As Fresno and the Central Valley continue to wrestle with challenges ranging from housing and health care to education, food insecurity, and environmental change, a group of local leaders is quietly shaping a different future.
GV Wire’s 2025 Difference Makers spotlight individuals and organizations whose work is redefining what service, leadership, and impact look like in the region — from nonprofit executives and educators to advocates, artists, entrepreneurs, first responders, and young people finding their voice.
Together, their stories reflect a Valley driven not just by need, but by innovation, compassion, and a deep commitment to community.
MATTHEW DILDINE: FRESNO MISSION
If Nashville is known for music and Silicon Valley for startups, Matthew Dildine says he wants Fresno to be known for giving. And given the history of the Fresno Mission and its partner organizations, Dildine, the nonprofit’s CEO, says they are well on the way…