Executive Director | Jenny Chiang
jenny.chiang@aacommission.org
Program Director | Jessica “Jay” Wong
jessica.wong@aacommission.org
Western MA Community Outreach Coordinator | Brooke Kamalani Yuen
brooke.yuen@aacommission.org
Marketing & Communications Coordinator | Sheila Vo
sheila.vo@aacommission.org
Asian American Commission
One Ashburton Place, 12th Floor
Boston, MA 02108
617-367-9333 ext: 662
Marketing & Communications Coordinator
Sheila Vo (she/her/hers) is a visual designer based in Boston, MA. She graduated from UMass Lowell in 2019 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, concentration in Graphic Design and minor is Art History.
Other than design, her interests include ethnic studies, education reform and social justice. It wasn’t until she took Asian American Studies and attended the cultural clubs on the UML campus that she discovered how significant it is to stay true to one’s history and roots, but to also learn about other marginalized communities to recognize our similarities and differences. Her capstone project, Generation Yellow, was then developed as she designed a system of materials for high school students to learn the past and present history of Asian America. The need for Ethnic Studies to be in our primary and secondary education system is at an all time high and she aspires to be a part of this movement.
Design has given her a platform to solve problems creatively for others to better understand concepts. She finds excitement in transforming an idea into well thought-out visual communications. She hopes to continue applying her experience as a creator to give a voice to the voiceless within the BIPOC community. When she is not designing, she is either working on her passion project, Generation Yellow @genyellow_, dancing and playing her guitar, or volunteering for the #IAMNOTAVIRUS Campaign and events hosted by the New England Intercollegiate Vietnamese Student Association.
Commissioner
As a lifelong resident of Massachusetts and the proud daughter of Chinese American immigrants, Ms. Ying Wang is deeply rooted in her community. Professionally, she serves as Assistant Vice President and Associate Counsel at State Street Bank & Trust Company. Ms. Wang is also a Judge Advocate General (JAG) Officer in the U.S. Army Reserves, providing legal assistance and support to the 30,000+ soldiers stationed in the New England region. She is a member of Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh’s SPARK Council, which creates new programming and resources to answer the policy and social needs of millennial Bostonians. She was recently appointed by the Boston City Council to serve on the Community Preservation Committee in making project funding decisions in affordable housing, parks and open space improvements, and historic restoration. Ms. Wang is a Board Member of Boston’s New Leaders Council, which is a training program for young emerging civic leaders. As a student, Ms. Wang benefited tremendously from the mentorship of the Asian Sisters Participating in Reaching Excellence (ASPIRE) Youth Leadership Program and the Asian American Women’s Political Initiative (AAWPI). She is a graduate of Boston Latin School (2008), Emerson College (2012), and New England Law | Boston (2015).
Commissioner
Haniya Syeda is a first generation Pakistani immigrant and American Muslim passionate about the intersection of innovation, social impact, and health equity. Born and raised in Boston to a working class family of nine, Haniya witnessed the impact social and economic injustice has on the health and mental well-being of families in vulnerable communities.
Haniya received a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology from Boston University’s School of Public Health in 2018 and her Bachelors of Science in Health Sciences from Boston University. In her current role as the Research Project Manager at Boston Medical Center, she oversees a multisite national project to study digital treatment delivery for children with elevated anxiety in low-income minority communities and works on projects related to increasing access to mental health care. Haniya has previously worked in health policy research, community organizing, and non-profit operations working with organizations on local and global education and health initiatives.
Haniya also completed a fellowship with New Leaders Council in 2019, which is a training program for young emerging civic leaders, and currently serves on Mayor Yvonne Spicer of Framingham’s 2030 Youth Advisory Council. With a background in applied research, Haniya is committed to addressing health disparities and improving mental health among underserved immigrant communities and global communities.
Commissioner
Dimple’s advocacy for Revere, Massachusetts spans across neighborhoods, sectors, and generations of Revere residents. As Director of the City’s Department of Healthy Community Initiatives and Co-Director of Revere On the Move, she has worked with residents, businesses, and stakeholders to increase access to opportunities for active living, healthy eating, civic engagement, and youth leadership. She is a recent graduate of Tufts University’s, with a Master in Public Policy from the Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning program. Dimple’s commitment to building a vibrant, engaged, and active Revere also extends to her work as a champion of small businesses and a longtime civic leader.
