Former Film Academy President Janet Yang Chosen to Chair Committee of 100

BySSZee Media

Jun 16, 2026 #Featured, #Janet Yang, #News, #News Entertainment, #News Of The World

Janet Yang, the veteran film producer and former president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, has been named chairwoman of the board of Committee of 100, the nonprofit organization composed of prominent Chinese Americans, according to an exclusive by The Hollywood Reporter.

Yang succeeds Gary Locke, the former governor of Washington and former U.S. ambassador to China, who has led the organization for the past five years. A member of Committee of 100 since 1998, Yang now assumes a leadership role at a time when the group continues its mission of strengthening U.S.-China relations and advocating for the full inclusion of Chinese Americans in American society.

Founded in 1990 by renowned architect I.M. Pei, celebrated cellist Yo-Yo Ma and other influential Chinese American leaders, Committee of 100 works to foster constructive engagement between the United States and China while challenging perceptions that treat Chinese Americans as outsiders rather than integral participants in American life.

Yang, 69, was born in Queens, New York, to Chinese immigrant parents. She studied Chinese at Brown University before earning an MBA from Columbia University. Her early career was marked by efforts to bridge the Chinese and Hollywood film industries, helping facilitate collaborations that contributed to projects such as Steven Spielberg’s Empire of the Sun.

She later established herself as a successful producer, earning credits on acclaimed projects including The Joy Luck Club, The People vs. Larry Flynt and Over the Moon. She also won an Emmy Award for the television film Indictment: The McMartin Trial.

Within the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Yang became a member of the producers branch in 2002. She was elected to the Academy’s board of governors in 2019 and was chosen as president in 2022. Serving through 2025, she became the first Asian American to hold the organization’s top leadership position and oversaw efforts to expand the Academy’s international membership. Today, approximately one-quarter of the Academy’s nearly 10,000 members are based outside the United States.

“Chinese Americans have always contributed to this country at the highest levels — as entrepreneurs, business leaders, scientists, public servants and artists,” Committee of 100 President Paul Cheung said in a statement. “Janet’s leadership will help us take more ownership of our narrative than ever before, so the next generation of Chinese American leaders can contribute fully and freely to American society.”

Yang emphasized the importance of building connections across cultures despite geopolitical tensions.

“While global media may focus on anti-Chinese or anti-American sentiment, my experience is that there is significant mutual curiosity, affection and desire for collaboration. At a time when international cooperation is more vital than ever — particularly to address unprecedented challenges such as AI and climate change — I stand with those who choose to connect through shared values and a vision for a better future,” Yang told THR.

Reflecting on the opportunities ahead, she said the progress she sees today would have been difficult to imagine years ago.

“What I see today would have been unimaginable mere years, certainly decades, ago. That is why I have chosen to take the reins at Committee of 100. I am drawn to the tremendous opportunities to connect East and West in meaningful ways — person to person, heart to heart. I am grateful and honored to continue doing the work I have always loved under this new banner.”