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Throughout his 45-year career in law enforcement and criminal justice, Jerry Enomoto has been a trailblazer. He had the distinction of being the first Asian Pacific American to receive a presidential appointment as United States Marshal in 1994.
Jerry Enomoto earned a number of "firsts" during his career. In 28 years with the CA Dept. of Corrections, he was the first Asian Pacific American to serve as a prison warden, a post to which he was appointed by then Governor Ronald Reagan. When later appointed Director of Corrections, he became the first Asian Pacific American to manage a State Dept. in California .
Prior to his appointment as Marshal, Enomoto worked as a criminal justice consultant for the United States Justice Department, local and state justice agencies, and private counsel to advise and recommend solutions to jail and prison problems.
What further distinguishes Enomoto beyond his professional accomplishments is his impressive record of community service. A lifetime member of the Japanese American Citizens League, he has worked tirelessly in the fight for civil rights for Americans of Japanese ancestry. A two-time past National President of that organization, he also distinguished himself by his service as Chair of its Legislative Education Committee which lobbied successfully for passage of the "Civil Liberties Bill of 1987", which authorized redress for the internment of Japanese Americans. The Act passed against great odds and was signed into law by President Reagan.
Dr. Dorothy Stevens Enomoto was born in Atlanta , Georgia , and graduated from Booker T. Washington Senior High School, where she shared valedictorian honors with the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Dr. Enomoto was the first African-American woman to manage a California Department of Corrections institution, the Womens' Civil Addict Unit at the California Rehabilitation Center . She was also the first African-American woman to hold the position of Deputy Director in the Department.
Following her retirement, Dr. Enomoto has worked as an Expert Examiner for the Department of Motor Vehicles, as a retired annuitant. She has also worked as a volunteer, serving on a number of Community-based organizations. Some of them are: the Sacramento County Affirmative Action Committee, the Grants Review Committee of the Commission on Aging, the Executive Committee of the NAACP, and the Board of 'Stepping Stones', an Asian mental health clinic. She also served on the Sacramento County Grand Jury.
Dr. Enomoto is currently a Commission on the Sacramento City and County Human Rights/Fair Housing Commission, having served as Chair in 1997. She serves as Chair of the District Attorney's Citizen Cabinet, just completed service as a member of the Blue Ribbon Committee appointed to evaluate certain aspects of the Sacramento Police Department. She is also co-chair with the US Attorney and the District Attorney off the Greater Sacto Area Hate Crimes Task Force, and was invited by President Clinton to a national hate crimes conference.
In addition to her professional accomplishments, Dr. Enomoto has been recognized by the community for her unselfish giving by receiving a number of honors.
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