Dimple is the first woman of color to run for office in Revere. She ran in 2017 for 1 of 5 seats as Councillor At-Large. She will run again in 2019 and is hopeful in being elected.
A first generation Indian American, Dimple grew up in Revere, attending public schools and working in her family’s small, independent convenience stores in the North Shore. At the stores, she learned the value and struggles of a small family-owned business, from the unique perspective of immigrant families. In high school, she worked as a peer leader at a youth organization that fostered her love for youth leadership and organizing. After graduating from Hofstra University in Community Health and Education in 2002, she returned to Greater Boston and became a community organizer, working with many organizations focused on HIV/AIDS prevention, and LBGTQ and immigrants rights.’
From 2001 to 2010, she worked independently with grassroots and advocacy organizations as a community organizer and leader on the issue of deportation of Cambodians, other green card holders, and refugees within the National Immigration and Anti-Deportation Movement.
In 2012 she returned to Revere and founded a youth leadership organization, Revere Youth in Action, where young people worked to ensure they had opportunities to grow, lead, and promote a safe, and inclusive community in Revere. In 2016, the Revere Chamber of Commerce named her Youth Mentor of the Year.
In 2013 she joined the Women Encouraging Empowerment, Inc. board where she continues to serve as the Vice-Chair. WEE is the only organization in Revere that works with immigrant and refugee women and their families through organizing, leadership development, and service delivery.
Also, in 2016 she was appointed by House Speaker Robert DeLeo as a commissioner to the Massachusetts Asian American Commission. In 2018, she served as the Secretary of the AAC. Currently, Dimple is serving her second term with the AAC.
Dimple loves and is deeply committed to her family, especially her young niece and nephews. Dimple looks up to the older and younger people around her who continue to push, ask questions, challenge the status quo, and who are the change we want to see in our world.
Her passion for organizing and grassroots change is expressed through a quote by Audre Lorde “If I cannot air this pain and alter it, I will surely die of it. That’s the beginning of social protest.”
Commissioner
Nina Liang is the first Chinese-American City Councilor in her hometown of Quincy. Born in Quincy and raised by immigrant parents, she has experienced first hand the challenges minority children and families face. Over the years, she has had the opportunity to be a part of community organizations dedicated to addressing the needs of those who are new to both the language and customs of American culture. Having worked as the office manager and helping to manager operations with her family’s restaurant group, Nina also has the experience and perspective of a small business owner, creating jobs and opportunity in the communities in which they operate. Nina understands that it takes collaborative efforts among these local organizations, businesses and public service facilities to better address the needs of the diverse residents Quincy has.
Commissioner
Wingkay Leung got involved in the Asian community many years ago from a cultural perspective. His wife, Winnie, loves to sing Chinese Opera. Wingkay, with an engineering background, felt into the role of the sound equipment “expert” for the Que Shing Chinese Music and Opera Group, a non-profit organization that produces many Opera performances for the Chinese community. Both Wingkay and Winnie have served as Presidents and Directors for Que Shing. Wingkay believes that community service is not just showing up for Board meetings. He believes in getting involved, such as volunteering for the Chinatown Crime Watch program for the past 7 years, rain or snow. The Crime Watch program is credited with reducing crime in Boston Chinatown. Wingkay has 3 grown children, Calvin, Jonathan and Kasey, who all graduated from UMass Amherst. Wingkay graduated from Case Western Reserve University with advanced degrees in Computer Engineering and Business Administration.
Commissioner
Mary K. Y. Lee is an attorney based in Boston. Her practice concentrates on business immigration and complex real estate litigation. An immigrant of Indonesian-Chinese ancestry, she participated in a number of initiatives advocating for the interests of Asian Americans, including the first Asian American and Pacific Islanders Civil Rights Forum Human Rights Panel. She currently serves as Co-Chair on the Immigration Section of the Boston Bar Association and is a member of the Massachusetts Trial courts Language Access Advisory Committee. She was selected as “Rising Star” by Super Lawyers in 2015-2018. She earned her credentials from Boston College and Touro Law School.
