Associate Chaplain and Associate Director
Rev. D'ana Downing (She/They/Queen) is an interdisciplinary scholar-practitioner and interfaith movement chaplain passionate about spiritual and identity formation of college-aged students. An ordained itinerant elder in the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, she was also the Connectional Treasurer of the Richard Allen Young Adult Council (2018-2022). Prior to joining RSL, she served as a Graduate Assistant in Multicultural Student Affairs (MSA) and was the Resident Chaplain and Graduate Assistant for the 2020 Summer Academic Workshop (SAW). As a Womanist and Afrofuturist, she is committed to the wholeness and well-being of all people; and believes that we have the power to co-create a more just and equitable future.
For the last 20 years, she has worked as a nonprofit strategist, specializing in resource development, board governance, and strategic planning as the founder of Light+Essence. She has also served in various roles in higher education in advancement, alumni relations, and career services. She is an alumna of Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, having received her Master of Divinity and a concentration in Christian Education; and has also earned a BA, English Literature & Composition, University of the District of Columbia, and an MSA, Nonprofit Management/Organizational Development, Trinity University. She is a proud member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.