Floyd Jenkins is the efficient, detail-oriented executive assistant to Key West Police Chief Sean Brandenburg. A sassy vocalist sometimes known as Pepa Mahogany. A tireless champion of children’s literacy. An enthusiastic participant in community causes from the police department’s Love Fund to the Florida Keys SPCA and the Smart Ride.
Though he cheerfully juggles the different facets of his personality and the time commitments they require, one question looms large: Does this man ever sleep?
“I always tell people I’m multifaceted,” said Jenkins, who admitted that sleep does factor into his life — at least sometimes. “There’s different versions of me, past and present, and they all come out in different ways.”
Born and raised in Michigan, with parents who exposed him to music and the arts, Jenkins started singing in middle school. He even sang at Carnegie Hall as a member of the state honors choir. But after high school, he was compelled to enter the workforce instead of studying performing arts in college — putting his singing goals aside.
During a 10-year career with AT&T, he found himself attracted to Key West’s warm weather and easygoing lifestyle. In 2007 he transferred down to the island city.
“I’m an openly gay black man, and unfortunately where I grew up, diversity wasn’t quite celebrated,” Jenkins said. “I always try to live by being authentic and unapologetically myself — so when I moved here, I was comfortable to be in my own skin, without worrying about having to look over my shoulder.”
In Key West, Jenkins initially worked in fields from retail to health care. He also met and married Joey Bove, a chef who has now been his husband for almost 10 years. And nearly three years ago, he became the executive assistant to Chief Sean Brandenburg — a position where his strong work ethic, organizational abilities and empathetic “people skills” shine.
His duties include coordinating activities for the chief and deputy chief, making travel arrangements for officers, working with citizens who have concerns or issues, assisting with the department’s social media communications if needed, and doing what he calls “a little bit of everything.”
It was a request from Brandenburg that renewed Jenkins’ focus on performing — and brought him and his alter ego Pepa Mahogany into the local limelight.
A few years back, the chief was seeking singers to perform in Aqua Idol, a popular local takeoff on television’s “American Idol,” to support a local fundraising campaign. After hearing Jenkins (who had once auditioned for the actual “American Idol”), the chief encouraged him to participate.
“That’s pretty much what catapulted me into the singing career here,” Jenkins said. “That one Aqua Idol turned into doing Aqua Idol again last year — and next thing I know, I started getting bookings and people asking me to perform.”
Recent gigs include singing for the New Year’s Eve stage show at Key West’s Bourbon St. Pub and the Feb. 12 Out of the Closet Fashion Show benefiting Queer Keys and its LGBT community center. At the latter, dressed in an iridescent sequined jacket, pink slacks and pearls, Jenkins wowed the crowd with a high-energy rendition of Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club.”
“It feels like I’m having a renaissance moment,” marveled Jenkins, who sometimes performs under his own name and sometimes as Pepa Mahogany.
“Pepa” started out as an affectionate nickname chosen by Bove (who dubbed himself “Salt”) when they began dating, because Jenkins was his first black boyfriend. Jenkins added “Mahogany” in honor of a film character played by Diana Ross.
Today, Pepa’s name graces an endeavor dear to his heart: promoting childhood literacy.
In 2019, Jenkins began noticing a decline in young kids’ literacy skills and interest in books. An avid reader himself since early childhood, he decided to help change that — and Pepa’s Books for Tots was born.
“I thought, what if I can make it fun and interesting again and give some sense of power to these young kids and students by giving them their own book?” Jenkins said. “There’s nothing like having your own book, especially if you’ve never had books before.”
Every year, Pepa’s Books for Tots gives a new book to each student at Poinciana Elementary School to read during the winter holiday break. Now partnered with the nonprofit Keys to Be the Change, the program has provided between 2,500 and 3,000 books since 2019.
“It’s my passion project,” said Jenkins, who’s also a board member and mentor for Keys to Be the Change.
When he has time among work, passions and volunteering, Jenkins enjoys checking out the latest films, singing karaoke, reading, connecting with friends and dining out with Bove.
Instead of being overwhelming, his jam-packed roster of activities seems to energize him.
“I think it makes a difference when you love what you do, and you find the right fit,” he said.
Luckily for the Key West community, Floyd Jenkins found his “right fit” … right here.
