Mrs. Yolanda Renee Sims Sanders serves as the Executive Director of United Way of the Golden Triangle Region, a role she has held since joining the organization in the spring of 2015 as the director of Volunteer Columbus, one of United Way’s internal programs.
Before her tenure at United Way, Renee dedicated 18 years to East Mississippi Community College/Columbus Air Force Base, where she worked in student support services.
Renee is guided by three personal principles: authenticity, consistency, and perseverance. She attributes her faith, family, and friendships as the foundation for a long life, success, and good health.
Her top priority at United Way is to leave the organization stronger than she found it, serving as a responsible steward of the trust placed in her by the United Way board and the community.
In addition to her leadership role, Renee stays active in various pursuits. She teaches online courses for East Mississippi Community College, leads fitness classes at the YMCA, and serves as the youth director at her church, New Zion Pilgrim M.B. Church in Columbus, Mississippi.
Renee and her husband, Donnie—who is a lifelong resident of Columbus—have been married for 33 years. Together, they are proud parents of three wonderful adult daughters, one granddaughter, and one grandson.
Renee holds a Master of Science in Exercise Science from Mississippi University for Women and a Bachelor of Arts in Business from Jackson State University. (Updated 2025)