Melissa Rogers
Executive Director White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships |
Melissa Rogers serves as Special Assistant to the President and Executive Director of the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships. Rogers formerly served as Director of the Center for Religion and Public Affairs at Wake Forest University Divinity School and as a nonresident Senior Fellow in the Governance Studies program of The Brookings Institution. Prior to her time with Wake Forest University and Brookings, Rogers was the Executive Director of the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life and General Counsel of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty. In 2008 Baylor University Press published a casebook co-authored by Rogers, Religious Freedom and the Supreme Court.
In 2009 President Barack Obama appointed Rogers to serve as Chair of his inaugural Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. In 2011 she was named to a subgroup of the State Department’s Religion and Foreign Policy Working Group. Rogers has testified before subcommittees of the U.S. Senate and House Judiciary Committees. She earned her law degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Baylor University. |
Acacia Salatti
Director Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, Department of Health and Human Services |
Acacia Bamberg Salatti was appointed by the White House to the Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships (The Partnership Center) at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in 2009. She serves as Director and her portfolio includes engagement on minority health outreach and health disparities reduction strategies.
Salatti comes to this position from the office of Assistant Democratic Leader James E. Clyburn, where she was Lead Staffer for the House Democratic Faith Working Group (HDFWG). She also handled Congressman Clyburn’s education and agriculture portfolio. In addition, Salatti was also responsible for his agriculture, interior, and foreign operations appropriation bills. Salatti holds a Masters in Divinity and a certificate in Black Church Studies from Candler School of Theology at Emory University. She is also a former Adjunct Professor of Religion at Columbia College, her alma mater. |
Norah Deluhery
Director Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, USDA |
Norah Deluhery serves as the Director of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships at USDA with a mission to connect both secular and faith-based organizations to government resources to aid underserved communities across rural America. In 2012, Deluhery completed a detail to the White House as Policy Advisor for First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! Initiative, which aims to end childhood obesity in a generation. Deluhery expanded outreach to local and national stakeholders in the public, non-profit, and private sectors. Prior to working at the White House, Deluhery served as Special Assistant to the Under Secretary of Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services at the USDA, which promotes the health and well-being of Americans by developing and promoting science-based dietary guidance and administering USDA's 15 nutrition assistance programs. FNCS programs seek to end hunger in the United States and provide nutrition assistance as well as federal dietary guidance, nutrition policy coordination, and nutrition education.
In 2008, Deluhery worked on the Obama campaign as a field organizer in northern rural Iowa as well as a volunteer in several state primaries. Prior to joining the campaign, she worked at the Columbia University Graduate School of Business in New York City. A proud native of Davenport, Iowa, Deluhery graduated from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. with a degree in English and a minor in vocal performance. |
Rev. E. Terri LaVelle
Director VA Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships |
Rev. LaVelle serves as Director for the VA Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships. E. Terri advises on matters related to VA cultivating and developing collaborative relationships with faith-based, nonprofit, and community leaders, and organizations. In December 1998 she joined the staff of The Faith & Politics Institute. As Program Director, Rev. Terri gave leadership to and traveled with bi-partisan Congressional delegations to historic sites in AL, TN, and South Africa. She also co-facilitated weekly Reflection Groups for Congress and senior staff. E. Terri’s work provided those called to public service safe and sacred spaces for building community and engaging in moral reflection.
Rev. E. Terri served eight years as a Chaplain in Residence (CIR) to the Georgetown University community. Rev. E. Terri is ordained and a member of Metropolitan Baptist Church, Washington, DC. E. Terri has a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing and a Master of Arts in Theological Studies. E. Terri has an adult daughter who works as a communications and public relations professional. |
Joshua Dickson
Director Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships US Department of Commerce |
Josh Dickson serves as the Director of the Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships at the US Department of Commerce. He previously worked as Associate Director for Constituency Outreach on the Presidential Inaugural Committee and Deputy Director of Faith Outreach for the Democratic National Committee. Josh started his career as a teacher with Teach For America on Chicago’s South Side, where he volunteered with the Industrial Areas Foundation and developed a passion for sustainable community development. He subsequently worked at college campuses across the country as the National Recruitment Director for Teach For America’s Faith-based and Community Relations Team. While in Chicago, Josh also served on the board of the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network.
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Jannah Scott
Deputy Director DHS Center for Faith-based & Neighborhood Partnerships Presidential Appointee |
Strategist, Planner, Advisor, Public Policy and Engagement Expert--Jannah Scott has served in many capacities with government, faith and the nonprofit community. In March of 2009, Jannah joined President Obama’s administration as Deputy Director, Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Jannah guides the engagement of faith-based and community groups on issues of emergency preparedness, community resilience, incident response and other issues within Homeland Security. Her most recent endeavors include: modeling “whole community” involvement in homeland security issues; and development of standards and protocols for government work with faith-based and community groups.
Jannah received graduate degrees from the University of California at Berkeley and the Desert Rose Christian College. She is the mother of five, and grandmother to ten. Her passion is to see people everywhere achieve their God-given potential, living in an atmosphere where love, dignity, righteousness and justice prevail. |
Sarah Bard
Director Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, U.S. Small Business Administration |
Sarah Bard was appointed Director of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives at the U.S. Small Business Administration in December 2013. Bard is responsible for coordinating with faith-based and neighborhood organizations to encourage entrepreneurship, support economic growth and promote prosperity for America’s entrepreneurs. Bard is a former small business owner and a non-profit consultant who specialized in corporate and private sector engagement and partnership building. Previously, Bard directed the Jewish Leadership Council and the Democratic Business Council for the Democratic National Committee under Chair Debbie WassermanSchultz. In 2012, Bard served as the Director of International Finance for Obama for America – launching and running an engagement program for American citizens living abroad in over 40 countries. In addition, she conducted Jewish community and interfaith outreach for the 2012 campaign and the 2013 Presidential Inaugural Committee. In this capacity, Bardworked with faith leaders and organizations across the country to organize communities and build coalitions. Bard is an active volunteer, participant and board member for various organizations focusing on interfaith collaboration, economic development and community healthcare solutions. She is a graduate of the University of Colorado.
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Hyepin Im
President / CEO Korean Churches for Community Development |
Ms. Hyepin Im is a U.S. Presidential Appointee on the Board of the Corporation for National and Community Service. She is the President and Founder of Korean Churches for Community Development (KCCD), a national nonprofit empowering churches and nonprofits to leverage their resources by building capacity, leadership, and partnerships in economic development and serving as a bridge between the Asian American community and the greater community. Since 2001, KCCD has had over 300 partners, ranging from the White House to Fortune 500 companies.She has been featured on CNN, NPR, LA Times and the Washington Post and presented at numerous conferences including the White House, U.S. Department of Labor, and Christian Community Development Association. In 2013, she was recently honored by Los Angeles Magazine as “Ten Inspirational Women of Los Angeles .She was honored as 2012 Woman of Action by California Speaker of the Assembly John Perez and also as Pioneer Woman of the Year by Council President Eric Garcetti and Councilmember Tom Labonge. She was also recognized by LAUSD School Boardmember as a Trailblazer for her work and advocacy for students. She has a B.S. from U.C. Berkeley, M.B.A. from University of Southern California, and M.Div., summa cum laude, from Wesley Theological Seminary.
