Ja-Na Bordes

Ja-Na Bordes is a Kansas City, MO native. A graduate of Howard University, she was in the first class of the school’s  Afro American Studies Department. 

During forty years of government service, she fulfilled her lifelong commitment of helping others. During her tenure, she worked in the Departments of Health and Human Services and the Department of Labor.  In these positions, she became an advocate for millions of those less fortunate.  In the Department of HHS, her work was with Indian Tribes and at the Department of Labor her focus was on youth. In both positions, she was able  to inform, write and change policy and regulations for employment and social programs.  

One of her most significant achievements was successfully obtaining a waiver to program policy excluding the income public assistance students received from summer jobs. After learning  that many states counted the students’ income, which made some families exceed the income limits for welfare, she led the efforts  to correct this injustice.  Another fulfilling accomplishment was writing the regulations for the Native Employment Works Program, which assisted 77 Indian Tribes and Native American Organizations. As a result, she became the Inaugural Manager of that Program.  She designed and activated the first employees 

During her tenure, she received many awards and accolades such as the Outstanding Performance Award from the Secretary of Labor and the Assistant Secretary Citation, and Project Officer Award of the Contract providing technical assistance to the Tribal JOB Program. But the best reward, she said,  “was a complete feeling of fulfillment and the satisfaction of knowing I had a national impact on making a difference. I made some lives a little easier and better.”