Partner Profile: The Association of Federal Narcotics Agents
The Association of Federal Narcotic Agents (AFNA) operates on a mission to develop, promote and preserve goodwill and friendship among former federal narcotics agents and other DEA personnel. AFNA also seeks to provide mutual assistance to the membership and to assist the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in its mission of drug law enforcement. In early 2021, the Finker-Frenkel Family Foundation was proud to donate to AFNA on behalf of Dr. Lazar Finker’s late friend, Jerry Rinehart, an AFNA member and former DEA agent who passed away in November 2020 after a battle with brain cancer.
In addition to connecting former DEA agents and fostering friendship and camaraderie, AFNA also has a charitable arm. The AFNA Foundation is the organization’s fundraising wing, which supports AFNA members and their families enduring financial hardships due to catastrophic events such as natural disasters, illnesses, and bereavement.
Over the past few years, AFNA and the AFNA Foundation have supported multiple charitable causes, including providing hurricane relief, death benefits, and assistance with medical bills to members and their families. Additionally, AFNA and the AFNA Foundation have been awarding scholarships to the children and grandchildren of AFNA members for more than 10 years, an initiative that makes a significant difference in the lives of these students and their families.
The Finker-Frenkel Family Foundation’s recent contribution to AFNA was made on behalf of Mr. Jerry Rinehart, a retired DEA Special Agent and a close friend of Finker-Frenkel Family Foundation founder and director Dr. Lazar Finker. Mr. Rinehart passed away after a battle with brain cancer in late 2020. Using the funds donated by the Finker-Frenkel Family Foundation, AFNA has established The Jerry Rinehart College Scholarship in Mr. Rinehart’s honor.
Mr. Rinehart was born and raised in St. Marys, West Virginia and later relocated to Florida. He joined the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs (BNDD), now known as the DEA in 1970. Mr. Rinehart’s attraction to law enforcement stemmed from his desire to engage in meaningful teamwork, and during his 27-year career in law enforcement, Jerry made a significant contribution to the DEA mission, eventually serving as Assistant Country Attaché in the Bogota Country Office. While in this role, Mr. Rinehart assisted in stopping the decades-long reign of terror international drug trafficker Pablo Escobar the Colombian criminal’s two-decades-long reign of terror.
During his lengthy and successful BNDD/DEA career, Mr. Rinehart was renowned for his teamwork and appreciated by colleagues. Mr. Rinehart was an AFNA member and corporate sponsor, tirelessly supporting AFNA members and their families.
The Finker-Frenkel Family Foundation is proud to support The AFNA Jerry Rinehart College Scholarship, which will help relieve the financial burden of college for the next generation students and their families.
To learn more about AFNA, please visit: https://www.afna.org/
