Dr. Shana Jones, born and raised on Chicago’s south side in the Englewood community, spends her time listening, learning, repairing, and building relationships, while strengthening the platforms of Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) within any space that she enters. From developing and facilitating programming that invites Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) to the table and keeps them there, mentoring historically underrepresented populations so that they never forget their worth in a world that tries to diminish it every day, to facilitating JEDI dialogue and leading the embodiment of racial equity in her consultancy with non-profit organizations, and institutions of higher education, Shana leads and serves with authenticity. She currently serves as the Director for Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps (JVC), one of the largest lay, Catholic, full-time volunteer programs in the world, where she works as an office of one to embed JEDI throughout the organization. When she comes up for air, you will find her practicing some self-care, feasting on some rendition of seafood or soul food, listening to some R&B, and thinking about the perfect getaway for rejuvenation.

Shana earned her Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Criminal Justice from Aurora University, her Master of Arts (M.A.) in Organizational and Multicultural Communication (OMC) from DePaul University and her Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Higher Education and Organizational Change (HEOC) from Benedictine University. Her research focus on the wellness experiences of Black women student affairs professionals, grounded in Intersectionality, Strong Black Woman Schema and Black Feminist Thought, has strengthened her passion and desire to support her own communities and center wellness and BIPOC voices every chance that she gets.