Commissioner
Nate Bae Kupel, MSW is the Associate Director, New England for the Institute for Nonprofit Practice (INP), a Tufts affiliated management and leadership certificate program for nonprofit and public sector professionals and executives. Mr. Kupel oversees the recruitment, enrollment, admissions and program management for INP’s certificate programs in Boston, Lowell/Merrimack Valley, Cape Cod and Islands, as well as in Providence, Rhode Island. Prior to INP, Nate worked at Crescendo Consulting Group as the Director of Digital Marketing and as a Senior Consultant, where he worked with clients in healthcare on community health needs assessments and other digital marketing and communications projects. Before Crescendo, Mr. Kupel was the Associate Director of the Academy for Transformation at YouthBuild USA, an international youth empowerment and workforce development nonprofit in Somerville, MA where he managed technical assistance and trainings for over 200 Department of Labor funded YouthBuild grantees across the country.
Nate has also worked for the Institute for Asian American Studies at the University of Massachusetts Boston where he authored a report on the state of the Korean Americans and a report on Asian Adoptees in the Commonwealth. While at the Institute he also produced a nationally syndicated, award-winning Asian American public radio pilot called, As I Am: Asians in America hosted by Helen Zia. He was also an Assistant Producer for Commonwealth Journal, a Massachusetts public affairs radio program at WUMB Radio. Nate was also an anti-racism trainer with the Asian American Resource Workshop (AARW) Sticky Rice Project.
Mr. Kupel currently serves as a board member of the Greater Malden Asian American Community Coalition (GMAACC), a nonprofit organization dedicated to addressing the needs of Asian American residents in the Greater Malden area. Nate served as the President of Boston Korean Adoptees, Inc., and served as a board member of the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Association for Social Work Groups. He received a BA in Sociology and has a Certificate in Asian American Studies from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and an MSW from Simmons College.
Commissioner
Betty Lim King is author of “Girl on a Leash: The Healing Power of Dogs, a sociological memoir” about how her Chinese Confucian leash became a lifeline in the company of abandoned dogs. She also wrote “Healing with my Dogs,” “From America to Africa, Voices of Filipino Women Overseas” about how dogs break down barriers of race, class, gender, religion, politics, and other human distinctions, making us share our humanity with each other. She is Executive Director of Help for Asian Americans with Addictions, an innovative outreach program for a largely invisible subgroup of Asian Americans. She was Development Director and Board member of various community-based nonprofits. She was restaurant critic for the Charlotte Observer, lifestyle columnist for the Catawba Valley Neighbors and a sociology instructor at the Lenior Rhyne College in North Carolina. While living in Paris for 10 years, she was President of the UNESCO International Cooking School and a graduate of the French culinary school La Varenne and oenology school, Academie du Vin.
Betty graduated magna cum laude in economics and obtained a two Master degrees: Asian Studies from the University of the Philippines and Development Economics from the University of Manchester, England. She also studied agricultural economics at the University of Tokyo, Japan and did graduate studies on nonprofit management at Harvard University and Boston University. At Harvard, she was awarded the prestigious Derek Bok Public Service Award and was Class Marshall, graduating top three.
Above all, Betty is extremely proud of her work in rescuing and adopting homeless and abandoned dogs and cats and promoting better human-canine relationships.
Commissioner
Danielle Kim is a proud second-generation Korean American, intersectional feminist, and community activist. She is the Director of Communications at Scholars Strategy Network, where she helps researchers across the country improve policy and strengthen democracy. She serves as the team’s lead media strategist, bridging connections across SSN’s departments and overseeing trainings for scholars on writing Op-Eds, participating in media interviews, and talking to reporters.
Previously Danielle served as the Director of Policy and Communications for Boston After School & Beyond, a city-wide coalition of afterschool and summer learning programs serving students in Boston Public Schools. She began her career as a Fulbright Fellow in South Korea, and then served as a community organizer in her home state of New Jersey—most notably as a Regional Field Director for the 2012 presidential campaign. She continued on as a Communications Specialist in the New Jersey Senate Majority Office, where she managed the legislative press for six state senators.
