Don Geiger

DON GEIGER
2017 Bishop's Awards Honoree

Don advises young people to pray. He knows that faith gives meaning and purpose to his life, and he chooses to focus on what he can achieve today and tomorrow. He, like St. Joseph, is a man of quiet strength.

Don Geiger has worked on community building, civic improvement, and faith sharing, and he approaches each opportunity with humility. His call to service “is a gift” which he has shared with the Diocese and City of Stockton for many years.
A third-generation Stocktonian, Don attended St. Agnes, Annunciation, and St. Mary’s High School. He also attended University of San Francisco and UC Berkeley - Boalt Hall School of Law.

He met his wife Michaela, the daughter of his parents’ neighbors, when she returned from Korea after working with the armed services, and he was waiting for his bar results at home. Don and Michaela are parents to Jason and Heather and grandparents to Mica and Julia. He also has two younger sisters, Martha and Ann.

Don has been practicing law since 1969, and is currently attorney of counsel with Kroloff, Belcher, Smart, Perry and Christopherson. He has conducted educational seminars, served as a Judge Pro Tem, as well as a court appointed Arbitrator. He has been recognized for his significant contribution to the local legal community with the Law Day Award.

Don’s desire to help others has led to an improved quality of life for many. One of his friends, Sylvia Minnick, president of the Chinese Benevolent Association, asked Don, the initial and founding chair of the

Downtown Stockton Alliance, for help. The Quan Ying Foundation, a non-profit which provides housing for low-income seniors, wanted to convert a downtown building to residential units. Don was part of a collaborative effort to see the project succeed. He was named Stocktonian of the Year in 1995 and received the Skyline Award, for his contributions to Stockton.

Don currently serves as the Chairperson for Catholic Charities, the organization which is “doing something tangible that helps make a difference in people’s lives.” “Don has definitely helped to shape the vision and mission. His deep faith is apparent in his generosity and dedication to social justice,” States Elvira Ramirez, the organization’s executive director. Don has served on many charitable boards, including Goodwill, Faith in San Joaquin (PICO National Network), and The Hanot Foundation inspired by Sr. Madeline Hanot, a Daughter of the Cross. He is also a member of the Diocese Social Justice Leadership Team.