Josann Jenks (Class of 2031, At Large) is a dedicated educator, cultural advocate, and nonprofit leader from Honolulu, Hawai‘i. As a Special Education teacher with the Hawai‘i Department of Education, she fosters inclusive, student- centered learning that integrates Hawaiian and Pacific Islander history, language, and culture. She holds a bachelor’s degree in History and Ethnic Studies, with a minor in American Studies, from the University of Hawaii at Manoa
Josann is a baptized member of Kawaiahaʻo Church, UCC, where she previously served as Council Secretary. She is a Youth Delegate of the Association of Hawaiian Evangelical Churches (AHEC) and actively serves in Pacific Islander & Asian American Ministries (PAAM). Currently, she is a student in the Makuakāne Institute, preparing to become a Kahu Pono (Licensed Minister) in the Hawaii Conference of the UCC.
She has extensive experience in historic preservation, archives, heritage societies, and historic house museums. She has also worked in social services, specializing in domestic violence advocacy and combating child exploitation (CSEC) with a focus on trauma-informed and culturally responsive care.
As an Indigenous Kanaka Maoli and Maʻohi with ancestral ties to the sugar plantations in Hawai‘i, she carries a diasporic identity of Puerto Rican, Filipino, Chinese, English, and German heritage. Passionate about justice-driven theological education, she advocates for culturally contextual worship that celebrates Indigenous peoples and honors their spiritual traditions within the Christian faith. Josann’s work aligns with the UCC’s mission of justice, inclusion, and service, ensuring that faith communities uplift and empower all people through worship, education, and advocacy.