Subject: Butuanon Adviser of President George W. Bush
In case you find this article worthy of placement in your website.
Can be inspiring to the young Butuanon women there in the U.S.
PRESIDENT BUSH NAMES FOURTEEN MEMBERS TO ADVISORY COMMISSION ON ASIAN
AMERICANS AND PACIFIC ISLANDERS
Thursday, May 27, 2004
President George W. Bush announced today his intent to appoint fourteen
individuals to serve on the President's Advisory Commission on Asian
Americans and Pacific Islanders. The Commission was established by
Executive Order 13339 to advise the President, through the Secretary of
Commerce (DOC), on ways to provide equal economic opportunities for full
participation of Asian American and Pacific Islander businesses in our
free market economy where they may be underserved, and thus improving the
quality of life for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs).
Eddy Badrina, Executive Director of the White House Initiative on AAPIs
Said that he is proud of the President's continued commitment to
addressing The needs of the Asian American and Pacific Islanders. "The
President has selected a diverse and talented group of individuals to
provide him with recommendations," said Badrina. "I look forward to
working with this group of business leaders, entrepreneurs, and community
advocates to understand issues facing AAPI businesses and to develop
creative solutions leading to growth."
The Commission will be chaired by Betty B. Wu (NY) and composed of the
following members:
William Afeaki (UT), Nina Nguyen Collier (WA), Akshay Desai (FL), Vellie
Dietrich-Hall (VA), William Kil (CA), John Kim (CA), Jimmy D. Lee (IL),
Joseph Melookaran (KS), Derrick Nguyen (CA), Rudy Pamintuan (IL), Martha
Cruz Ruth (Guam), Jeffrey B. Sakaguchi (CA), and Kenneth Wong (PA).
The President's Advisory Commission is housed under the Department of
Commerce and supported by the Office of the White House Initiative on
AAPIs.
NOTE: Mrs. Vellie Dietrich-Hall is the former Vellie Mordeno-Monteroso
Sandalo from Butuan City. She is a graduate of Agusan National High
School Class of 19__. Individual write-ups and group picture below.)
President's Advisory Commission
The Executive Order establishes a President's Advisory Commission of 14
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders appointed by the President, who
have a history of involvement with the APA community, with expertise in a
specific field (e.g. health, human services, education, housing,
transportation, economic and community development, and business).
President George W. Bush has appointed the following community leaders to
serve on the Commission:
Ms. Betty Wu, Chair Mr. William P. Afeaki
Ms. Nina Nguyen Collier Dr. Akshay Desai
Mrs. Vellie Dietrich-Hall Mr. William Kil
Mr. John C. Kim Mr. Jimmy Lee
Mr. Joseph Melookaran Mr. Derrick H. Nguyen
Mr. Rudy Pamintuan Mrs. Martha Cruz Ruth
Mr. Jeffrey B. Sakaguchi Mr. Kenneth Wong
The Commission will advise the President, through the Secretary of
Commerce on the three mandates of the Executive Order, to:
- Develop, monitor and coordinate federal efforts to improve Asian
American and Pacific Islander participation in government programs;
- Foster research and data collection for Asian American and Pacific
Islander businesses and communities; and
- Increase their level of participation in the national economy and
their economic and community development.
Ms. Betty B. Wu,[LINK] of New York, New York, is the Chair of the
Commission. Ms. Wu is an executive with Bloomberg LP, a global news and
information company that includes television, radio, publishing and
internet operations worldwide. Prior to this, she served as Commissioner
of the New York City Department of Employment (DOE) where she received
acclaim for her leadership in redefining the scope of DOE as an economic
development agency. She has also held several senior executive positions
at Swiss Bank Corp. Investment, Salomon Brothers, Standard Chartered
Securities and other financial institutions in Tokyo, Hong Kong and New
York. Ms. Wu serves on the Judging Panel of Women's Venture Fund Highest
Leave Award. Previously, she served as a Board Member of the Workforce
Development Council of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, a member of the New
York City Workforce Investment Board, and a Board Member (NE region) for
Teach for America. She is a member of the Asia Society, the Japan
Society, the China Institute, the Heritage Foundation and a sponsor of
the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research. Ms. Wu has received numerous
awards including the 2003 Madam C.J. Walker Award and the 2002
Professional Achievement Award given by the Chinese American Academic and
Professional Society. Ms. Wu received a Master's of Public Administration
from Columbia University, School of International and Public Affairs and
a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from the University of
Washington in Seattle.
Mr. William P. Afeaki[LINK] of Salt Lake City, Utah, was appointed by the
Governor of Utah eight years ago to serve as the Director of the Utah
State Office of Pacific Islander Affairs, which is housed in the Utah
Department of Community and Economic Development. He also served for
three years on the Racial Ethnic Advisory Council for the Census Bureau
at the US Department of Commerce, the last as Vice-Chairman of the Native
Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander Committee. Previously, Mr. Afeaki was
a Member of Parliament in the Legislative Assembly of the Kingdom of
Tonga. He is an avid advocate of Pacific Islanders and is heavily
involved with national, regional and local forums for Pacific Islanders.
