Leadership at Wilder
Dr. Pahoua Yang serves as vice president of Community Mental Health and Wellness at Wilder, where she leads the organization’s mental health strategy with a focus on equity, healing, and culturally grounded care. In this role, she leads mental health and substance use programs that meet people where they are—supporting individuals and families across Saint Paul and beyond.
At Wilder, Pahoua works to ensure that mental wellness is seen as essential to whole-person and whole-family well-being. She has helped shape Wilder’s healing-centered approach, expanding culturally responsive practices and staff development efforts across the organization.
Career and Experience
A licensed clinician and respected leader in the field, Pahoua has worked across multiple settings with diverse communities. Her career spans direct practice, systems change, and policy leadership. She has contributed to state and national initiatives focused on mental health equity, workforce development, and culturally-informed care.
Pahoua’s work has earned her numerous honors, including, the BraVada Garrett-Akinsanya Distinguished Elders Award for Leadership in Minnesota Psychology (2023), the Bush Fellowship (2022), and the Thomas P. Carrillo Leadership in Diversity Award (2021).
Roots and Local Commitment
Pahoua earned her doctorate in educational psychology, with a focus on counseling and student personnel psychology, from the University of Minnesota and a Master of Science in social work from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Raised in Minnesota, her personal and professional commitments are deeply rooted in the communities she serves.
She is a board member of the Learning Disabilities Association of Minnesota and HealthPartners Institute, and is an advisory board member for the Morrison Family College of Health at the University of St. Thomas.
