Board of Directors – Johanna Puno Hester

JOHANNA PUNO HESTER
Board Member

Johanna Puno Hester is the Assistant Executive Director of the United Domestic Workers of America (UDW/AFSCME Local 3930) representing more than 110,000 home care providers across the state of California.

She is an elected AFSCME International Vice President, a Housing Commissioner for the City of San Diego Housing Commission and recently elected to the board of Emerge California – a candidate training program for Democratic self-identified women who want to run for office.

Johanna’s dedication to working families began in the 1990s, following in her father’s footsteps. In her first-ever campaign, she successfully led the organizing of 2,000 recreation and park assistants in Los Angeles for AFSCME. Since then she has worked on several other successful organizing campaigns, including at the University of Maryland and New Mexico State University, before joining UDW in 2008. Today, Johanna is leading the largest organizing campaign in the country, the 40,000 family child care providers in California who have been fighting for their right to a union for more than 15 years. 

She is a formidable labor leader, champion for home care and child care workers, and outspoken advocate for immigrant and civil rights. Colleagues, community members, and fellow labor leaders can all attest to Johanna’s passion, dedication, and commitment to working families. 

Johanna completed the Senior Executives in State and Local Government program at the Harvard Kennedy School.