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Grace Han Wolf
Council Member Herndon Town Council, Commonwealth of Virginia |
Grace Han Wolf is serving her third term on the Herndon Town Council. She is the first Korean American woman elected to office in the Commonwealth of Virginia. She is the Town’s representative to the Committee for Dulles Board of Directors and the Fairfax County Economic Advisory Commission. In 2006, Wolf received the Town of Herndon’s prestigious Distinguished Service Award, recognizing her commitment to volunteerism. She is a member of the Leadership Fairfax Class of 2007. She received the Public Service Award from the Asian American Chamber of Commerce in 2012. In 2013, Wolf was recognized as one of “The Influential Women of Virginia” by Virginia Lawyers Media, an award that recognizes the outstanding efforts of women in all fields across the Commonwealth of Virginia. In 2014, Wolf was appointed by Governor Terry McAuliffe to the Virginia Commission for the Arts as Commissioner, and appointed to the Board of Directors for the Arts Council of Fairfax and the Fairfax County Park Authority. Wolf is an active member of the regional AAPI community and is a founder of the Jade Philanthropy Society, a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to is to encourage and facilitate philanthropy by Asian Americans in the DC metro area. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Korean American Scholarship Foundation – Eastern Region, the Asian American Chamber of Commerce and is a member of KOWIN.
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Timothy Haahs
President / CEO Timothy Haahs & Associates, Inc. |
Timothy Haahs, PE, AIA is a Presidential nominated and US Senate confirmed appointee to the Board of Directors of the National Institute of Building Sciences. He is President and founder of Timothy Haahs & Associates, Inc., an architecture and engineering firm specializing in the planning and design of parking and mixed-use structures. Tim also serves as the founding pastor of Calvary Vision Church (CVC) in Blue Bell, PA. Tim currently serves as Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for Biblical Theological Seminary in suburban Philadelphia. He is also a Board Member for the Einstein Healthcare Network, the Philip Jaisohn Foundation, and the Jesus Awakening Movement of America. In 2013, the Korean Broadcasting System featured Tim and his firm on its weekly documentary, showcasing Korean global leaders’ success stories. Tim recently co-authored a report for the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) “East Asia Low Carbon Green Growth Roadmap”. Tim holds a BS and MS in Civil/Urban Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania. In 2011 and 2012 respectively, he was recognized by ASCE Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley Engineers as Engineer of the Year. In 2006 he was selected as Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year for the Real Estate and Construction category in the Philadelphia Region, as well as the ZweigWhite Jerry Allen Courage in Leadership Award in 2010. Tim currently resides in Lower Gwynedd, PA with his wife, Janice and their two daughters.
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Eugene Schneeberg
Director Center for Faith-Based & Neighborhood Partnerships U.S. Department of Justice |
President Obama appointed Eugene Schneeberg director of the
U.S. Department of Justice’s Center for Faith-Based & Neighborhood
Partnerships in October of 2010. In this capacity, Eugene coordinates between the White House and DOJ in their efforts to
outreach and partner with faith-based and non-profit organizations around the
country. Under his leadership the center works to advance the goals of
President Obama’s Responsible Fatherhood & Mentoring Initiative, the My
Brother’s Keeper Initiative, the National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention,
the Federal Reentry Council and the Children of Incarcerated Parents Working
Group. Before coming to the Obama Administration he served for several years as
the Director of Operations for Straight Ahead Ministries a national faith-based
juvenile justice organization in Boston, Massachusetts. He received his
undergraduate degree in Urban Affairs from Boston University and is married to
his wife Deitra. They have two sons Eugene Jr., and Elijah, and one daughter,
Genesis.
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Carroll A.Baltimore, Sr.
President/CEO Global Alliance Interfaith Networks |
Dr. Carroll A. Baltimore Sr. is the Senior Pastor of the International Community Baptist Churches, USA and the Philippines; President/CEO of Global Alliance Interfaith Network (G.A.I.N.). He has traveled to six continents, over 40 countries, led over 79 global missions, and his messages have been heard in 135 countries. He served as the 19th President, Progressive National Baptist Convention, Inc. (PNBC); the denominational home of the late, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and other civil rights leaders. He is a Bishop Designate for Global United Fellowship.Dr. Baltimore is a “Justice Elder”, an expert and thought leader, participating in activities at the White House and other global events dealing with social justice, education, cultural diversity, civil and human rights, torture and climate justice. He partners with corporate, government and non-profit organizations in an effort to alleviate cultural and religious barriers, and promotes global peace.Dr. Baltimore serves on several governing boards, and has received numerous awards and honors, including from the President of the United States. He is a graduate of George Mason University, Luther Rice College and other notable institutions. He is a doctoral candidate at Virginia Union University, Samuel Proctor School of Theology, Virginia.
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Mitchell C.Hescox
Reverend / President / CEO Evangelical Environmental Network |
The Rev. Mitchell C. Hescox serves as President/C.E.O. of The Evangelical Environmental Network and speaks nationally on creation care and climate change. For Mitch, “Creation Care is a Matter of Life and is both, The Greatest Moral Challengeof Our Generation and the Greatest Opportunity for Bright Future. Rev. Hescox has published numerous articles, contributed to Sacred Acts: How Churches are working together to Protect Earth’s Climate by New Society Publishers, and co-authored the upcoming book, A Case For Climate Conservatism, with nationally known meteorologist, Paul Douglas. He has testified before Congress, spoke at the White House, appeared on CNN, NPR, PRI, MSNBC, and numerous radio programs both Christian and secular. Named one of the ten Environmental Religious Saints in the Huffington Post, and one of the top ten faith leaders to watch in 2015 by Center For American Progress. Mitch guided EEN to successful championing of the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards and steeredthe EEN team to acquire over 400,000 comments from the evangelical community for various EPA proposed standards in the past two years.
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Sam Yoon
President Council of Korean Americans |
Sam Yoon Has been working with CKA for almost three years, enjoying the opportunity to work with interesting and accomplished Korean Americans (like Hyepin Im) from around the country. served in the Obama administration for almost a year at the Labor Department. Lived in the DC area now but spends most of his adult life in Boston. He was a Boston city councilor for four years, was the first Asian American to run for office there, then ran for mayor in 2009. Belongs to a 2nd-generation Korean United Methodist church in Northern Virginia.
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David Kim
Associate Administrator U.S. Department of Transportation |
David S. Kim is Associate Administrator for Policy and Governmental Affairs at the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). He began in August 2011 after spending two years as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Governmental Affairs at the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), Office of the Secretary. David also serves as DOT's representative on the Interagency Working Group of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Prior to joining DOT, David spent five years with the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) as Deputy Executive Officer, Federal Advocacy and Government Relations. From 1999 to 2003, David served as Deputy Director in the Washington office of California Governor Gray Davis. He represented the State of California's interests before Congress and the executive branch on transportation, water, energy and environmental issues. He spent five years with Congressman Xavier Becerra in various capacities, including overseeing the day-to-day operations of his Sacramento office while Mr. Becerra served in the California State Assembly. David began his public service career as a field representative and administrative assistant to State Senator David Roberti. A native of Davis, CA, David earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from Occidental College and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Southern California. David resides in Fairfax County, VA with his wife, Julie, and two children, Tessa and Jaisohn.
