Rev. Zina Jacque, Ph.D.

Biography

Rev. Zina Jacque, Ph.D., has had two careers that find common ground in serving others and sending good into the world. For the first twenty years of her career, Dr. Jacque served colleges and universities as a student services professional, sending students into the world confident of their being and educated well. Northwestern, University of Chicago, Mills College, and the University of California (Santa Cruz and the Office of the President) benefitted from her leadership in the fields of admission, financial aid, and student affairs. Dr. Jacque completed this portion of her career as the University of California Legislative Liaison to the 108 California Community Colleges.

Following this chapter of her life, Dr. Jacque answered her call to ministry, adding to her academic degrees (BA, Northwestern and MA, Columbia University) an M.Div. (Summa Cum Laude) and a doctorate in Theology from Boston University. Subsequently she served on the staffs of urban and suburban, small and mega churches, completing her church-based tenure with the historic Alfred Street Baptist Church, as the lead minister for the Villages of Alfred Street.

Dr. Jacque’s resume includes service as an adjunct faculty member with the Divinity School of the University of Chicago School and Boston University School of Theology, as well as with several not-for-profits. She was the first Executive Director of the Boston Ten Point Coalition, a violence reduction program that resulted in nearly two homicide free years, in Boston, for people under the age of 21. In addition, she was the founder and first Executive Director of the innovative Pastoral Counseling Center of Trinity Church Boston. Currently she is the President and Chair of the board of National Senior Communities, the largest portfolio of not-for-profit continuing-care retirement communities, serving over 28,000 residents and employing over 17,000 staff colleagues.

Dr. Jacque was one of three co-founders and host for Courageous Conversations. Through this dialogue series, participants worked to create communities of inclusion and belonging, in the midst of an otherwise polarized world. Through the series, among others, Dr. Jacque interviewed athletes and authors Abby Wambach, Clint Smith, Trevor Noah, Krista Tippett, and Isabel Wilkerson.

This trailblazer and change agent is the recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award from the Boston University School of Theology, the 2022 Citizen of the Year, Barrington, Illinois, and the Women of Distinction Award from the Barrington Chamber of Commerce. She has recently gained a significant social media following with her new series, A Sacred Pause. 

Jacque is described as a voice of hope, a source of grace, and a person of faith. However, what she wants you to know is that her signature verse is John15:16, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and ordained that you go forward to bear fruit, fruit that will remain, and that she is grateful to be a sinner saved by grace.