Mr. Afeaki currently serves as a member of the Pacific Islander Cancer
Control Network, the National Pacific Islander Council of Leaders, and
the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations. He also
serves on many public boards including the Coalition for Utah Families
Advisory Board, the Utah Ethnic Health Advisory Committee, the Utah State
Advisory Council on Aging and Adult Services, and the Utah Substance
Abuse and Anti-violence Coordinating Council.
Ms. Nina Nguyen Collier[LINK] of Issaquah, Washington, is a founding
partner of Washington Advocates, a government affairs, strategic
planning, and communications consulting firm located in Washington State
and Washington, DC. Prior to founding Washington Advocates, Nina worked
for Senator Slade Gorton as the lead Legislative Assistant in the areas
of federal budget, tax, general government, appropriations, and Indian
Affairs. She also served in local government as a Legislative Analyst to
the King County Council Budget Committee. Ms. Collier also holds several
leadership positions including President of the Board of Governors of the
City Club of Seattle, Board member of the Gorton Legacy Group, Board
member of the National Asian Pacific Center on Aging, and a volunteer
advisor to the Bellevue YMCA Youth and Government Program. Nina and her
family escaped to the United States from Vietnam in 1975 and settled in
Washington State. She has a Masters Degree in International Affairs from
George Washington University and a Bachelor's Degree in International
Studies from the University of Washington.
Dr. Akshay Desai,[LINK] of St. Petersburg, Florida, is a leading private
practice physician and founder of American Family and Geriatric Care in
St. Petersburg Florida, as well as the CEO and President of Universal
Health Care, a managed care organization. Dr. Desai currently holds
several leadership positions including Elected Chairman, of the Council
for Education Policy and Research Improvement. Previously, Dr. Desai has
served as Chief of Staff and Chairman of the Board of Trustees at
Northside Hospital and Heart Institute, St. Petersburg General Hospital,
and on numerous committees of various Hospitals and Health plans
throughout the Tampa Bay area. He also was a member of the Post Secondary
Education Planning Commission for the State of Florida. Dr. Desai
received recognition and an award as co-chairman for organizing a
successful annual convention in 2003 for the American Association of
Physicians of Indian Origin in Orlando. Dr. Desai is certified by the
American Board of Internal Medicine, Geriatrics and Quality Assurance,
and is affiliated with the American Medical Association, Florida Medical
Association, Pinellas County Medical Society, and American College of
Physician Executives. Dr. Desai received his medical degree from
Government Medical College in Surat, India and his Masters Degree in
Administrative Medicine from the George Washington University.[LINK]
Mrs. Vellie Dietrich-Hall, of Springfield, Virginia, is the Chief
Executive Officer and President of HPS Enterprises, Inc., a
management-consulting service company dedicated to filling in the "expert
vacuum" within the Department of Defense (DoD) arena with the highest
technical capabilities among former federal and military personnel. Mrs.
Hall was honored as keynote speaker at U.S. military bases during the
2001 Asian American Heritage celebration because she is one of the very
few female Filipino Asian-Americans within DoD that succeeded in
penetrating the male-dominated workforce. Mrs. Hall is a Board of Trustee
(non-voting) and Chairman of the Family Advisory Council at
Randolph-Macon Woman's College, a member of the Board of Directors of
Horizons Theater (where she was the first Asian and only Filipino
member), a member of the Board of Directors of QBD Ink - a
Filipino-American Theater, and a District Officer of Toastmasters
International. She is also the publisher of the Filipino HERALD of
Virginia. Mrs. Hall received a Liberal Arts Degree from the University of
the Philippines. She also received her Acquisition Career and Program
Management accreditation from the Department of Defense Systems
Management College.
Mr. William Kil,[LINK] of Los Angeles, California, is a private practice
attorney in Los Angeles California specializing in corporate, real
estate, business, and immigration law. He is also the president of
EOSolve, LLC, which provides online workplace training in a variety of
areas to management and employees of companies in English, Spanish,
Korean and Chinese. Mr. Kil is an active member of the community serving
in numerous organizations, including Member and former Vice-President of
the Board of Directors of the Korean-American Chamber of Commerce of Los
Angeles; former Commissioner of the Productivity Commission of the City
of Los Angeles and former member of the Joint Venture Advisory Board of
the State of California (which oversees private business operations
inside state prisons); Chairman of the Board of Directors of the
Foundation for SAT II KOREAN; Member, Advisory Council on the Democratic
and Peaceful Unification of Korea; and former member of the Los Angeles
World Airports Business Council. Mr. Kil received his Juris Doctor from
the University of Colorado School of Law, and a Bachelor of Arts in
Economics from Pomona College. He is a member of both the California and
Colorado State Bars.
Mr. John C. Kim,[LINK] of Los Angeles, California, is Director of
Marketing with Overture Services, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Yahoo!