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Young Wheeler
Former Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA |
Young Wheeler Originally from Dallas,Texas, He graduated with a BBA from Southern Methodist University. He began working for the US DOL/OSHA in 2003. He has worked on projects including managing employee and labor relations, OSHA’s Susan Harwood Training Grants program, and consultation and state program work.Most of his work has been in emergency management during Hurricane’s Katrina, Rita, Gustav, Isaac, various wildfires, and Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. In 2013, Young and his family moved to the DC area. He was a Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA. He continues his work on emergency preparedness, response and recovery activities.He is the agency representative on Asian American and Pacific Islander issues. Young is a Christian, has served as board member for the Korean Central United Methodist Church, and has owned a restaurant.Young and his wife, Goun, are joyfully expecting another baby in December.
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Francey Youngberg
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Engagement U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development |
Francey Lim Youngberg is the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Engagement for the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). She is responsible for strategic engagement between the Secretary of HUD and key stakeholders. Her office helps build support for HUD’s budgetary and departmental priorities and ensures that the public’s input is taken into account in the public policy making process. Her office also plays a coordinating role for the Secretary and the Department in activities conducted by the White House Office of Public Engagement. She also serves as the HUD representative to the White House Initiative on Asian American and Pacific Islanders, White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics and the White House Council on Women and Girls. Prior to joining HUD, Francey Lim Youngberg advised clients on cultural competency, research into Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) issues, diversity management, minority recruitment, grant writing, grant management, and fundraising. After leaving private practice, she worked as an attorney in the international division of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission in Washington, D.C. and later became the founding Executive Director of the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS)) under the Honorable Norman. Y. Mineta. She graduated from Wellesley College and Harvard Law School.
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Judy Chu
U.S. Congressmember 27TH Congressional District of California |
Judy Chu was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in July 2009. She represents the 27th Congressional District of California. Rep. Chu currently serves on the House Judiciary Committee. She also serves on the House Small Business Committee, where she is the Ranking Member on the Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Tax and Capital Access. In 2011, Chu was elected Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, which advocates for the needs and concerns of the Asian American and Pacific Islander community across the nation. Chu was first elected to the Board of Education for Garvey School District in 1985. From there, she was elected to the Monterey Park City Council, where she served as Mayor three times. She then was elected to the State Assembly and then California’s State Board of Equalization. In 2009, she became the first Chinese American woman elected to Congress in history.
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Diana Yu
Advisor White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders |
Diana Yu serves as a Senior Advisor for the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.In this capacity, Diana leads the Interagency Working Group,provides administrative oversight, and supports the education portfolio at the Initiative.Prior to this, Diana was an educational program specialist with the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) at the U.S. Department of Education.She specialized in monitoring state educational agencies’ management of special education programs. Previously, she was a special education teacher who taught students with disabilities in the areas of emotional disabilities, learning disabilities, and mental retardation K-12. She also held leadership roles including mathematics department chairperson and technology lead teacher. Diana has extensive international educational experiences through short term mission trips to Mexico, Korea, and Kenya. She received her B.S in Psychology and M.Ed in Special Education from George Mason University. She is currently working on her Ed.D at the George Washington University.
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Stephen Lewis
President Forum for Theological Exploration |
Stephen Lewis is president of the Forum for Theological Exploration (FTE), which focuses on cultivating a new generation of Christian leaders. He has more than fifteen years of experience in corporate and nonprofit leadership, strategic planning, program development and group facilitation. Stephen is an ordained minister and is currently a member of the Center for Courage & Renewal’s Board of Directors and served as a member of Duke Divinity School’s Board of Visitors during 2008-2013. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in banking and finance from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and a Master of Divinity degree from Duke University.
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Kenneth Liu
Director of Legal Aid Ministries Christian Legal Society |
Ken Liu is the Director of Legal Aid Ministries at the Christian Legal Society, through which he equips Christian legal aid organizations with resources, coaching, and support to provide pro bono legal services to people in need. He helps legal aid clinics with issues such as providing legal and spiritual counseling to low-income clients, recruiting and training volunteers, board governance, and fundraising. Ken is also an attorney at Gammon & Grange, P.C, where he has practiced in nonprofit law and intellectual property since 2001. He serves a broad range of nonprofits, churches, ministries, and small businesses around the country. Ken lives with his wife and two boys in northern Virginia and worships at St. Mary’s Orthodox Church in Falls Church, VA.
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Lovely Varughese
Registered Nurse Presence Health Care |
Lovely Varughese Is a mother who lost her son tragically in 2014 February.Fighting for justice for him now as a family.Trying to make their voice heard and bring some attention to the injustice in the legal system and to create awareness about this growing problem.We feel like God has given as a mission to carry on and use our experience to shed light into the problems we are facing.
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Mark Keam
Representative of Fairfax County The Virginia House of Delegates |
Mark Keam represents Fairfax County in the Virginia House of Delegates. In 2009, Mark became the first Asian immigrant elected to hold state-level office in Virginia. As a third term legislator with a reputation for bipartisanship and effectiveness, Mark focuses on creating jobs, improving schools, addressing traffic gridlocks, reducing burdens on businesses, strengthening social safety nets, and making the government more accountable. Mark serves on Commerce, Education, Finance, and Agriculture Committees. Several bills he authored have become law in Virginia, including green jobs tax credit, healthcare jobs for military veterans, property tax relief for elderly homeowners, food allergy safety training, sales tax fraud prevention and prisoner reentry reforms. Born in Seoul, Korea, Mark spent his childhood in South Vietnam until just before that country fell to communism. His family then moved to Australia before settling in America. He graduated from the University of California at Irvine and Hastings College of the Law.
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Charles Rangel
U.S. Congressman New York's 13th Congressional District |
Charles B. Rangel, war hero, history-making congressman, master lawmaker. A founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus, he made history as the first African American member of Congress to lead the powerful Ways and Means Committee. Now serving his 23rd term in the House of Representatives, he was the primary sponsor of President Obama's historic healthcare reform law and is a leading advocate for equal rights and opportunity. Following Saint Matthew's teaching, he has been a stalwart champion for the "least among us," dedicated to improving the lives of working families. He was first elected to Congress in 1970, after serving in the New York State Assembly and as an Assistant U.S. Attorney. Rep Rangel is a veteran of the Korean War, where he earned a Purple Heart and the Bronze Star. He and his wife, Alma, reside in Harlem where he was born.
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Piyachat Terrell
Pathways Programs Officer AAPI Special Emphasis Program Manager National Recruitment and Outreach Specialist U.S. Environmental Protection Agency |
Piyachat Terrell has over 25 years of experience in the federal government with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency. She is the Chair of the EPA Asian Pacific American Council (APAC). She is committed to building effective partnerships with AAPI serving institutions. She works closely with the AAPI communities on environmental challenges. During the Katrina aftermath, while serving as the Deputy Director of the White House Initiative on AAPIs, Piyachat was instrumental in mediating meetings between the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality and the Vietnamese community in New Orleans East regarding the controversial Chef Menteur Landfill. As a result of the meetings, the State of Louisiana agreed to close down the Landfill, bringing the victory to the Vietnamese community. During the BP Oil Spill, Piyachat helped organized the first public meeting for the fisher folks and the EPA Deputy Administrator ensuring full community participation. Piyachat is also an art advocate who believes in the power of social and environmental change through art. At the 2010 Smithsonian Folklife Festival, Piyachat presented photographs taken by children of the fisher folks on the Talkstory stage. Piyachat shared personal stories of fisher folk youths ensuring that their voices were heard. Piyachat’s current work focuses on women and children issues, a selection of her work is devoted to raising visibility of targeted and victimized hill tribe children in Thailand. As an environmental artist, Piyachat works with recycled materials.
