Janai N. McKissick, Board Secretary

Janai Nichole McKissick is a proud native of Jacksonville, Florida; born and raised through the Duval County Public School system, the daughter and granddaughter of prominent leaders both paternally and maternally, a classically trained vocalist, and an educator. 

Growing up, Janai always found herself at the intersection of ministry and community engagement through initiatives with her home church’s children and youth departments and at school.Rosamond Johnson, a musician and composer of the Negro National Hymn, “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing”, which was written originally as a poem and proclamation of the pride of young, gifted Black students at Old Stanton High School, of which both her paternal grandparents attended and graduated. Through this historical foundation guided by her grandparents and her parents, she began volunteering at AmeriCorps and volunteering in various educational programs like Saturday School (B.E.S.T. Academy) and Summer school at her church, Bethel Baptist Institutional Church, tutoriAmeriCorpsthe city, and often assisting with organizations such as Hope’s Closet and Clara White Mission, Inc. Her dedication to serving others and exemplary leadership skills yielded opportunities as a youth with the National Young Leaders Conference (NYLC) in Washington, D.C. and later the Global Young Leaders Conference (GYLC) touring Europe.

Janai graduated from Douglas Anderson School of the Arts and went forth to attain her Bachelor of Arts in Music Education from Hampton University in May 2019. While on campus, her involvement extended from the University Choir to being a campus ambassador with the Hampton University Concert Choir, assistance with chartering the National Alliance on Mental Illnesses at Hampton University (NAMI) as well as Q.U.E.E.N., A Girl’s Mentoring Program.

Upon graduating, Janai was accepted to perform at the Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia as part of an Honors Performance Series with various young artists and vocalists across the nation. She immediately began teaching at Woodland Acres Elementary School in Jacksonville, Florida as a literacy tutor with AmeriCorps, Inc. and Communities in Schools, Inc. She continued to teach amidst her move to Orlando, Florida and later began working at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts as Administrative Assistant to their Programming department, then as a Coordinator with their Education department. 

In 2024, Janai searched for an opening where she could invest in the community deeper and advance thework off the legislature in her own neighborhood and city. She currently serves as District Aide to State Representative LaVon Bracy Davis in House District 40, and looks forward to championing moreforo the vulnerable, the invisible, and the left out within her community. She is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated by way of the Orange County (FL) Alumnae Chapter and additionally serves as Interim Secretary for Pine Hills Community Council Board of Directors.