Dodd names Cohan as Woman of the Year for Yolo County
By By Sebastian Onate for the Davis Enterprise
State Senator Bill Dodd recognized Meals on Wheels Yolo County executive director Joy Cohan as the 2023 “Yolo County Woman of the Year” for the 3rd Senatorial District last Thursday. Presented at Margaret McDowell Manor, a senior housing complex served by the organization, the occasion marked the senator’s first-ever public engagement in West Sacramento since the city became a part of his district.
“I’ve come to realize that leadership is a journey, and it’s 100% influenced and supported by the people with whom you connect along the way,” Cohan remarked in accepting the honor. “People all across Yolo County have inspired me over the past 30 years to make my own leadership journey possible, and I share this honor with them.”
A Davis resident, Cohan grew up and attended college in Southern California and moved to Yolo County in 1992, residing first in Woodland for 20 years. She has led Meals on Wheels Yolo County as Executive Director since January 2022, during what has proven to be a transformational time for the organization. Meals are being delivered to 65% more seniors countywide than at the start of her tenure, and she has introduced capacity expansion initiatives and actions aimed at doubling the current service level by mid-2024.
Previously, Cohan served as Yolo Food Bank’s Director of Philanthropic Engagement for four years through the food security challenges of the COVID-19 crisis. Other significant leadership roles held by Cohan locally over the past three decades have included director of the Davis Downtown Business Association, development director for Hillel at Davis and Sacramento, and executive director of Davis-based Academics Without Borders USA. She also worked on downtown coordination for the city of Woodland as part of Gary Sandy Communications in the early 2000s.