The Sacramento Bee and Nehemiah Leaders Programs are celebrating this year’s 60 Change Makers. Join them at our gala at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 13 at the Grand Sheraton in downtown Sacramento. Buy tickets at sacramentochangemakers.com.
Toni Hoang was a shy child who never saw herself as a leader. In her mind, leaders had to be the loudest voice in the room. But the people who most inspired her were the trailblazers who led through sacrifice, resilience and quiet strength. It was through them that Hoang said she learned to be a leader.
Hoang is the reliability risk and internal controls manager for the Sacramento Municipal Utility District. She helped establish the Vietnamese American Cultural and Education Society, a nonprofit organization, headquartered in Stockton, dedicated to educating future generations of Vietnamese Americans about their heritage.
Hong also serves on the California State Bar’s Legal Services Trust Fund Commission.
“The common thread is really service,” Hoang said. “As a daughter of immigrants, I see myself as my parents’ American dream realized. And I feel that comes with a really deep responsibility to open doors for others and to give back to the community, and to make sure that more families have the opportunity to succeed.”
Toni Hoang, reliability risk and internal controls manager for the Sacramento Municipal Utility District, poses for a portrait on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, after being recognized as one of this year’s Change Makers. JOSÉ LUIS VILLEGAS jvillegas@sacbee.com
Hoang said she received that kind of support growing up from the many people in her community who felt a similar sense of responsibility.
After being diagnosed with an autoimmune disease at a young age, Hoang considered herself a “professional patient.” She underwent chemotherapy treatment and along the way was forced to reevaluate her goal of becoming a doctor.
Through these challenges, it was her community who supported her.
“I wasn’t able to do the things I wanted to do, but there were mentors in the community who helped me to see that life beyond what I thought it was,” Hoang said. “And I feel like it’s also my responsibility to help others who are young to see that too.”
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