Biography – Jay Larkins

Jay Larkins was initiated into the Santa Clarita Lodge #2379 in August 1994, quickly
becoming Lodge Esquire then Esteemed Loyal Knight, Leading Knight and then Exalted Ruler in
October 1996 due to the passing of the Exalted Ruler. As the Junior P.E.R. he was elected to the
Board of Trustees serving the final year as Chairman and then elected Lodge Secretary. He is a
Past ‘Tall Elk’ and ‘Elk of the Year’ at the Santa Clarita Elks Lodge.
In 1999, Jay became a Certified Ritualistic Floor Judge, Word Judge and Calculator and
served as Tri-District Ritual Training Chairman. From 1999 to 2018, Jay served as coach of the
Santa Clarita Elks Ritual Team with 4 C.H.E.A. Team Ritualistic Championships. Jay served on
several district committees and served as Esquire to District Deputy Grand Exalted Ruler Bob
Brennan and as Auditor to D.D.G.E.R. Bill Howell. In 2003 Jay was appointed Association Vice
President for the Metropolitan District under Association President Doug Larsen and First Lady Jo
and in 2005 appointed to serve as District Deputy Grand Exalted Ruler. He served on the C.H.E.A.
Board of Trustees and on the C.H.E.M.P.I. Board of Trustees serving the final year as the
Chairman. At the CHEA Convention in Fresno in 2019, he was elected as the California-Hawaii
Elks Association First Vice President. Jay’s professional career has taken him from directing the
local news on a small television station in East Tennessee, to Atlanta, Georgia at CNN Headline
News, then The Weather Channel, and then leaving for California and tv show ‘Hard Copy’ at
Paramount Studios in Hollywood. Then on to ‘Entertainment Tonight’ where as Director he helped
earn the show its First Emmy Nomination and Win. Jay and Ginger started their own production
company in 2014 and worked with ‘The Dan Patrick Show’, ‘The Rich Eisen Show’ and Hallmark
Channels ‘Home and Family’ and 5 startup shows including ‘Laughs’ on FOX, ‘Entertainment
Tonight in Dubai’, Directv NFL Fantasy Zone, Emmy Nominated ‘Crime Watch Daily’ and Emmy
Nominated ‘DailyMailTV’ where he was Nominated for a Directing Emmy in 2018 and Winning the
Emmy with ‘DailyMailTV’ in 2019. In the entertainment industry, Jay is a member of The
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers,
Pacific Pioneer Broadcasters, National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, Motion Picture
and Television Editors Guild, and the Directors Guild of America.
Jay and his wife Ginger, a 20 year Elk, Past Elk of the Year, and Past Emblem Club
President, met in Atlanta at the Weather Channel. They have 2 children and 5 grandchildren.
Daughter Mindy, a 20 year member of Santa Clarita Lodge, lives in Birmingham, Alabama with
her 2 children Taylor and Brady, and fiancé John, and son Casey in Charlotte, North Carolina with
children Piper, Sebastian and Elliott and wife Stephanie.
Jay and Ginger are children of Elks. Ginger’s father, Henry Knighten Sr., was a Past
District Deputy Grand Exalted Ruler and installed Jay as Exalted Ruler. Jay’s father, Tom, was a
member of the Kingsport, Tennessee Lodge. Growing up, Jay played for the Elks sponsored little
league baseball team and participated in the Elks National Hoop Shoot program. Growing up and
attending all of his school years through college in the Volunteer State led to his love of the color
Orange and his support of the University of Tennessee Volunteers…Win or Lose!
Jay and Ginger are excited, honored and proud to be given the opportunity to serve the
members of the California-Hawaii Elks Association as President and First Lady.