Faith Action’s new officers for 2021-23 were installed on Dec. 19, 2020 at the Delegated Council meeting. They are President: Ikaika Hussey; VP Clergy: Rev. Jessica Kawamura; VP Laity: Danicole Ramos; Secretary: Kristen Young; and Treasurer: Jon Davidann.
They -- and the delegation -- read together the Faith Action Covenant to refresh everyone's commitment to Faith Action’s values and mission. A key statement of the Covenant reads: “As a people of hope who share values arising from our religious convictions, we celebrate the historical teachings of our heritages as they show us the way of justice and compassion, and set us to care for the needs of all people.”
Get to know your new leaders by reading their mini-autobiographies below:
Ikaika Hussey: President
I am proud to be an organizer with UNITE HERE Local 5. I’ve been active in politics,
business, and media since 1996. In my spare time, I work on developing a community-
owned enterprise that will pull CO2 from the atmosphere to make carbon-neutral jet
fuel. I live in Kalihi Uka with my family, a cat, and several itinerant chickens.
My prayer is that we will have the courage to put our values into action, to be a moral
voice for a better world.
Rev. Jessica Kawamura: Vice-president of Clergy
I grew up in Berkeley, California. My dad is from Ewa and my mom's dad was from
Kauai. Prior to being a pastor, I worked primarily in government. I have a Master of
Public Policy degree from UC Berkeley, which I applied as a Presidential Management
Fellow and federal budget analyst in Washington, DC. Following, I worked as a
consultant in New York City for EY, assisting banks with regulatory requirements. In
2016, I pursued a call to ministry, earning my Master of Divinity degree from Candler
School of Theology in Atlanta. For the last year and a half, I have enjoyed supporting
Faith Action in my role as pastor of Wahiawa UMC. I am joyfully engaged to my loving
partner Kyle, an Oahu native.
My prayer for Faith Action is that we live out our shared values of love, hope, and
courage as we strengthen our base and vision for our future. I hope to encourage,
support, and energize our Faith Action members in ways that strengthen their individual
and our collective faith. Amen.
Danicole Ramos: Vice-President of Laity
I’m a proud member of Trinity United Methodist Church and serve on the Steering
Committee. I grew up in Waialua, raised by Filipino immigrant parents. I am now a first-
year law student at UH. I currently serve as a Military Equal Opportunity Officer with the
Hawai‘i Air National Guard and the Vice-President for the Young Democrats of Hawai‘i.
Before law school, I was a policy analyst and climate lobbyist for Elemental Excelerator,
a cleantech startup accelerator. Before moving back to Hawai‘i, I worked in D.C. with
United We Dream, an immigrant rights organization, overseeing their daily financial and
administrative operations. I graduated from Seattle University with a B.A. in Business
Administration and earned a Master of Public Administration from American University.
My Prayer for Faith Action is that we continue to be a people of faith that act on this simple belief; those closest to the pain must be closest to the power to heal the pain.
Kristen Young: Secretary
I was born to a Japanese-Okinawan mom and Chinese dad on O‘ahu where I grew up
attending public schools and the United Church of Christ (UCC) throughout my youth.
While my degrees were in Family Resources and Spanish, I have had various ministry
opportunities with different congregations. I currently work as the youth director at
Central Union Church and assist with media and communications for the Hawai‘i
Conference United Church of Christ; my church membership remains with UCC Judd
where I grew up. Working and participating at both the local church level and
Conference level have widened my view of the Church and allowed me to see the
capacity and responsibility that faith communities have in bringing about change in the
world.
I pray that our faith communities be empowered and inspired to collective action to
work for change that affirms and supports ALL in our community. I give thanks that I
might be a part of that.
Jon Davidann: Treasurer
I was born and raised in southern Minnesota. Located at the top of the so-called Bible
belt, the area was dotted with many churches. My friends and I went to church for fun, in some cases several times a week. I am a member of Christ Church Uniting and the
treasurer for Faith Action. I got my Ph.D at the University of Minnesota and am a
professor of history at Hawai’i Pacific University. My hobbies are bicycling, paddling,
and reading. I live in Kailua with my wife Beth, son Eli, and dog, Neilani. Norman Rockwell, the famous illustrator of the Saturday Evening Post, in 1961 drew an
amazing multicultural scene for one of its covers. The title of it was the golden rule “Do
Unto Others as You Would Have Them Do Unto You.” Rockwell stated that the reason
he drew it was because it was the one thing that all religions held in common. He
believed that if everyone followed the rule, humans could live in peace. That is my
prayer.
Happy New Year to all!
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