DENISE AQUILANTE JOHNSON YWCA Golden Gate Silicon Valley Board President Q&A Q: HOW AND WHEN DID YOU FIRST GET INVOLVED WITH YWCA GOLDEN GATE SILICON VALLEY AND WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO STEP INTO A LEADERSHIP ROLE? My journey with YWCA Golden Gate Silicon Valley began in 2017 when I joined the Board of Directors, invited to apply through my work at Kaiser Permanente. The connection felt natural — the YWCA’s mission to eliminate racism and empower women mirrors the values I lived and led by throughout my five-decade nursing and healthcare career. Growing up in Brooklyn, NY in an at-risk family, I experienced firsthand many of the social determinants of health that the YWCA works to address every day — poverty, access to education, housing stability, and domestic violence. My three older sisters were my original mentors, opening doors for me that they themselves never had. That lived experience drives my commitment to serve, and stepping into the President role is an extension of that same drive to improve the lived experience for others. Q: WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE TO BUILD A MORE EQUITABLE AND JUST COMMUNITY, AND WHAT ROLE CAN AN ORGANIZATION LIKE YWCA PLAY? An equitable and just community is one where your zip code, your background, or the color of your skin does not determine your access to healthcare, education, housing, or opportunity. It means meeting people where they are — not expecting the most vulnerable among us to always come to us. The YWCA is uniquely positioned to do this work because it operates at the intersection of racial justice and gender equity and has the trust of the communities it serves. Real equity requires us to identify and address cultural and racial disparities — not just acknowledge they exist — and build pathways that give everyone a genuine chance to thrive. Q: WHAT OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES DO YOU SEE AHEAD FOR YWCA THIS YEAR/IN THE NEXT TWO YEARS? The need for YWCA’s work has never been greater, and that is both our biggest challenge and our greatest opportunity. We are navigating a political environment where funding for the programs our community depends on is under real pressure — and yet the demand for those services continues to grow. Our work must be to protect and expand what we offer, even as we diversify our funding streams and find creative ways to sustain our mission. What gives me
confidence is that YWCA Golden Gate Silicon Valley is well-respected and well-positioned — we have built deep trust with the communities we serve, and that is a foundation few organizations can claim. I also see a critical opportunity to expand programs in direct response to what our clients tell us they need — not what we assume they need. And perhaps most importantly, we must continue building a board that truly mirrors the communities we serve. Diversity at the governance level is not just a value — it is what makes our decisionmaking stronger and our mission more credible. Q: WHAT IMPACT DO YOU HOPE TO HELP ADVANCE DURING YOUR TERM AS BOARD PRESIDENT? Working in close partnership with our CEO Adriana Caldera-Boroffice and the Board Executive Leadership team, we hope to advance an organization that is even more deeply connected to the communities we serve, and one where our governance and leadership reflect the diversity and values at the heart of our mission. This organization has the tenacity and the strength to weather these political times — to not just survive, but to grow and build. We are well respected by the communities we serve, and that credibility is something we will continue to earn every day. I also want to nurture the next generation of leaders within the YWCA — staff, board members, and community partners — because I believe mentorship and investing in people is how lasting change takes root. My goal is to leave this organization stronger, more resilient, and more impactful than when I stepped in. Q: WHAT IS ONE THING YOU WANT STAFF, SUPPORTERS AND OUR COMMUNITY TO KNOW AS YOU STEP INTO THIS ROLE? I want everyone to know that I show up as my authentic self — always. My leadership has always been grounded in genuine connection, transparency, and a deep respect for every person’s unique contribution. I don’t believe you need to have all the answers to lead effectively. What matters is building a strong, diverse team, listening with intention, staying centered on the people we are here to serve, and having a little fun. I am honored to step into this role and deeply committed to this mission — not as an obligation, but as a reflection of who I am and where I come from. Q: OUTSIDE OF YOUR PROFESSIONAL/VOLUNTEER/BOARD ROLE, WHAT BRINGS YOU JOY? Family and a close circle of friends are life’s greatest gifts — and I am deeply grateful to have both. My husband Dave and I have been married for 48 years, and we raised two sons, Doug and Dan, who fill us with enormous pride and are married to two strong and wonderful women. Right now, my heart is especially full as “Nonna” to our four grandchildren. Our sons live in Sierra Madre, California and Troy, Ohio, so you will find us making frequent rounds to have more than a FaceTime relationship with our grandchildren!