Danielle earned a Master’s degree in Education Policy and Management from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a Bachelor’s degree in Government and Psychology from Smith College. Committed to expanding access to power and opportunity, Danielle proudly serves on the Board of Directors for New Leaders Council Boston, and the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Organization for Women.
Commissioner
Mr. Pralhad KC is the Partner/Consultant of Equiserve, Inc. Environmental Engineering Consultant and also the Owner / CEO of Prem-La, the oldest and first Himalayan Region Art Gallery of New England. Mr. KC holds, MBA, (Master in Business Administration), in Finance and Marketing Management, BSCE, (Bachelor in Science in Civil Engineering) in Water and Wastewater management.CDA, (Carrier Discovery Architecture) in Urban planning.
Mr. KC is a Project Manager with an extensive experience in leading national and international economic development projects and Water and Wastewater projects. He has worked with multi-national staffs thought the US and Southeast Asia. His skills include institutional capacity building, strategic planning, program designs, evaluations, training and technical assistance.
Mr. KC has led several International and National projects with the ADB (Asian Development Bank), UNDP (United Nation Development Program) and NGOs. Mr. KC also has significant expertise in establishing an effective network with decision-makers at all levels and in building the capabilities of international staffs to assume full project management responsibilities.
Mr. KC is a Social and Community leader has led many national and International Non–Profit organizations such as, MIND, Inc, Nepal America Foundation, ANA (Association of Nepales in America), NRN NCC of America, IHO, (International Health Organization) and GBNC (Greater Boston Nepalese Community), etc.
Mr. KC has received numerous Honors, Recognitions, Awards and Gold Medals for his social and community activities especially working to improving lives of the immigrant communities, such as , New American Appreciation Award, from Commonwealth of Massachusetts, City of Cambridge “Key of the”, Gold Medal from the King of Nepal and several “Citations” and “Honored recognition” from, Governors, Mayors Legislatives Leaders and International Dignitaries.
Commissioner
Aside from his recent appointment to the Asian-American Commission as a Commissioner, Sam had worked for Massachusetts House Speaker, Robert DeLeo for the previous four years. Currently, he is pursuing his Master’s Degree in Public Policy from Brandeis University’s Heller School, while serving as the Chair of Social Justice for the MPPSA. Sam also serves as the Executive Director for the Korean-American Citizens League. He has previously spoken on a number of panels and been a keynote speaker to various groups on a wide range of issues. Sam has also spoken at several college and university undergraduate classes about politics and public service. Sam is active in the Asian-American community to help elect, and further engage AAPI’s within politics. The goal is to bring unification among the diverse community. Sam is passionate about social justice and enjoys spending time mentoring the next generation. His goal is to create opportunities and ensure that society is a just and equitable world for all. That with love, empathy and compassion, in collaboration with uplifting people, we can and will work in harmony in order to build the society we’ve always dreamt of into our reality.
Commissioner
Gilbert Ho, resident of City of Newton, Massachusetts. Immigrated to Boston from Hong Kong, completed high school education at Newman Preparatory School in Boston and graduated. After which he matriculated at Bentley University but transferred to Northeastern University and earned duo Bachelor of Science degrees in Accounting and Computer Science. Met and married to Debbie (Chin) Ho, she was among the first group of the Asian American Commissioners to serve the Commission after the legislation established the commission in recognition of the Asian Americans constitute the fastest-growing minority, a diverse population within the both Commonwealths and the United States. She grew up on Hudson Street in Chinatown. They have two children; Courtney currently serving as the Executive Director at the City of Boston Mayor Initiative – Chinatown Main Street program; and Burton is a federal law officer.
Professionally, Gilbert is an IT Business Analyst at the Massachusetts State Treasury IT Department, prior transfer to IT from Massachusetts Clean Water Trust (MCWT) he was the System Compliance Officer and Auditor (formerly the Massachusetts Water Pollution Abatement Trust (MWPAT), an agency under the Massachusetts State Treasurer and Receiver General. Before joining the Commonwealth of Massachusetts State Treasury, worked in the private sector for 30 years, as a Senior Network Support and Application Analyst in the Information Technology Department at a prestige Boston based Law firm Goodwin Procter, LLP.
