As director of press advance for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Elaine Jennings handles media relations for a politician who was a national celebrity before he ran for office. Initially tapped to work as a press aide for Schwarzenegger during the 2003 recall campaign, she quickly proved herself and was promoted.

Jennings’ main responsibility is working with the press corps while on the road. She often travels ahead of the governor, scheduling interviews for Schwarzenegger before he arrives with local and national media.

During the recall campaign she helped organize events such as the Boeing Worker’s Comp Initiative rally at Long Beach. Recently she traveled to Israel for the groundbreaking of the new Museum of Tolerance. For Jennings, this was a defining moment. “I was really proud of the work the governor did. I saw his evolution. I saw him become a statesman.”

Working with the governor is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, says Jennings 33. “It’s a creative dynamic, it’s different every day,” she says. “It’s different from anything I’ll ever do. I believe in him, his platform and what he’s doing.”

In her spare time, Jennings is devoted to improving law enforcement. Before working for the governor, she was senior policy adviser to Mayor Susan Golding.

She also has served on the boards of The Wellness Community and City Moves, and was appointed by Councilwoman Christine Kehoe to work on the Blue Ribbon Task Force on Domestic Violence.

One word, she says, can sum up her job with the governor: large. “He’s a huge guy and a huge personality. He likes to be out in the community. Everything we do is large.”

— Aaron Biberstein