Helios Education Foundation Celebrates Visionary Life Of One of Its Founding Board Members
Helios Education Foundation’s board of directors and staff express heart-felt condolences on the passing of one of our founding board members, Bill Jenkins. His visionary leadership, guiding spirit and commitment to the fundamentals of education across Arizona and Florida will be sorely missed. We cherish his legacy and are encouraged to know that his work has left an indelible mark and will continue to create opportunities for student success across the education continuum.
Bill Jenkins was a founding board member of Southwest Student Services Corporation, which had become one of the largest holders of student loans in the country in 2002. He helped shape the sale and conversion of Southwest into Helios Education Foundation, the largest foundation dedicated to impacting education in Arizona and Florida.
Founding board member Bill Jenkins joins Helios Education Foundation staff Karen Ortiz and Noel McClain in celebrating the opening of the Foundation's Florida office in Tampa in September 2007.
Helios Education Foundation founding board member Bill Jenkins and his wife Sue Jenkins seen here supporting one of their many community events and causes in Scotsdale, Arizona area.
Bill's commitment to education extends decades. He was a former Councilman and Mayor for the city of Scottsdale, and he was also a retired school teacher who taught American and Arizona History, American Government and Economics in the Scottsdale school system for almost 30 years. Bill was a past president and treasurer of the Scottsdale Historical Society, a member of the Arizona Historical Society, a member of the U.S. Naval Institute, and a member of the Naval Order of the United States.
He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Arizona State University, a Master of Arts degree in History from Arizona State University, and completed additional graduate work in history at ASU and the University of Montana.
For more information on the life and legacy of Bill Jenkins, click here.