Gilbert has volunteer in many Boston Chinatown community organizations, serving on the Board of as Director of Chinatown Main Street. Community elected to serve a two-year term as Treasurer and later as the President of Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association of New England. Serving as the Advisor of the Chinatown Residents Association focused to the Chinatown residents and senior’s affair. Volunteer and served as co-captain of Chinatown Crime Watch program over 10 years, assisted our neighbor of Chinatown – the Leather District, to establish their Leather District Crime Watch program, they are in their third years to keep Leather District a safer place to live, continue to engage in many organizations to promote cultural awareness, education, and local business development.
Commissioner
Vanna Howard has been an aide for Massachusetts Congresswoman Niki Tsongas since 2008, specializing in immigration, US and foreign visas, US passports, and inter-country adoption issues. Additionally, she engages in community outreach activities with the Southeast Asian community, immigrant rights organizations, and local service agencies throughout the Greater Lowell area and the entire Third Congressional District.
In her capacity as a Greater Lowell Regional Director, Vanna is responsible for managing and responding to the hundreds of individuals who contact the congressional office with problems interacting with federal agencies such as the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of State, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Vanna has contacted her federal colleagues on the other side of the globe during all hours of the day and night on behalf of a family in need, American citizens working or residing abroad with the US Embassies and Consulates, or for Americans with International travel issues.
Some of her immigration-related issues are particularly relevant to Vanna, as she draws upon her own life experience as a Cambodian refugee who fled her homeland as a child to escape the Khmer Rouge. Because of her own experience, Vanna is able to treat each constituent with a high degree of empathy and respect, even while juggling an enormous caseload.
Commissioner
Mary Chin is a longtime community leader with extensive experience in human services and a strong track record of service in Boston and beyond. A native of Lowell, Massachusetts, Mary is the daughter of immigrants and understands the struggles immigrant families face firsthand.
Mary is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker in private practice and has served as Vice Chair of the Massachusetts Board of Registration for Social Work. She has led social service departments and psychiatric programs in Boston and the North Shore. Mary served on AACA’s Board of Directors as President and oversaw the organization’s growth, including the construction of the building at 87 Tyler Street, the expansion of workforce training, education and social service programs, as well as the addition of the Mandarin immersion Reggio Emilia daycare, Buds & Blossoms.
Mary completed her graduate studies in social work at Simmons College and received her undergraduate degree from the University of Massachusetts. Mary has also served on the boards of Action for Boston Community Development, Urban College, American Cancer Society, Mothers for Justice and Equality, Company One, South Cove Community Health Center, Eastern Bank, and the Asian American Commission.
In 2017, a Citation for her service to Massachusetts was bestowed upon her by Governor Charlie Baker.
Commissioner
Meena Bharath currently serves as the Vice-Chair on the Hopkinton School Committee.
She worked for 15+ years in the corporate world. She was last working as Vice President, Enterprise Risk Management group at State Street Corporation, an Investment Bank in Boston. Her work there involved leading large teams and complex projects across many groups to successful completion. One such project that she led to fruition for her group, saved the company $2.4 billion in RWA. Prior to State Street, she worked in companies such as Mass Mutual, LG Software (software arm of South Korean LG Electronics Conglomerate), Navimedix.
In 2016, after the death of her father, she chose to step away from her corporate career to focus on her family and pursue her passion in education which led her to volunteering and community involvement.
Serving on the School Committee has allowed Meena to explore education through a unique perspective. She currently serves as a Board Member at The Education Cooperative (TEC), plays a liaison role to the Planning Board in Hopkinton, and is a voting member on the Marathon Fund Committee. She advocated and spearheaded creation of a Community Communications group in Hopkinton which fosters collaboration and open communication across schools, town departments and community organizations. She actively advocates for the educational welfare of all students. Her area of interests include innovation in education, raising awareness to the needs of Advanced Learners through the creation of ALPAC in Hopkinton. She also actively supports diversity and inclusion initiatives.
