In September 2017, Geri Yang-Johnson was elected to serve on The California Wellness Foundation’s Board of Directors. She is Director of Green Jobs and Entrepreneurship at Dream Corps - Green for All. In this role, Yang-Johnson leads the work of the Green For All Business Council, a council composed of Black and Brown cutting-edge CEOs in the clean energy and green sector while working alongside Climate Pledge companies to ensure they make more equitable pledges and commitments. Previously, she served as Wells Fargo’s vice president and community relations senior consultant, where she implemented Wells Fargo’s community and economic development programs in Central California. In this role, Yang-Johnson maintained the company’s social impact and sustainability initiatives that support underserved populations and represents the company in all aspects of community relations.
For more than 15 years, she has dedicated herself to improving California communities through advocacy, philanthropy, and development. She also served as a program officer for Central Valley Community Foundation where she focused on empowering underserved communities and strengthening the capacity of nonprofits.
Yang-Johnson, a 2017 Bankers Without Borders Global Fellow and a 2014 Funders Network PLACES Fellow, currently also serves on the board of the Reinvent Stockton Foundation and the James B. McClatchy Foundation. She also serves as an Executive Committee Member for Fresno DRIVE, a $4 billion regional inclusive economy investment plan. She previously served on the boards of The Women’s Foundation of California, Access Plus Capital, and on the Statewide Steering Committee for Smart Growth California.
In 2019, Yang-Johnson was recognized with the Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics (LEAP) Margaret Ashida Leadership Award for demonstrating leadership in her work. In 2015, the City of Fresno honored her with the Women Leading the Way Award. A year later, she was honored with the Trailblazer Award and was recognized as a Fresno 40 under 40. In 2018, Yang-Johnson founded and launched the Mala Scholarship Fund with Central California Asian Pacific Women to support first-generation API students in their pursuit of higher education.
One of 13 children from a farming family in the Central Valley, Yang-Johnson has a profound interest in rural and agriculturally based economies in California and worldwide. She has traveled to India to work with Navdanya, a network of seed keepers and organic producers. She earned her bachelor of arts degree in women’s studies from California State University, Fresno. She lives with her husband and daughter in Fresno, CA.