Chief Strategy Officer 

Yolanda Meraz

Yolanda Meraz is the Chief Strategy Officer for Stanislaus Equity Partners. Ms. Meraz is a nonprofit professional with over 20 years of experience in community investment, philanthropy, financial services, marketing, product development, strategic planning, and advocacy. Before joining STEP, Yolanda was the Director of Community Investment at Stanislaus Community Foundation where she worked to advance collaborative, systemic change to achieve a more resilient and inclusive economy in Stanislaus County. Yolanda was also responsible for crafting impactful charitable plans for donors and oversaw all marketing and digital communications for the Foundation. Yolanda has worked with many community leaders, Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) officers, and philanthropy executives to strategize on bringing greater investments and resources into disinvested communities.  Prior to her role at the Stanislaus Community Foundation, Ms. Meraz was the marketing manager for one of the largest Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) in the country, Self-Help Federal Credit Union. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico, and a degree in Computer Graphics from Stanislaus State University. She is a Fulcrum Fellow for the Center for Community Investment at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. Yolanda serves on the board of one of the top nonprofit affordable housing developers in the country, Self-Help Enterprises. She is also the Vice President of the Great Valley Academy Board, and serves on the advisory boards for Stanislaus 2030 and Jobs for the Future (JFF). She lives in Modesto, California, with her husband and two children.