Multicultural visionary. Poet. Former Executive Director of Glide's 86 programs. Janice Mirikitani, also the Founding President of the Glide Foundation, has been a powerful force at Glide since 1965. A third-generation Japanese-American, Janice has developed groundbreaking multiracial, multicultural programs which have transformed and empowered the Tenderloin community - especially the lives of women and children. Glide programs, recognized for their relevance, inclusiveness, and effective outreach to the most marginalized populations of the city, are comprehensive and designed to help break the cycle of dependency. These essential services include a free meals program, a health clinic, recovery programs, educational, tutorial, recreational programs for children and youth, counseling and job training services. Guided by Janice's leadership, Glide's growth has been phenomenal, with an annual budget of $11 million, a diverse staff of 230, and a volunteer cadre that swelled in numbers to 35,000 in 1999. As an author, Mirkitani has written and edited dozens of landmark books, journals, and anthologies, and her own three books of poetry. In 2000, her achievements as an author were recognized with the prestigious appointment as San Francisco's Poet Laureate. Janice Mirikitani is married to Reverend Cecil Williams. She has one daughter.

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