Weekly Rotary Meeting-Jennifer Rachels

Jennifer Rachels has made a commitment to a lifetime of public service. A recent Veteran of Afghanistan, she left the Army almost exactly a year ago. She is a graduate of University of Georgia, where she studied the methods and science behind how outdoor experiences can be designed for experiential learning and conservation. Since then, she has served in the Peace Corps in Romania, managed the nation's largest portfolio of AmeriCorps programs for Habitat for Humanity, audited federally-funded grant programs, and remained an active Girl Scout. She was a small business owner in Atlanta, sewing pillowcases and children's dresses for a living when she decided to join the Army at 34 years old. Although she is originally from Georgia, Jennifer considers Oahu her home. She has lived here 6 years, and is currently a dual-degree candidate at HPU (MBA and MA in Sustainable Development) with plans to remain on the island and work in the energy industry. Jennifer is a 2015-2016 KUPU RISE Fellow, serving in Hawai'i Energy's small business program