September 6, 2022

Raised on both sides of the border, Yolanda Selene Walther-Meade is a CaliBaja change-maker and binational influencer. Having been previously known as “the Voice of the Border,” Yolanda served as a media liaison and interpreter for four Mexican presidents, Pulitzer Prize winners, and Nobel Laureates.

Yolanda is a founding member of the Club de Niños y Niñas de Tijuana and the Fundación Internacional de la Comunidad, Baja California’s first community foundation with an endowment fund. She is on the Board of Directors of the San Diego Foundation, a member of the Executive Board of the local office of the American Heart Association, has established the binational Dos Aguilas Gala for the San Diego Natural History Museum, and leads fund-raising campaigns to support vulnerable communities on either side of the border.

Most recently, Yolanda co-founded This is About Humanity, an organization devoted to raising awareness and funds for separated/reunified children and families at the US-Mexico border. Dividing her time between San Diego and Tijuana, Yolanda has helped to create a dynamic and equitable cross border community. She has worked tirelessly to uplift the voices of separated and migrant families, refugees, and unaccompanied minors and children and has maximized donor impact to organizations like Casa Cornelia with cross-border collaborative matching grants, ensuring access to legal representation and other critical services. She has been a leader in advocating for renovating shelters and providing space and legal pathways for asylum-seeking LGBTQ+ community members, ensuring that they are welcomed with dignity. Yolanda is a transformational, cross-border force who is leading the way in compassion, activism, and empowerment in our binational community.

Join us in recognizing Yolanda’s accomplishments and all she has done to contribute to the San Diego region at LEAD San Diego’s 2022 Visionary Awards on September 14. Click here to register.