Nonprofit leader and community activist Teree Caldwell-Johnson died Sunday morning after a battle with cancer, Oakridge Neighborhood Services shared in a statement. She was 68. Caldwell-Johnson announced her cancer diagnosis in 2023.

In 2004, she became president and CEO of Oakridge Neighborhood, a nonprofit providing housing and supportive services to low-income people and others in the community striving for stability and prosperity.

“She was tireless in her efforts to raise others to achieve their full potential,” Dr. Andy McGuire, president of Oakridge Neighborhood’s board of directors, said in a prepared statement. “Her impact as the president and CEO of Oakridge Neighborhood for the last 20 years cannot be overstated.”

During her tenure, she developed numerous initiatives, including an accredited preschool, in-school and out-of-school programs to keep students on track through graduation and post-secondary pathways, and efforts supporting English language learning, citizenship and job placement. She also oversaw a renovation of the neighborhood’s townhomes and construction of a new senior housing facility.

Caldwell-Johnson was Des Moines Public Schools’ longest-serving school board member, first elected in 2006 and serving six years as board chair or vice chair.

“Teree’s years of leadership and service, to our school district and the entire community, are a remarkable legacy and a great memory for us to celebrate and find comfort in at this time,” Jackie Norris, DMPS board chair, said in a prepared statement. “We have lost someone who was a trailblazer as well as a mentor to so many people, helping everyone around her become a better person in their work.”

Caldwell-Johnson resigned from the school board in early March to focus on her health. At the same time, she stepped away from day-to-day responsibilities as Oakridge CEO. The Oakridge board of directors appointed Kristin Clayton, vice president – finance and administration, as acting CEO, according to a March 7 statement provided to the Business Record.

Caldwell-Johnson was an “unwavering advocate and champion for community, social, economic and racial justice and equality” through her community involvement, the Oakridge news release said. She co-founded the Directors Council and the One Economy initiative to close gaps in racial disparity for African Americans in Polk County and served as the group’s board chair. She also served on other boards of directors, including the Mid-Iowa Health Foundation, Greater Des Moines Community Foundation, Planned Parenthood and the Polk County Housing Trust Fund.

Her work received several statewide recognitions in recent years, including the state’s 2024 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Achievement Award, Cristine Wilson Medal for Equality and Justice and the President’s Volunteer Service Lifetime Achievement Award. She was recognized as a Business Record Woman of Influence in 2002 and last year contributed to the Pillars of Philanthropy publication. Read her letter at pillarsbr.com.

Caldwell-Johnson is survived by her husband, Vernon, and their four adult children – Baley, Baxtyr, Vernon Jr. and William. Services are pending, according to Oakridge’s statement.

Share a memory of Teree: The Business Record is inviting readers to share their memories with Teree Caldwell-Johnson and times they saw her impact on the community. Responses may be included in a future story reflecting on the life and legacy of the longtime Des Moines nonprofit leader and Des Moines school board member. Share your thoughts