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Ted Lieu
Congressmember 33RD Congressional District |
Ted W. Lieu In 2014, he was elected to an open seat for the 33rd Congressional District, succeeding retiring 40 year incumbent Henry Waxman. He was elected president of the Freshman class of Democrats by his colleagues and serves on the House Budget Committee. Ted is a former active duty officer who currently serves as a reservist in the United States Air Force. In February of 2011, Ted was elected to the State Senate. Ted's legislative accomplishments include co-sponsoring landmark legislation regulating the subprime mortgage industry, state tax reform that saved small businesses from billions in retroactive taxes, increasing planning for climate change, increasing tax incentives for film/TV production and banning the state from investing in or doing business with companies doing business with Iran. Ted was elected to the Torrance City Council in 2002. In 2005, Ted was elected to the State Assembly, where he served until 2011. Ted chaired the Assembly Rules Committee, the Banking and Finance Committee, and sat on the Governmental Organization Committee, Judiciary Committee, Water, Parks & Wildlife Committee, and Veterans Affairs Committee. Ted was also Chair of the Asian Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus and Chair of the Assembly Select Committee on Aerospace. Ted's wife, Betty, is a former California Deputy Attorney General.
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Albert Shen
National Deputy Director Minority Business Development Agency |
Albert K. Shen has recently been appointed to serve as National Deputy Director of the Minority Business Development Agency, (MBDA.) In this role, Mr. Shen serves as the principal advisor to the MBDA National Director and will assist in managing the day-to-day activities of the Agency. Prior to his appointment with MBDA, Mr. Shen was a small business owner and respected community advocate whose leadership has made a big impact on some of the Northwest’s largest and most critical infrastructure and environmental clean-up projects. In 2012, he was recognized as one of the Top 100 Asian American Businesses in the U.S. Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce and was award the 2012 U.S. Small Business Administration Region X Minority Champion of the Year Award.is a continuous advocate for the minority business community on a variety of economic issues and has hosted numerous roundtables for Asian American small businesses and the Obama Administration on domestic and international business development policy matters. He earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry and environmental science from the University of Washington.
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Kara Carlisle
Director of New Mexico Programs W.K. Kellogg Foundation |
Kara Carlisle Director of New Mexico programs at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation in Battle Creek, Michigan. Prior to joining the foundation, Carlisle was associate director at zocalo Public Square Lecture Series and a development consultant. Earlier, while at Korean American Coalition-Los Angeles, she was director of public relations and director of the 4.29 dispute resolution center. She also held the positions of personnel officer and development officer at Koreatown Youth and Community Center, Inc., Los Angeles. An active participant in civic engagement, Served as president of the City of Los Angeles’ Human Relations Commission in 2007 and 2008, and recent past chair of the 26th Senate District Empowerment Congress which largely serves the city of Los Angeles. She has also served as a board member for the National Association for Community Mediation, Washington, D.C. Carlisle has received numerous honors, including the Millennium Momentum Foundation’s 2007 President’s Award and was the subject of a documentary film about her emergence as a community leader, which aired on national television in the Republic of Korea and the United States. Carlisle holds her bachelor’s degree in religious studies, political science and philosophy from Anderson University, Anderson, Ind. She earned her Master of Divinity in urban studies and education from Claremont School of Theology, Claremont, California and her Master of Business Administration degree from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.
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Jimmy Chae
Minister Tribe/ NT2 |
Jimmy Chae is a pastor, teacher, itinerary speaker with a passion for Jesus Christ. Ordained as a minister in 2007, he has been planting churches and doing missions for over 20 years. Educated in the worst part of Corona and Flushing, New York, Jimmy Chase has managed to graduate college and start a women’s garment factory for over twenty years. Chae’s father served in the City of New York as the President of the Korean Garment Association and also the President and Vice-President of the Korean Association of Greater NY. He trained in YWAM, finished his education in New Zealand, and married in 1999. Lives and works in Kona at the University of the Nations as a school leader and a co-founder of ‘Tribe’. The Lord excites him for the future of America and the Nations.
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Steve Cho
Reverend Ocean City Church |
Steve Cho Him and his wife Joy are 2nd Generation Korean Americans from Miami, FL. Before being Lead Pastor at Ocean City Church in Seoul, South Korea, he was ordained as a Reverend at Brentwood Baptist Church in Brentwood, TN. He was the Student Pastor at the Korean Presbyterian Church of Miami for 6 years. He studied Christian Ministry at Trinity International University. Steve is an Iraq war veteran and served 6 years as an US Army Interrogator which he finds very useful as a Pastor. He has a burning passion to connect and unite the international church community to one sole purpose of expanding God’s Kingdom into the most unreached and unengaged parts of the world.
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Won Jik Cho
KCCD Board Member/Saxophonist/Pastor Ramnent Methodist Church |
Rev. Won Jik Cho He was born and raised in Seoul, Korea, until he and his wife moved to Boston in 2008. He has been invited to perform in various venues including the Blue House of South Korea, Ministry of culture-world cultural exchange performer. He has also performed and conducted concerts in 20 countries performance competitions. He has also been featured in various TV shows. He received his Th.M degree at Gordon-Conwell Theology Seminary in Boston. He currently also serve as Senior Pastor at Ramnent Methodist Church in Fullerton, California.
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Grace Choi
Policy Advisor Secretary's Office on Global Women Issues, U.S. Department of State |
Grace Choi is a Policy Advisor in the Secretary's Office on Global Women's Issues at the U.S. Department of State. Previously, she served as Staff Assistant in the White House Liaison’s Office at the Department of State. She is also a NetKAL Fellow and serves on the Conference on Asian Pacific American Leadership's (CAPAL) Board of Directors and is Vice Chair for Programs. Prior to her political appointment at the Department of State, Worked for the Council of Korean Americans (CKA), where she helped to create a greater platform for Korean American voices at the national level, the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) in Congresswoman Judy Chu’s office, the Presidential Inauguration Committee (PIC), President Obama’s 2012 Presidential Campaign in Virginia, the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea, and the Department of Homeland Security’s Refugee Affairs Division. Grace is a Robertson Foundation for Government Fellow and graduated from the Fletcher School at Tufts University with a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy and from Boston College with a bachelor’s degree in International Studies. She is a proud southerner who hails from metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia.
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Sekwon Chong
Honorary National President Korean American National Foundation, USA |
Sekwon Kenneth Chons He was born in Seoul, Korea, he came to the United States in 1978. He worked for the Coca-Cola Company as the Marketing Manager for the Asian Markets in the Mid-Atlantic region (1883-2006). Federation of Korean American Associations, U.S.A. (2001-2003), Founder and Executive Vice President of Centennial Committee of Korean Immigration to the United States(CCKI)-Greater Washington (2001-2003), President of Korean American Foundation (KAF)-Greater Washington (2004-2009), President of the U.S.-Korea National Prayer Breakfast-Washington, DC (2009-2010), National President of Korean American Foundation of U.S.A. (2009-2010), Honorary National President of Korean American National Foundation of U.S.A. (2013-present) and serving as Senior Advisor of Korean American Association of Washington Metropolitan Area (2011-present), Vice President of the Council of Korean Churches of Greater Washington(2012-2013) and Chairman of the Board of Finance Directors of CKCGW (2013-2014). In 1990 during his presidency of Asian Pacific American Heritage Council (APAHC), he has established the APAHC Scholarship Program. In 1994 during his presidency of Korean American Association of Greater Washington, he has published the book of “History of Korean Americans in the Washington Metropolitan Area (1883-1993)” in Korean and English versions. In 2005, he and his associates of the Korean American Foundation had contributed the efforts to pass the Resolutions (H.R. 487, S.R. 283) by the House of Representatives and the Senate of the United States for the Korean Americans designated January 13 of each year as “Korean American Day”.