She enjoys her volunteer work at the Senior Center in Hopkinton. She also volunteers as a Math tutor at the Framingham Public Library’s Homework Center. She has partnered with them to create programming in Coding, Future Leaders and supports the many other programs at the Homework Center. She has recently taken up a volunteering opportunity at the Garden at Elm Bank’s Seed to Table initiative which will allow her to stay close to nature.
She loves to spend time to connect with people, and takes pride in her leadership skills, integrity, hard work, quick-learning, collaborative and can-do attitude. She is grateful for her family, diverse background, life experiences and support of her friends and community which have made her life very rich and fulfilling.
Commissioner
Jonjy Ananth MD, MBA from Shrewsbury, Massachusetts is the elected President and Chairman of the Board for WCUW Inc. Worcester, MA. With over 700 members, around 120 programmers WCUW broadcasts live on 91.3FM radio and streams online 24/7 to a worldwide audience at www.wcuw.org .
Jonjy hosts his radio show titled “Community Matters” every Thursday 12.30 to 1.00pm at WCUW 91.3FM streaming worldwide online at www.wcuw.org and archived at www.wcuw.org/communitymatters. His show brings community-participation forum interviews with physicians, lawyers, CEOs, community leaders, and elected officials on all issues that impact the community.
Jonjy has been volunteering hundreds of hours in service providing culturally sensitive support to survivors of Asian American origin with his training in Trauma Informed Care. He is engaged with several non-profit organizations, among them include Saheli Inc., India Society of Worcester (ISW), Community Legal Aid (CLA), YWCA, South Asian Bar Association (SABA), Jane Doe Inc., and ADVISE [co-Chair]. He is a White Ribbon Ambassador for Jane Doe Inc., promoting initiatives to prevent intimate partner violence.
As a domestic violence advocate, Jonjy assists survivors for court proceedings, accessing shelter, social security, child care, free legal assistance benefits, and maintaining liaisons with local police. As a community volunteer, he works closely with town, county and state officials to help them connect with the South Asian community. Jonjy is an elected Town member for Shrewsbury, Deputy Sheriff [Reserve] for Worcester County, Shrewsbury Constable, and a Notary Public for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Jonjy has provided volunteer healthcare services at Free Clinics in Ohio and Massachusetts. He has research publications in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine [as first author] and International Journal of Radiation Oncology.Biology.Physics. He is a member of the Mass Medical Society (MMS), World Medical Association (WMA), American Society of Microbiology (ASM), American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) and TIE-Boston.
Jonjy is certified extensively in emergency medical skills, including Basic Life Support, Advanced Cardiac Life Support, Pediatric Advanced Life Support, Advanced Trauma Life Support, and Fundamental Critical Care Support. He received the presidential merit scholarship from his medical school, was an honoree of the Dean’s list, and was elected President of the student council.
Jonjy enjoys playing chess, tennis, badminton and table tennis with his friends and family. Jonjy Ananth’s dedication for enhancing others’ lives in the fast growing South Asian community in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts pursues John Quincy Adams quote “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”
Secretary
Philjay Solar is the founder of Fil-Lennials of New England which features young professionals of Filipino-American descent to inspire and connect other Filipino-Americans across New England. He received his Juris Doctor Degree from New England Law | Boston in the spring of 2019. At New England Law | Boston, Philjay was President of the Asian Pacific American Law Student Association, Student Outreach Chair for the Boston Bar Association, and the Executive Treasurer of his school’s Student Bar Association.
Before attending law school, Philjay dedicated two years of public service with the AmeriCorps Program, City Year. Through City Year, he served the Boston Community working with a team of young individuals striving to close the education gap within inner city public schools.
Philjay sits on the Board of Directors for the Philippine American Mainstream Advocacy for Non-Partisan Associations, Inc. (PAMANA) which fosters a cultural understanding, cooperation, and facilitates assistance to Filipinos in need during natural disasters in the USA, Philippines and abroad. Through PAMANA, Philjay has contributed their annual Philippine Independence Day Celebrations and Filipino-American Highs School Leadership Workshop in collaboration with Harvard University, the Philippine Consulate of New York, and the Filipino Young Leaders Program (FYLPro).
