Leaders bring expertise in economic equity, immigration and rural concerns
Los Angeles (Nov. 7, 2017) – The Board of Directors of The California Wellness Foundation announced today the election of three new members: Terence Mulligan, Angelica Salas and Geri Yang-Johnson. Their Board service will begin in January of 2018.
“Throughout our 25-year history, Cal Wellness has worked to ensure that our Board represents the diversity of our state, and, with the election of these individuals, we continue that commitment,” said Debra Nakatomi, Cal Wellness’ Board chair. “Terence, Angelica and Geri will bring new perspectives to our work on some of the most pressing issues facing our state and our nation. We’re thrilled to welcome them as part of the leadership legacy of Cal Wellness.”
Mulligan has led the Napa Valley Community Foundation as its president for the last 13 years, where he integrated the foundation into the community as a vital partner that both represented and responded to the area’s urgent needs, including funding a first-ever study on immigration in Napa Valley in 2012. Mulligan also worked as the director of outreach for Peninsula Community Foundation and previously held several positions at companies in San Francisco and Washington D.C. related to business development, market research, and international trade and economic policy issues.
Mulligan said he is honored to be joining Cal Wellness, and he is especially looking forward to ensuring that the needs of rural communities continue to be paramount in Cal Wellness’ work.
“I believe the future of California, in many important ways, is being written in rural and semi-rural places — where thorny issues like immigration and inequality are front and center, but philanthropic resources have historically been scarce,” he said. “I am thrilled to be in a position to lend my perspective to Cal Wellness’ leadership on these and other important issues.”
To read Mulligan’s full biography, click here.
Angelica Salas has served as executive director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles for 18 years. Under her leadership, CHIRLA has led successful campaigns for day-laborer centers, in-state tuition for undocumented immigrants, and eligibility to obtain drivers licenses for all Californians. Before becoming executive director, Salas held administrative and programmatic positions at CHIRLA for four years. Previously, she worked for Mercer County Hispanic Association with a number of responsibilities related to improving lives within the Latino community of Mercer County, New Jersey. Salas currently serves as a board member for six different organizations, including UNITE LA and Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy.
Salas said she joins the board to advance a progressive and comprehensive vision of wellness and health. In particular, she is looking forward to being part of an organization that is both informed and invigorated by the organizations it supports.
“We’re at a pivotal moment in this country,” she said. “And now, more than ever California leaders have a chance to advance policies and practices that truly benefit our community and that serve as models for the rest of the nation.”
To read Salas’ full biography, click here.
As vice president of community relations for Wells Fargo, Geri Yang-Johnson manages community development investments in Central California to improve the lives of low- and moderate-income families, a position she has held for the last six years. Previously, she was a program officer for Fresno Regional Foundation, and a project and case manager for Fresno Center for New Americans, providing case management and managing programs that serve refugees. She has served as a board member for a number of organizations, including the Women’s Foundation of California from 2006 to 2013, where she was the youngest person to have served on its board. She has received many awards and honors, including the Fresno Trailblazer Award and Business Street’s 40 Under 40 award, both presented in 2016.
Yang-Johnson said she has always been aware of injustice and wanted to be part of creating solutions that are rooted in justice. “Cal Wellness invests in the health of the people of California, especially those who are the most vulnerable, such as low-income families, immigrants and children,” she said. “As a Board member, I will do all I can to move this work forward so that all communities and families in California can be stronger and healthier.”
To read Yang-Johnson’s full biography, click here.
“We are welcoming these three leaders to our Board during a crucial time for underrepresented communities here in California and in the nation,” said Judy Belk, Cal Wellness’ president and CEO. “Terence, Angelica and Geri not only have experience advocating for those whose voices often go unheard, but they also have a track record of respecting those voices and then making change happen.”
Mulligan, Salas and Yang-Johnson join Cal Wellness’ Board Chair Debra Nakatomi, Vice Chair Joseph M. Lumarda, Board Secretary Elisabeth Hallman, R.N., and Board members M. Isabel Becerra, Xóchitl Castañeda, Arnold Perkins, Pamela Simms-Mackey, M.D., and Ernest J. Wilson III.
For more information about the Foundation’s trustees, please visit CalWellness.org’s Board of Directors page.