons and keep peace with other countries. Before that, during the Obama administration, she worked to reduce threats from dangerous materials.

Early Life and Education

Bonnie Jenkins grew up in the South Bronx in New York. She has said that her family did not have a lot of money. She was able to go to college and get a great education thanks to scholarships. Scholarships are like special grants that help students pay for school.

She earned a degree in psychology and black studies from Amherst College in 1982. Later, she got two more degrees from the State University of New York at Albany. She also earned a law degree from Georgetown University. In 2005, she received her highest degree, a PhD, from the University of Virginia.

What Does a Diplomat Do?

Bonnie Jenkins speaking at a security forum in 2017.

Bonnie Jenkins has had a long and interesting career in government and academics. She started her government work as a special fellow. This program helps talented people begin careers in public service. She worked in offices that dealt with defense and government spending.

For nearly ten years, she was a legal advisor. She helped U.S. ambassadors and teams negotiate important agreements. These agreements were about controlling weapons and stopping their spread. She also worked for the group that investigated the 9/11 attacks. Her job was to look into how the U.S. government handled terrorism threats before 9/11.

Working in Academia

While studying for her PhD, Bonnie Jenkins worked at research places like the RAND Corporation. She focused on how to deal with very dangerous weapons. She also advised students at Harvard Law School.

After finishing her studies, she worked for the Ford Foundation. Here, she helped give money to projects that encouraged public discussion about U.S. foreign policy. She supported ideas like solving problems peacefully and following international laws. She has also taught at Georgetown University Law School.

Military Service

Bonnie Jenkins also served in the military for over twenty years. She started in the United States Air Force Judge Advocate General's Corps. This is where lawyers work for the Air Force. Later, she joined the U.S. Naval Reserves. She even supported Operation Enduring Freedom, a military operation. She received many awards for her service.

Working for Presidents

Bonnie Jenkins with Secretary of State John Kerry in 2016.

In the Obama Administration

Under President Barack Obama, Bonnie Jenkins became a U.S. ambassador. She was the State Department's Coordinator for Threat Reduction Programs. This meant she helped stop the spread of dangerous weapons and materials, like those used in nuclear bombs. She also led efforts to secure nuclear materials around the world.

She worked on the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA). This is an international effort with over 50 countries. Its goal is to reduce threats from infectious diseases like Ebola and Zika. She helped governments understand that fighting these diseases needs many different groups to work together.

Bonnie Jenkins also focused on helping African countries deal with chemical, biological, and nuclear threats. She developed a program called Threat Reduction in Africa (TRIA). This program makes sure U.S. efforts to improve safety in these areas meet the needs of African nations.

In the Trump and Biden Administrations

After the Obama administration, Bonnie Jenkins started a non-profit group in 2017. It is called Women of Color Advancing Peace and Security (WCAPS). This group helps women of color become leaders in peace and security fields. She led WCAPS until 2021.

In 2020, she joined President Joe Biden's team to help with the changeover of government. In March 2021, President Biden nominated her for a very important role. She was chosen to be the Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs. The Senate approved her nomination, and she started this job on July 22, 2021. In this role, she continues to work on global security, arms control, and preventing the spread of dangerous weapons.

Bonnie Jenkins with Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, in 2022.

Personal Life

Bonnie Jenkins was part of "A Better Chance." This non-profit group helps talented young people of color attend top high schools. She went to The Spence School in New York City for high school. In 2023, she became an honorary member of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority.