Sylvia Yee - Vice Chair

Sylvia Yee, former vice president of programs at the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund, played a key role in the selection and development of the Fund’s education, leadership and civil rights programs. Her work at the Fund is driven by a long-standing commitment to social justice and is deeply linked to her many community and nonprofit leadership roles.

At the Fund, Sylvia helped spark several major initiatives. For example, she played a lead role in establishing the San Francisco Beacon Initiative, a public-private collaboration to turn schools into community centers for youth development.

Sylvia has served as board chair of numerous national and local organizations, including Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy, the Foundation Consortium, Family Support America, and the Bernal Heights Community Foundation. She currently is a board member of BoardSource, Teaching Channel, Coaching Corps and the national advisory group of Stanford’s Haas Public Service Center.

Sylvia earned her Ph.D. in education from Stanford University. She taught and administered programs at the elementary, secondary, and university levels, both in the U.S. and in the People’s Republic of China. Her publications include Careers in the Classroom and Got Me a Story to Tell: Five Children Tell About Their Lives.