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Young Chung
Senior Pastor Wilshire United Methodist Church |
Dr.Young Chung serves as the Senior Pastor of the Wilshire United Methodist Church in Los Angeles. Since 1994, when he was ordained in the California-Pacific Annual Conference of the United Methodist ,He has served three different churches which have all had multi-ethnic and multi-racial congregations for the last 21 years. As a Korean-American first generation pastor, he has been very actively involved in various community service activities in Los Angeles and Hawaii including serving on several committees of his annual conference. He has received degrees from both Seoul Methodist Graduate Theological School and the Claremont School of Theology
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So-Young Kang
Catalyst and CEO Awaken Group |
So-Young Kang Catalyst, Founder & CEO of Awaken Group, a multi-disciplinary Transformation Design (TD) firm that integrates strategy, leadership and innovation to design experiences that catalyze change. So-Young has nearly 20 years of experience advising leaders globally and is a sought-after speaker across US, Asia, Middle East and Africa on various topics across leadership, innovation and transformation. So-Young loves people, organizations and systems. She and her team work with individuals, teams and organizations to align what’s on the inside (e.g., core values, underlying motivations)So-Young and her team, including Creative Collaborators, CONSULT + COACH + DESIGN + DIGITIZE to serve clients holistically. So-Young holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA dual degree with honors in International Relations and East Asian studies from University of Pennsylvania with a minor in Music Theory.
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James Yu
Pastor Community Christian Center |
James Yu is a local pastor who has a heart to transform the city and this nation for Jesus through love and justice. He is an
internationally known speaker and consultant on leadership, management, Christianity and Cultural Transformation. He enjoys
coaching young entrepreneurs and to celebrate their success. Together with other likeminded partners, James is looking for
opportunities to startup for-profit or nonprofit missional-social-enterprise for community development. In addition, James Yu
is the Founder and Executive Director of Protos Bridging International, Board Chairman of (ISAAC) Institute of the Study of Asian
American Christianity, Board member of Global Life Enrichment Center, Irvine, California, and Board Member of Defy Agency,
Culver City, California.
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Sunny Ahn
Pastor San Ramon Valley UMC |
Sunny Ahn Pastor at San Ramon Valley United Methodist Church in Northern California and the President of National Association of Korean American United Methodist Clergywomen.
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Hyun Bae
Pastor Vision Presbyterian Church |
Pastor at the Vision Presbyterian Church
Prior President of the Council of the Korean Churches of Greater Washington DC area Professor at the Midwest University |
Priscilla Baek
International Government affairs Specialist Vision Presbyterian Church |
Priscilla Baek An international government affairs specialist with experience crafting, managing, and implementing multi-faceted policy initiatives in partnership with U.S. and foreign governments, corporations, industry associations, and non-profit organizations. She is currently senior manager of public affairs at Mitsui & Co., Where she specializes in political risk mitigation, policy analysis, and relationship management. Prior to Mitsui, she was a policy manager at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and an adviser at the US Department of Treasury's Office of Financial Research. As a fellow in the Network of Korean American Leaders, she is also passionate about capacity building and leadership development in the Asian Pacific American community. Priscilla has served on the board of directors of the Conference on Asian Pacific American Leadership, and was elected Chair in 2012. She has a BA from Duke University and an MA from the University of Hawaii-Manoa
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Danielle Johnson-Kutch
Director of Policy Homeownership Preservation Office Office of Financial Stability, U.S. Department of the Treasury |
Danielle Johnson-Kutch The Director of Policy for the Making Home Affordable (MHA) program at the U.S. Department of the Treasury. At Treasury, she has identified policies, housing related processes, and other strategies for programs within the federal government’s MHA Program. Has advised on policy matters for a variety of federal agencies, mortgage companies, and other industry participants. Before working at Treasury, Danielle served as the Director of Community and Economic Development for the National Association for County Community and Economic Development, where she dealt with affordable housing and HUD grant programs for large urban counties. Danielle previously worked for Bank of America as Vice President of Mortgage Policy where she worked on issues related to housing finance reform and mortgage servicing. She began her career working on housing and financial services issues for the National Association of Mortgage Brokers. She has an M.A. in political science from American University.
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Richard Kim
KA UMM National President in U.S. General Commission (GCUMM) |
Richard Kim National President of Korean American UMM (United Methodist Men) and was Immediate President of California Pacific Annual Conference. He is actively engaging in broad issues such as social justice and mental health for the community and involved with several key UMC leader groups.
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Steven Park
Founder/Executive Director Little Lights Urban Ministries |
Steven Park After a life-changing spiritual conversion to Christianity after college, Steven founded Little Lights Urban Ministries in 1995 after meeting underserved children and youth near his parents’ business in NW, DC. Starting with no funds or experience in the non-profit sector, he has grown the organization to 10 full-time, 40 part-time staff, and over 700 volunteers per year giving more than 10,000 volunteer hours annually. Little Lights currently serves families at two public housing complexes where the annual family income is approximately $9,000 per year. He has made a life-long commitment to underserved DC residents and in 2002 moved into the historic African-American neighborhood in DC called Anacostia.
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Jong Jin Pee
Senior Pastor Emeritus Namseoul Chuang Presbyterian Church |
Rev. Jong Jin Pee was a former senior pastor of Nam Seoul Chungang Presbyterian Church in South Korea and still actively involved with the church as Chairman of General Association. He is also General Chairman of World Missionary Association and Vice President of Henderson Christian University. He had a remarkable impact on the evangelization movement in South Korea and travel around the world to lead revival meetings and seminars. Received awards include the World Peace Award and The Holy Spirit Man Medallion.
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Jim Wallis
Founder/CEO Sojourners |
Jim Wallis is president and founder of Sojourners in Washington, DC. a non-profit faith-based organization, network, and movement whose mission statement calls for “putting faith into action for social justice.” He is editor-in-chief of Sojourners magazine and web site which has a combined print and electronic media readership of more than a quarter million people with several million unique visitors to the website, sojo.net, each year. Is a bestselling author, public theologian, national preacher, social activist, and international commentator on ethics and public life. Wallis has written ten books, including The (Un)Common Good and the New York Times bestsellers God’s Politics and The Great Awakening. He is a frequent speaker in the United States and abroad, has written for major newspapers, does regular columns for Huffington Post and TIME.com, and appears frequently on ABC, CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, and NPR; on shows from Jon Stewart’s Daily Show to the O’Reilly Factor and Sunday shows like This Week and Meet the Press. Also teaches at Georgetown University and has taught at Harvard University. He served on President Obama’s first White House Advisory Council on Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships and as the chair of the Global Agenda Council on Values of the World Economic Forum.