Philjay currently volunteers with multiple non-profit organizations such as the: Massachusetts Youth Leadership Foundation serving on their Conference Planning Committee, BosFilipino, and the Philippine Dance Company of Boston. He is also an active liaison with the Philippine Consulate of New York where he communicates the needs of the Filipino-American Community in New England to the Consulate office.
Treasurer
Bora Chiemruom is the owner of Kravant Boutique LLC. It’s the first and only Khmer woman-owned rental and consignment boutique in the city of Lowell, MA. As a social enterprise, Kravant boutique lends our dresses to under-resourced young women, who can’t afford the rental fees.
A refugee from Cambodia, Bora and her family settled in Chicago, Illinois and grew up in Lowell, Massachusetts. She has over 20 years of non-profit leadership experience working in Lowell and Boston. Recently, she served as executive director of the Asian American Commission from 2015 to 2017, overseeing day-to-day operations and management.
She is a board member of Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association in Lowell, MA. Since 2015, she has served as an advisory board member for the Institute for Asian American Studies. This past year, she spoke at the National Asian American Conference on Law and Public Policy at Harvard Law School. In 2016 and 2017, she co-chaired the Asian-Americans Pacific Islanders Civil Rights Forum in Boston.
Bora has received two (2) City of Lowell Mayor’s citations, a citation from City of Lynn, and three (3) citations from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts House of Representatives. In addition, a citation from the Massachusetts Treasurer and Receiver General’s office for “Your dedication and commitment to the Asian American Commission” from State Treasurer Deborah Goldberg.
Bora hopes to be a successful entrepreneur and ultimately create jobs for young people especially young women. She hopes to inspire the next generation to be leaders and active members of their communities through her non-profit volunteer work and entrepreneurship. She continues to be a passionate advocate for the Khmer Community and for all Asian Americans.
Vice Chairperson
Dr. Mabel S. Lam is a Chinese-American, Clinical, and Police and Public Safety Psychologist in Private Practice. Her work experiences have been very diverse ranging from clinical to administration. She has worked for many years nationally and in the state’s under-served and disenfranchised communities by providing mental health services, advocacy, and consultation; and she has also taught and done research in the areas of minority mental and physical health. The population that she has worked with is also very diverse in socio-economics, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and age. As a Police and Public Safety Psychologist, she provides psychological evaluations, screenings and fitness for duty evaluations with emphasis on assessing the individual’s capacities to develop culturally competent responses to diverse populations served by law enforcement. She is the Clinical Coordinator with the Metro Boston Critical Incident Stress Management Team providing services to first responders. Dr. Lam also teaches at Salem State University as a Visiting Assistant Professor in their Mental Health Counseling graduate program.
Dr. Lam serves on numerous boards of community non-profits, such as Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center, and co-founded the Jasmine Asian Women Giving Circle, which fundraises to provide programming grants for Asian women and girls in Massachusetts. Dr. Lam is the first ethnic minority to be elected as President of the Massachusetts Psychological Association, and Chair to the American Psychological Association’s Committee on State Leaders. As a member of MPA, she has provided testimonies for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ Health Disparity Bill, especially advocating for culturally appropriate services. Along with the MPA delegations, she has also advocated numerous times at the U.S. Capitol Hill.
Chairperson
Treasurer Goldberg appointed Vira Douangmany Cage to the Asian American Commission for a second term in 2019 after a first term appointment by Senate President Stan Rosenberg in 2016. A resident of Amherst where she lives with her husband and two teenage children, Vira has served in Town Meeting, the Amherst School Committee, & in 2016 became the first Lao American to run for state representative in MA.
From 2010-2013, Vira led an organizing campaign with family, community members and activists, exacting enough pressure & vigilance on the legal system to free an innocent person from a life without parole sentence. Her efforts were recognized by the Center for Women & Community at the University of MA at Amherst, Spring of Hope Church in Springfield and the Prison Birth Project in Holyoke.
