Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 33, Number 6, 1 June 2016 — Danner tapped to lead CNHA's Vote to Rise campaign [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Danner tapped to lead CNHA's Vote to Rise campaign

By Dave Dondoneau Growing up on Kaua'i's Hawaiian Home Lands in Anahola, Jordyn Danner's parents always impressed on Danner and her three younger brothers the importance of not only caring for their community, but also giving back. They also taught their children not to look away from challenges and that if they want something better for the next generation, it's their kuleana to create a community they'd want to pass onto them. "Homesteads has an even greater responsibility," Danner said. "It belongs to us, and will belong to the next generation — and there is always an unspoken knowledge that too many of our people have died waiting. Growing up homestead, you don't take that for granted." Danner's Hawaiian roots and desire to make a difference run deep. At age 34, she's taking on one of her biggest roles of her

career that ean only ensure a better tomorrow for her own son, 8-year-old Kainoa Danner. The Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement (CNHA) hired Danner to manage its statewide Vote to Rise campaign to implement an intense year-round civic engagement program through more than 50 of its Native Hawaiian member organizations. She was named to the new post at the start of May and hit the ground running with a quick trip to Washington, D.C., to staff the May 2016 Hawaiian Week, one of the CNHA policy center's leadership iniīia-

tives, and to meet with some of the organization's national partners on voter campaigns. Jordyn is the daughter of CNHA founder Robin Danner. Asked what advice her mom has offered, she said one thing that has stuck with her is knowledge not shared is knowledge wasted. "She never pressured me or my brothers about what careers or type of work we would do," Jordyn said. "She always says something her dad told her when she was young — Akua gives eaeh of us certain gifts and knowledge, and we should share those gifts in service to others, whatever those gifts are." One way Jordyn shares is as a basketball eoaeh. A 2000 graduate of Kapa'a High School, Jordan earned her teaching degree at Midland Lutheran in Nebraska and in 2004 started teaching elementary in Barrows, a small Alaska Native village north of the arctic circle, until 20 1 3 . In 20 1 1 , her team went undefeated and won the 3A state title.

In 2013, she eame home to teach at Anahola's Kanuikapono Charter School. Danner believes her new role will have her travel frequently between the islands so she plans on remaining on Kaua'i and not relocating to O'ahu. "I have a lot of support with my parents on Kaua'i," she said. "Plus, I've been coaching the JV girls basketball team at my alma mater at Kapa'a High School the last two years, and I very mueh want to eontinue my passion for coaching." Her top priority is to bring Native Hawaiians together to increase voter participation, whieh will be a year-round venture. She leaves the Native Hawaiian Kanuikapono Puhlie Charter School in Anahola after three years to lead the CNHA 'Vote to Rise' campaign. "There are many strategies in voter registration, and in converting those registrations into actual ballots cast," Danner said. "But as I get started in this new chapter in my

life of leaving the education field to community organizing, I have confidence in our communities, in the long time leaders, young and old in our communities — I plan on listening first, then working to operationalize their mana'o, along with all of the technology available today. "What's great about Vote to Rise — it's not about unifying around what candidate or what referendum to vote for. It's about unifying around the notion that voting is an act of stewardship in our homeland of Hawai'i. That's my hope, that as Hawaiians, we ean agree that every vote cast is another expression of our love for our island home." OHA and CNHA are partnering in an effort to get more Native Hawaiians to vote in the upcoming primary election on Aug. 13 and the general election on Nov. 8. Learn more in July's issue of Ka Wai Ola. ■ Dave Dondoneau, a freelance writer, is aformer editor and reporter for the Honolulu Advertiser.

Jordyn Danner. - Photo: Courtesy