Joanna Gubman is a public interest advocate with a deep commitment to joyful, connected communities that respect the dignity of all life. In addition to serving as Vice President of the Board of Directors of California Walks, she sits on the Executive Committee of the Sierra Club San Francisco Group and the Rail Passengers Association State Council of Representatives. Mx. Gubman is also a member of the Emerge California Class of 2026. Most recently, she was the Executive Director of Urban Environmentalists, a nonprofit initiative of YIMBY Action transforming cities into more sustainable, human-centered, and just communities through grassroots land use policy reform.

Mx. Gubman previously served as an Administrative Law Judge and Commissioner’s Advisor at the California Public Utilities Commission, where she led efforts to expand access to clean energy, transportation electrification, and broadband infrastructure - especially for underserved communities. She brings an international perspective to her work, shaped by multiple research fellowships in Germany and time living in Mexico City.
Mx. Gubman lives in San Francisco with her partner and their young daughter. She gets around primarily by walking, biking, and transit - and believes every community should be built to support delightful, liberated movement on foot.