After fleeing war-torn Laos at the age of five, Vira, her parents & four siblings spent about a year in a Thai refugee camp before the US received them in 1980. Raised in Dorchester, Vira graduated from Boston Latin Academy and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst with a sociology degree. The Asian American Resource Workshop presented Vira with a Yuri Kochiyama new activist award in the ‘90’s & it has been her constant guidepost, to live a life in pursuit of social justice.
Vira is associate director of an adult day health center in Hadley & is vice president of Amherst Media, a public access station embarking on a capital campaign to build a new state of the art public access station home.
Community Outreach Coordinator – Western MA
Brooke Kamalani Yuen (also goes by Kamalani or “Kama”)(pronouns she/her/hers) is originally from Hawai’i, she Identifies as a mixed Pacific Islander or Kānaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian), being multiracial.
Kamalani recently graduated from UMass Amherst in 2019 with a Bachelors in Public Health and a Minor in Psychology. At UMass Amherst, she advocated for the recognition and support of BIPOC communities. While working at the Josephine White Eagle Cultural Center, she also worked closely with the Yuri Kochiyama Cultural Center to focus on the betterment of AAPI students on the UMass Amherst Campus through events and advocacy. She also was the President of the Native American Student Association her Senior Year and on the UMass Amherst Women’s Club Soccer Team. She received the “Quiet Influencer/Unsung Hero Award” from the Center for Multicultural Advancement and Student Success (CMASS) on the UMass Amherst Campus.
Currently, she is the part-time Western MA Community Outreach Coordinator for the Massachusetts Asian American Commission. She is also currently a third grade teacher at Springfield Prep Charter School in Western MA. She hopes to continue to advocate for marginalized communities, decolonize education, and eventually go for a Masters in Educational Leadership.
Program Director
Jessica also known known as ‘Jay’ is a second generation bi-racial/Chinese American. Jay’s passion for public service began during her high school years after becoming involved with Peaceful Coalition, a gang-prevention/intervention group. Her mentors within that group inspired her with the power of voice and telling her narrative in order to create change within the community. From there, she advocated for violence prevention through speaking your truth, education, empowerment, and service.
Jay graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst with a BA in Political Science in 2015. Throughout her years in college, Jessica was actively involved in campus life. She became involved with the Hip Hop Cultural Organization, House Council, the International Relations Club (Model United Nations), the Cambodian Student Association, and the Center for Multicultural Advancement and Student Success (CMASS).
Post graduation, Jay took time off to travel around China and Cambodia. In 2015, Jay returned back to her hometown to serve as an AmeriCorps member for her community. As an AmeriCorps member, Jay became the creator and founder of a young women’s empowerment group called W.A.V.E (Women. Action. Voice. Empowerment) that met weekly at three of the local high schools in Fall River, MA. Aside from running WAVE, Jay was also the lead facilitator for the Fall River Youth Violence Prevention; Confronting Discrimination group. In 2017, Jay was the youngest and first Asian American female to run for School Committee in Fall River.
Currently, Jay is the Administrative Coordinator for the Massachusetts Asian American Commission. On her free time, Jay is the Marketing and Communications Chair for the Asian American Women in Leadership Conference hosted by Asian Sisters Participating in Reaching Excellence (ASPIRE). She was also featured on ‘From Radiance to Resiliency” podcast hosted by Asian Women for Health as she told her story on coping with Epilepsy.
Executive Director
Jenny is a second generation Taiwanese American. She first got involved in the AAPI community after taking Asian American Studies at UMass Boston; it was an explorative process that revealed the inequities faced by the AAPI community and offered a space that fostered a sense of leadership. She continued her exploration through community organizing in Chicago’s Chinatown as an AmeriCorps VISTA at the Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community.
Jenny furthered her education with a Master of Social Work degree at Boston College, focusing on Macro Intervention, with a determination to improve systems affecting the AAPI community. She has worked alongside community leaders in her work with UMass Boston, the Boston Public Health Commission, and the Asian Task Force Against Domestic Violence (ATASK). Jenny has been dedicated to advocating for undocumented immigrants, supporting AAPI health equity, and encouraging youth leadership and civic engagement.