Lectureships
Nicholas H. Benson Lecture
Save the Date! Wednesday, May 27, 12:00-1:00
Keynote Address: Leadership: Leo Jenkins Style
The Honorable Jack Jenkins (retired) will deliver Leadership: Leo Jenkins Style, sharing lessons he learned growing up on campus as the son of Leo Jenkins, the sixth president and chancellor of what is now East Carolina University. Under Leo Jenkins’ leadership, the institution transformed from East Carolina Teachers College to East Carolina University and established the Brody School of Medicine.
Drawing from his father’s legacy and his own career in public service, Jack Jenkins will offer insights into leadership, service, and mission.
The Honorable Jack Jenkins
Author
Retired Superior Court Judge
Juris Doctorate, UNC
BSBA, ECU
Jack Warren Jenkins was raised in Greenville, North Carolina by his parents, Lillian and Leo Jenkins. Jenkins enrolled at East Carolina University and graduated in three years, summa cum laude. In 1980, he married Mary Charles Stevens, also from Greenville and daughter of Dr. Charles Stevens, former Dean of the ECU School of Music. They have two children, Jacob and Anna.
Shortly after marriage, Jack Jenkins enrolled in the University of North Carolina School of Law. He engaged in private practice thereafter, first in Greenville and then Morehead City.
Upon Jim Hunt’s reelection to a third gubernatorial term beginning in 1993, Jenkins was named general counsel to the NC Department of Human Resources (now Health and Human Services). With the commencement of Hunt’s fourth term in 1997, Jenkins became the governor’s general counsel. Jenkins was appointed Special Superior Court judge in 2001. He would serve two additional terms thereafter, having been reappointed by the Honorable Mike Easley in 2006 and the Honorable Beverly Perdue in 2011.
Jack Jenkins began writing after retiring from the bench in 2016. Maddie Pearl, a four-book historical series, depicts the life and times of an impoverished, eastern North Carolina girl who grows into a formidable Southern woman. His next book, a political thriller entitled Burning Man, is in the process of edits and will be released later in 2026.
Jack and Mary Charles reside on Bogue Sound where they enjoy the many benefits of living along their home state’s beautiful coastal waters.
The Nicholas H. Benson Lectureship
This Nicholas H. Benson Lectureship hosts an internal or external scholar to speak on topics with a broad relevance to the Brody School of Medicine community. Potential topics may include, but are not limited to, building lasting partnerships at work and at home, effective mentoring practices, or maintaining balance and resiliency.
Dr. Nick Benson
Dr. Nicholas H. “Nick” Benson served as a member of the Brody School of Medicine Faculty for 34 years. Throughout that time, he served in a variety of capacities including Chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine, Vice Dean of the Brody School of Medicine, Medical Director of ECU Physicians, Associate Vice Chancellor for Healthcare Regulatory Affairs, Interim Chief of Staff for the Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences, and Interim Dean for the Brody School of Medicine. One of Dr. Benson’s most valuable contributions to East Carolina University, the Brody School of Medicine and eastern North Carolina, was his involvement in the creation of the EastCare Air Ambulance Program. This Nicholas H. Benson Lectureship Fund was established in honor of his retirement and in celebration of his accomplishments, service, and dedication to the medical profession.