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Galen Carey
Vice President Government Relations National Association of Evangelicals |
Galen Carey, Vice president of government relations for the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE), is responsible for representing the NAE before Congress, the White House and the courts. He works to advance the approach and principles of the NAE document, “For the Health of the Nation.” Before joining the NAE staff, he was a longtime employee of World Relief, the relief and development arm of the NAE, serving in Croatia, Mozambique, Kenya, Indonesia and Burundi. He received an M.Div. from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and a Doctor of Ministry from McCormick Theological Seminary.
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Kathleen Davis-Siudut
Strategic Initiative Director Polaris |
Kathleen Davis-Siudut is a Strategic Initiative Director at Polaris, an organization dedicated to eradicating human trafficking. She has over 12 years working on this human rights issue, ranging from training and technical assistance, coalition and taskforce building, policy advocacy, and direct victim assistance. Through her work, she has liaised with and advised diverse stakeholders such as federal and state government, law enforcement and prosecutors, military, private industry, faith-based and nongovernmental organizations, and social service providers. She earned a Master of Arts in International Relations and a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies from Wright State University.
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Marcia Griffin
President HomeFree-USA |
Marcia Griffin is on a mission to strengthen people, elevate partners, and enhance communities across America. As founder and president of HomeFree-USA, Marcia has helped thousands to achieve and retain the dream of homeownership and greater wealth. HomeFree-USA enjoys a remarkable 0% foreclosure rate among families that have participated in the organization’s pre- and post-purchase guidance pro- grams. Serving as a bridge between financial institutions and the community. She addresses the needs of homebuyers and homeowners with targeted education, distinctive marketing strategies and lender advocacy. She is the senior advisor and homeownership partner to 300 black faith-based leaders in a new financial empowerment movement designed to improve the financial stature of 50,000 church members across the country. In 2013 she was given the community service award from the National Bankers Association, a consortium of 30 national minority banks. Tireless advocate for nonprofit homeownership organizations. Her organization funds and strengthens the capacity of 61 other nonprofits that represent the interests of 4.5 million multi-ethnic families across the country. Has also founded an organization that educates, develops and mentors underprivileged urban teens for future careers in the financial services industry.
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Mee Moua
President/ Executive Director AAJC |
Mee Moua is the president and executive director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC. Founded in 1991, Advancing Justice | AAJC is one of the nation’s premier civil rights advocacy organizations and works to advance the human and civil rights of Asian Americans, and build and promote a fair and equitable society for all. Most recently, Ms. Moua was a three-term Minnesota State Senator, where she chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee, and had oversight responsibility for all state agencies in matter related to criminal, civil and administrative law and procedures.Started her legal career in private practice in Minnesota. Attended Brown University as an undergraduate, earned a master’s degree in public affairs from the University of Texas-Austin, and a law degree from the University of Minnesota.
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Sam George
Executive Director Parivar International |
Sam George is of Asian Indian descent and has lived in Singapore, Hong Kong and Liverpool (UK). He has lived in the US for nearly twenty-five years and have served as youth pastor, community leader and scholar. Holds degrees in engineering and business, and worked in the corporate world for nearly ten years before going to Fuller and Princeton seminaries. Over the last fifteen years, he has served South Asian American churches and communities in different capacities. In 2014, Completed a PhD on diaspora missiology from the UK and is an expert on family, migration and South Asian issues. Sam is a frequent speaker in Asian American churches and conferences, and is the author of several books, including Understanding the Coconut Generation and Malayali Diaspora.
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Christopher S. Ljungquist
National Outreach and Education Coordinator-Anti-Trafficking USCCB |
Christopher S. Ljungquist is the Anti-Trafficking National Outreach and Education Coordinator for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. As National Outreach Coordinator, he is in charge of the AMISTAD Movement, a national peer-to-peer anti-human trafficking training movement meant to provide new immigrant communities with the knowledge and self-empowerment to protect their own people against human traffickers
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Abraham Hernandez
Vice President of the Northeast US NHCLC |
Rev. Abraham Hernández is a life-long resident of the state of Connecticut. He is a graduate from SCSU and served 20 years as the General Manager of Radio Amor 690 am. Rev. Hernández effectively guided Radio Amor’s programming transition from an exclusively ecclesiastical one into one that blends the Kingdom’s message of Matthew 25. Has been in the forefront of a number of Social Justice Movements for nearly a decade; from advocating for Health Care reform to fighting Lending Institution’s red taping of minorities and pushing for CT’s version of the Dream Act among other efforts. Member of the Executive Board of the NHCLC and is currently serving as its Vice President of the Northeast US which covers all six New England states, NY, NJ & PA. Rev. Hernández is considered by many fellow clergy in the state of CT. as an up and coming clergy member emerging from a young generation that is effectively leading the Hispanic Church in an unprecedented and unadulterated social justice movement. There is a fire that kindles within Pastor Abraham which has emboldened him and has stirred a fervent passion to see that the Hispanic church rises and takes its rightful place as a moral and prophetic voice in America.
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Deborah Kwak
President & CEO Good-Sam Corp. |
Deborah Kwak is the President and CEO of Good-Sam Corp. Deborah has a diversified experience within the bank and financing industry, previously working as the Chairperson of Finance Department at Bell Memorial UMC, Executive VP at Hana Small Business Lending, Inc., Senior VP at Small Business Loan Source, Inc., and Chase Manhattan Bank. Deborah holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Finance and Accounting.
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David Sohn
President/ CEO IGlobal University |
Dr. David Sohn is the founder, president and CEO of IGlobal University, that is accredited by ACICS, recognized by the U.S. Dept. of Education and certified by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. IGlobal University, located near Washington is certified by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to issue Form I-20 to admit international students. IGlobal University offers MBA, Bachelor’s degrees, and English as a Second Language Programs through residential and distance education. Was the founder and CEO of International Computers and Telecom, Inc. (ICT) that was a prime contractor to develop and construct Korea Incheon International Airport from inception to delivery. ICT was the prime contractor to develop and install the U.S. Theater Army Command, Control, Intelligence Systems. Dr. Sohn is a deacon at Global Mission Church in Silver Spring, MD.
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Ingrid Wang
Reverend Wesley Grove UMC/AAP |
Ingrid Wang Brings a blend of Eastern and Western culture to her ministry. She has a Master of Divinity degree in Biblical Studies from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington DC and is one of the co-authors of “Reclaiming the Wesleyan Tradition-John Wesley’s Sermons for Today” and a contributor to “Breaking Through the Stained Glass Ceiling.” Rev. Wang currently serves as the Senior Pastor of the Wesley Grove United Methodist Church in Hanover, MD and on the advisory board of the Asian American and Pacific Islander United Methodist Clergywomen Association (AAPIC), which represents seven Asian countries and the various Pacific Islands. Rev. Wang is also a Life Coach and a Chinese/English translator/interpreter. She coaches people of all ages for leadership, achieving goals for life, and relationship building. She has done academic translation work for the Chinese Pastors who study at the Wesley Theological Seminary and interpreting work for the US immigration purpose.
