Clay Jenkins is an attorney, businessman and civic leader with a proven track record of accomplishments in our community. It is this leadership that provides him the experience needed to tackle issues facing Dallas County.
Clay was born in Dallas County and spent most of his childhood here. His father, A.C. Lewis, was born in Dallas, graduated from Sunset High School, served his country in combat during the Korean War, and worked for Southwestern Bell for over 20 years. Clay’s mother, JoAnn Few, grew up in Waxahachie and went to work for Southwestern Bell. It was there that she met Clay’s father.
A.C. Lewis died when Clay was seven. His mother, JoAnn Few Jenkins, married Clay’s adopted father, the late Warwick Jenkins of Waxahachie, three years later and moved there with Clay and his sister, Laura. Upon returning from serving in World War II in Europe, Warwick Jenkins attended college with funds established by the G.I Bill, began a successful law practice and served as the first president of the Chamber of Commerce in Waxahachie.
Clay became the first member of the Few or Lewis family to graduate from college, earning his law degree from Baylor University in 1987. During college, Clay served as an education aide to the late Sen. Oscar H. Mauzy (D-District 23 Dallas), as a Washington D.C. intern to Cong. Martin Frost (D-Dallas), and as an LBJ Intern to the late U.S. Sen. Lloyd Bentsen (D-Texas).
After law school, Clay accepted a clerkship with the Texas Supreme Court, again working for Oscar H. Mauzy, who, by then, was a Justice on the court.
Currently, Clay is the President of Jenkins & Jenkins, a successful law practice with offices in Dallas and Waxahachie. He is also the co-founder of Brown Dental Health Services, founded in 1994, with his longtime friend, Steve Brown, while Clay was recovering from a broken neck and other severe injuries incurred in an automobile accident. The genesis for the company was the lack of readily-available dental care during Clay’s long hospital stay. The company now employs 10 dentists and provides dental care to residents in over 90 facilities in North and East Texas.
Clay Jenkins will work to build consensus and will speak out on the issues that define Dallas County and this region in the 21st century. He knows that our ability to unite, communicate clearly and capitalize on the diversity, rich culture and proud heritage of Dallas County is key to addressing the challenges currently facing our area.
Clay is committed to building infrastructure and fostering economic development in southern Dallas County and to greatly increasing the tax base. Clay wants to promote more redevelopment, like the Southside on Lamar, where he and his wife, Chrissy, lived the first five years of their marriage.
Clay will work to ensure the new Parkland hospital is built on time and on budget. He believes it must be a world-class facility where people receive excellent, timely care and are treated with respect while at the same time making sure there is accountability and oversight to ensure the best use of our tax dollars.
Clay will tackle air quality and other environmental challenges by working closely with neighborhood leaders while taking into fair account the views and information provided by civic and industry experts.
