Dr. P On The Pod
#274 Joy in the Journey: What Holy Week Teaches Us About Joy
Apr 02, 2026
Pernessa C. Seele
Rev. Dr. Zina Jacque, Ph.D., is a seasoned leader in higher education, ministry, nonprofit innovation, and community transformation. She spent two decades in student services leadership at institutions including Northwestern University, the University of Chicago, Mills College, and the University of California, guiding students toward academic success and personal confidence.
Answering her call to ministry, she earned both an M.Div. and Doctor of Theology from Boston University and went on to serve in diverse church contexts, concluding her congregational leadership at the historic Alfred Street Baptist Church.
Dr. Jacque has also served as adjunct faculty at the University of Chicago Divinity School and Boston University School of Theology. Her community impact includes serving as the first Executive Director of the Boston Ten Point Coalition, a nationally recognized violence-reduction initiative, and founding the Pastoral Counseling Center of Trinity Church Boston. She currently serves as President and Board Chair of National Senior Communities, the largest nonprofit portfolio of continuing-care retirement communities in the nation.
A co-founder and host of the dialogue series Courageous Conversations, Dr. Jacque has engaged leading voices across culture and faith to foster spaces of inclusion and belonging. She has also reached a wide digital audience through her devotional reflection series, A Sacred Pause, offering moments of spiritual grounding and encouragement to thousands.