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Janet Nguyen
CA State Senator 34th District |
Janet Nyugen was overwhelmingly elected to the California State Senate in November 2014 to represent the residents of the 34th Senate District. Senator Nguyen has set many firsts in state and national politics. She is the first Vietnamese-American in the country to be elected to a state’s legislative Senate house, and she is the highest-ranking Vietnamese-American elected official in the United States. Senator Nguyen represents more than 925,000 residents in California’s 34th Senate District. Prior to the California State Senate, Senator Nguyen served at the Orange County Board of Supervisors from February 2007 to December 2014. Senator Nguyen was the first female Supervisor to represent the First Supervisorial District, the first Asian-American and the first Vietnamese-American to serve on the Board of Supervisors, as well as the youngest Supervisor elected in Orange County history. Senator Nguyen previously served on the Garden Grove City Council where she was the first female Council Member elected in nearly 35 years and the youngest member ever elected Senator Nguyen has been awarded the We Give Thanks 2004 Women of Vision Award, which recognizes outstanding women who have provided exceptional services to the community. Nguyen was also named to the Class of 2008 Latino OC 100 for her work with the Latino community. In addition, the Orange County Register has listed her as one of the “30 Vietnamese-Americans to Watch.”
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Shela Jeong
Associate Partnership for Public Service |
Shela Jeong is a Korean-American young professional based in Washington, D.C. She attends Capitol Hill Baptist Church and works at the Partnership for Public Service, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that works with government officials and federal agencies to help boost their effectiveness and efficiency. Previously, she served with Music National Service managing music intervention programs for high need populations in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she is originally from. Received her B.A. I Political Science and Legal Studies from UC Berkeley,was perviously involved with San Francisco City Impact, a Christ-centered ministry lovingly serving the Tenderloin district and its 37,000 low-income residents. Shela has a passion to serve and advocate for those in poverty, and seeks to give her life and work to follow Jesus in loving the least of these.
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Timothy Park
Pastor Glory Church of Jesus Christ |
Timothy Kwan-Ung Park (Dec. 2, 1959 – current) is a first Korean-American pastor and missionary who started the Hope Street church from 2012. He graduated Fuller Theological Seminary. Pastor Timothy Park served the church as church school teacher, education pastor, and world-mission pastor for 35 years. He is currently a pastor of Glory Church of Jesus Christ. He has a great vision of building “homeless church” throughout each state of United States.He is a follower of Jesus Christ and a grand-grand son of pastor Yi Meong Jik, “the father of Holiness church of Korea.
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Mark Brinkmoeller
Director Center at the U.S. Agency for International Development |
Mark Brinkmoeller leads developing high-level strategic partnerships within the faith, NGO and related industry communities to increase the effectiveness and reach of ones advocacy efforts. He manages relationships with faith-motivated artists and on partnerships for ones Living Proof Project. On the national scene, Mark served on the International & Domestic policy committees of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the CRS advisory board. He served on the board ROUNDTABLE, the national association of diocesan social action directors for six years, including three years as chair. He was a founding board member of the Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice (now Interfaith Worker Justice).
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Mike Honda
Congressman CA-17TH District |
Congressman Mike Honda represents California’s 17th district, which includes Silicon Valley – the leading region for tomorrow’s technologies. He serves on the powerful House Appropriations Committee, and is Chair Emeritus of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. He chairs CAPAC’s Immigration Task Force, and authored the Reuniting Families Act. Congressman Honda ensured that President Obama’s historic healthcare reform addressed AAPI health disparities and cultural, language barriers. Since being held in Japanese American internment camps during World War II, he has championed civil rights. For over 20 years, he advocates to bring justice to “Comfort Women” survivors. Congressman Honda introduced H.Res.121 – the “comfort women resolution,” which passed unanimously in 2007, and secured a provision in the Fiscal Year 2014 spending bill which urges the Secretary of State to encourage the Government of Japan to address the issues raised in H.Res.121. As a senior AAPI Member of Congress and previous seven-year DNC Vice-Chair, Congressman Honda advocated for increased AAPI representation at all levels of our government.
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Deepa Iyer
Former Executive Director South Asian American Leading Together |
Deepa lyer For nearly 15 years, She has worked with South Asian and Asian American communities to address the breadth of issues that face us as immigrants and people of color in the United States. During that time, she has been fortunate to be part of community and advocacy campaigns related to the post 9/11 backlash, racial inequity, immigration reform, and linguistic and cultural access to basic benefits and services. She recently left her position as Executive Director of South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) after nearly ten years of working with committed people to strengthen South Asian communities in a post 9/11 world. Now, she finds herself in a resting place where she hopes to reflect and re-energize. During this time, she will be working on a book that will be published by The New Press about the shifting American racial landscape, teaching at the University of Maryland through the Asian American Studies Program, consulting for SAALT, and serving on the Board of Directors of Race Forward
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Jai Poong Ryu
Professor Global Peace Youth |
Dr. Jai P. Ryu, professor emeritus at Loyola University Maryland, retired in 2012 after 42 years of teaching in the fields of conflict resolution, and macrosociological interpretation of history, and demography. He authored a book on residential patterns of African Americans and 20+ articles and book chapters. For 1988-2000 period, Ryu - as special assistant to two Baltimore mayors K. Schmoke and M. O’Malley - coordinated the city’s efforts for the complete count in 1990 Census and consulted for the 2000 Census in Baltimore City. Since retirement, Ryu has founded the One Korea Foundation and has been working in concert with many other NGOs on energizing grassroots movement for achieving re-unification of Korea.
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David Beckmann
President Bread for the World Institute |
David Beckmann World Food Prize laureate David Beckmann is one of the foremost U.S. advocates for hungry and poor people. He has been president of Bread for the World since 1991, leading large-scale and successful campaigns to strengthen U.S. political commitment to overcome hunger and poverty in the United States and around the world. Bread for the World is a U.S. Christian advocacy movement to end hunger Beckmann is also president of Bread for the World Institute, which provides policy analysis on hunger and strategies to end it. He founded and serves as president of the Alliance to End Hunger, which engages diverse U.S. institutions—Muslim and Jewish groups, corporations, unions, and universities in building the political will to end hunger. Beckmann is a Lutheran pastor as well as an economist. He earned degrees from Yale University, Christ Seminary, and the London School of Economics. Six universities have awarded him honorary doctorates. In 2010, he was named a World Food Prize laureate. In 2014, he was awarded the Community of Christ’s International Peace Award and the Rumi Forum Peace and Dialogue Award.
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Chung Lee
Co-Founder/CEO Good Fruit Co. |
Chung Lee Graduated from Washington Bible College with a Bachelors in Biblical Studies. He currently works full-time a the American College of Cardiology as Associate Director of IT-AV. He also is Co-Founder and CEO of Good Fruit Co., a faith-based record label based in Maryland. He is also part of a Christian Hip Hop group called AMP (or also known as AMP Movement) and has toured nationally and internationally while sharing the stage with artists such as Jamie Grace, KJ-52, Trip Lee, Jimmy Needham, Tenth Avenue North and Starfield. Chung's primary vision is to reach and engage culture through media that presents a Biblical worldview and to mentor and guide the next generation of Asian-American believers in the realms of the Arts and faith. He is also a student at Reformed Theological Seminary.
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Ken Kong
Director Southeast Asian Catalyst (SEAC) |
Ken Kong serves the Southeast Asian and Asian American community as Director of The Southeast Asian-Catalyst and Southeast Asian Ministries of The Navigators. As director, he teaches and speaks at conferences through the United States and Southeast Asia. Not only does he teach and speak, he also consults, trains, mentors and disciples the future leaders of the world. Once a year, he takes Asian Americans into Southeast Asia, so that they can share the love of Jesus with the people there. When he is in the mood, he loves to write poetry and share it with a selected audience of listeners.
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Russell Jeung
Professor San Francisco State University |
Dr. Russell Jeung is Professor of Asian American Studies at San Francisco State University. Author of Sustaining Faith Traditions (2012) and Faithful Generations (2005), he has written extensively on the Asian American religious experience. His latest work-in-progress is a spiritual memoir based on his twenty years of urban ministry in East Oakland, CA.
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Daniel Lee
KCCD Board Member/Attorney Lee&Oh, APLC |
Daniel Lee passion for justice and community activism led him to steer and manage various community and grassroots projects including the affordable housing campaign, equitable community development and civil rights. In 2007, Mr. Lee served as one of the national coordinators who spearheaded the passage of H.Res. 121, the United States House of Representatives Resolution that demanded the Japanese government to acknowledge, apologize and accept historical responsibility for forcing “comfort women,” young Korean women into sexual slavery during World War II. He is currently serving as a board member to several non-profit community organizations including Korean Churches for Community Development (KCCD), My One Vote, Love In Music, and Korean American Chamber of Commerce of Los Angeles. In addition, Mr. Lee is a member of the Host Committee of Fundraising of Koreatown Immigrant Workers Advocates (KIWA). He also served as commissioner of the Centennial Commission of the City of Torrance, CA. Daniel S. H. Lee is a partner of Lee & Oh, APLC, a law firm based in Los Angeles, California which specializes in litigation and real estate transaction.
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Sandra Ko
KCCD Board Co-Chair / Director Workplace Operations, United Way of Greater Los Angeles |
Sandra Ko She is fully aware that she is standing here solely due to God’s grace and her parents’ sacrificial hard work leading an immigrant family in unknown territories. She got a scholarship to attend University of Southern California She has a BA in Political Science/International Relations and an MBA from USC. She had 10-year-long career at Enterprise Rent-A-Car (a place she still calls her home) where she learned to how to build a successful business by truly taking the customers and employees. She is currently the Director of Workplace Operations (Development) at United Way of Greater Los Angeles. Her job is to raise resources and advocates to “End Homelessness in Los Angeles, ensure all our kids graduate high school and make sure all our veterans have a job.” She is also the Co-Chair of the Board of KCCD. In both places, she loves seeing the impact that is possible when people come together. Her life goal is to serve God and to never lose the joy He has granted in our lives. She is passionate about her family, being grateful every moment and serving those around her.
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Jinha Park
Director MRI and Radiology Research at the City of Hope Medical Center |
Jinnha Park is Director of MRI and Radiology Research at the City of Hope Medical Center. He is active in the American College of Radiology working to improve access to imaging screening tests and increase the role of diagnostic and interventional radiology in improving the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. He is also a Board Member of the Korean American Coalition and the Korean American Medical Association. Dr. Park obtained his B.A. degree in Molecular and Cell Biology from the University of California, Berkeley. He then completed both the M.D. and Ph.D. degrees at the University of Southern California studying a specific tumor associated protein called HER-2 in breast cancer and developing an antibody against this cancer protein for future diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. He then completed a Residency in Diagnostic Radiology at UCLA Medical Center and a Fellowship in Abdominal Cancer Imaging at Stanford University Medical Center
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Eunia Yuna Kwon
President KOWIN International Los Angeles |
Eunia Yuna Kwon is involved as the CEO of Homelighting Gallery, CFO of MEG Inc, and President of KOWIN International Los Angeles.
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Annika Yeo
KCCD Donor Advisory Board Member/Director California Korean Contractors Association |
Annika Yeo is a KCCD Donor Advisory Board member and currently the Director of California Korean Contractors Association since 2013. She is also serving on the Korean American Coalition Advisory Board since 2012 and is also the Director of Public Relations for BIC Mission since 2010.
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Sam Koh
Pastor/Founder Hillside EM at LACPC/NexGen Pastors Fellowship |
Ministering to a multi-ethnic community as the lead pastor of Hillside church in East Los Angeles, Sam Koh is a graduate of BIOLA University. He went on to receive his M.Div. at Talbot Seminary and his Th.M at Fuller Theological Seminary where he studied under Ralph Martin. He now currently resides in Orange, California, with his wife Shanie and their adorable son Benji! In addition to pastoring, he is also the founder of NexGen Pastor’s Fellowship, a network and organization of Asian American pastors in Southern California. He is also a board member of ISAAC, The Institute for the study of Asian American Christianity and is a speaker for Living Life, a daily television devotional program that airs on CGNTV. Last but not least, in his free time you can find him somewhere in the Pacific Ocean fishing or surfing some waves.
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Jay Chung
Board Member Ocean City Church |
Jay currently serves as a Board Member to Ocean City Church, based in Seoul, South Korea. The aim of the Church is to bring message of hope and function as a catalyst to introduce and facilitate international ventures into the Far East region. Jay also is the VP/CFO of Mana Wynwood, a part of muti-billion dollar international business consortium. Jay has over 20-years in business leadership, including: corporate consulting, investment banking, compliance and finance. Jay received a Bachelor’s degree (B.A.) from UCLA, and he obtained a law degree (J.D.) and Masters in International Law (LL.M.) with Honors. He was a former Commissioner of the Human Rights Commission in Austin, Texas and taught Social Science and Business courses as an Adjunct Professor at Trinity International University-Florida.
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John Jongdai Park
Senior Pastor Joong-Ang Korean Church |
Rev. John Jongdai Park is an ordained pastor and advocate for Korean immigrants. He is originally from South Korea and came to the States in 1982, where he attended Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary. Rev. Park served as the past President for The Council of Korean Churches in Southern California. He also currently the Chairman of KCCD and of the Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation of America as well as Co-Chair of the Board of Korean Churches for Community Development. Rev. John Park is currently in Los Angeles California where he continues to serve as Head Pastor of Joong-Ang Presbyterian Church in Hollywood.
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Woogie Daniel Kim
KCCD Board Member/Director of Development International Relations, Biola University |
Woogie Daniel Kim is a board member of KCCD, the Director of Development and International Relations at Biola University, the Lead Pastor of English Ministry at Torrance Good Shepherd Church and a co-founder of South Bay Together. For the past twenty years, he as devoted himself to defining and living out the gospel of Jesus Christ for the young Christians in South Bay area, promoting celebration of unity through diversity in the Kingdom of God, brining churches together for the cause of social justice in both local and global communities. More recently, he has been devoting most of his time and energy to raising scholarship funds for missionaries’ children for college, bringing together churches to help homeless children in school, and helping refugee children from Myanmar in Thailand.
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Christina Li
East Asia and Pacific Affairs Advisor for the Secretary's Office of Religion and Global Affairs at the U.S. Department of State |
Christina Li is the East Asia and Pacific Affairs Advisor for the Secretary's Office of Religion and Global Affairs at the U.S. Department of State. Prior to joining RGA, Christina served as a Senior Program Manager with the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. In this capacity, Christina managed $50 million in human rights and democracy programs throughout Asia. Her extensive engagement with civil society and government representatives across the globe, as both a government representative and microfinance practitioner, has given her many examples that illustrate the importance of incorporating religious stakeholder perspectives in formulating effective and robust policies. Before her microfinance work and government service, Christina specialized in marketing and risk analysis for start-up and Fortune 500 companies. Christina holds degrees from Stanford University and the International Relations and Pacific Studies program at UCSD.
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