Inc. In his current role, John develops new initiatives, programs and
education for small businesses. Previously, Mr. Kim worked as a general
management consultant with Accenture, a global management consulting and
technology service's company. Prior to that, he held various marketing
and product positions with Bank of America and Household International,
Inc. Mr. Kim volunteers his time with many community organizations
including the Grandview Foundation and the Pasadena Cold Weather Shelter.
Mr. Kim received a Masters of Business Administration from the University
of Chicago, and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of
California, Santa Barbara.
Mr. Jimmy Lee,[LINK] of Chicago, Illinois, is the Executive Director of
the Chicago Chinatown Chamber of Commerce, an organization dedicated to
improving and expanding business opportunities and to educate others on
the history, culture, and customs of the Chinese American community. Mr.
Lee previously served as the Assistant to the Governor for Asian American
Affairs. Mr. Lee currently serves on a number of community organizations
including the Advisory Council to Dupage County President Bob
Schillerstrom and the Asian American Advisory Council to Treasurer Judy
Barr Topinka. He is also a Member of the Board of Directors with the Near
South Planning Board, Asian American Alliance, and Overflow Ministries.
Mr. Lee received a Bachelor of Science in Liberal Arts and Science from
the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Mr. Joseph Melookaran,[LINK] of Overland Park, Kansas, is a Certified
Public Accountant and President of JMA Chartered, an accounting and
information technology firm headquartered in Kansas. Mr. Melookaran began
his career in Bombay, India with Coopers and Lybrand International before
emigrating to the United States in 1983 where he established his
accounting firm. Mr. Melookaran holds several leadership positions in
several community organizations including Chairman of the Asian American
Chamber of Commerce of Kansas City and First Vice President of the
International Relations Council. He is also serves as a member of the
Executive Committee of the Minority Business Advisory Program of Greater
Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, and Advisory Council member of First
National Bank. Mr. Melookaran's firm has received numerous awards
including the "2004 Top Ten Small Business" from the Greater Kansas City
Chamber of Commerce, the "2003 Professional Service Firm of the Year"
from the City of Kansas City, Missouri Small Business Division, "Supplier
of the Year 2004" from the Minority Supplier Council of Kansas City, and
the "Top 25 Minority Owned Business" and "Top 25 Technology Firm" from
the Kansas City Business Journal. He is also the Paul Harris Fellow of
the Rotary International Foundation. Mr. Melookaran received a Bachelor
of Arts in Business from Kerala University, India.
Mr. Derrick Nguyen,[LINK] of Fountain Valley, California, is a private
practice attorney in Orange County, California, specializing in business
law and civil litigation. Mr. Nguyen also acts as General Counsel for Mac
Beam, Inc., an international group specializing in the research,
development and marketing of high-tech medical equipments. He is a board
member of many non-profit organizations, such as Hung Vuong Heritage
Foundation, Vietnamese Traditional Arts Development Organization, and
Yellow Cross. He serves as a volunteer lawyer for the Asian Pacific
American Legal Center and a legal advisor to many community associations,
such as the Vietnamese Rangers Association and Overseas Vietnamese
Artists Mutual Association. Mr. Nguyen received his Juris Doctor from the
University of Southern California and a Bachelor of Arts in English from
the University of California at Los Angeles.
Mr. Rudy Pamintuan,[LINK] of Chicago, Illinois, is President of Sherman
Consulting, Inc, a media strategy and public policy consulting firm. Mr.
Pamintuan has been a staple in Chicago's philanthropic and non-profit
community -- an active volunteer and member of various charities and
civic organizations throughout the Chicagoland area including the YY-Me
Organization, Misercorida, Maryville and the Executive's Club of Chicago.
Mr. Pamintuan is a board member of the Remy Bumppo Theater Company, the
Chicago chapter of U.S. Lacrosse and serves on the Asian American
Advisory Council to Illinois Treasurer Judy Barr Topinka. He attended
Loyola University.
Mrs. Martha Cruz Ruth,[LINK] of Agana Heights, Guam, is a native Chamorro
and has lived in the Western Pacific island territory her entire life.
She is currently a consultant specializing in media affairs and marketing
in the travel industry. Her varied interests have taken her into
different areas of public service and the private sector. She was
business editor of a Gannett-owned daily newspaper and also editor of its
monthly supplement, Territorial Progress, which devoted coverage to
business and economic development throughout Micronesia. Mrs. Ruth
entered politics in 1987 when she was elected a senator in at-large
elections to Guam's legislature. She served three consecutive terms. The
Micronesia Society of Professional Journalists presented her with its
"Sunshine Award" for her efforts promoting open government. Other
positions she has held are Member of the Board of Directors of the Guam
Chamber of Commerce, the KPRG Guam public radio board of Trustees, and
the Guam Public Museum and Library Board of Trustees. Ms. Ruth attended
the University of Guam.
Mr. Jeffrey B. Sakaguchi,[LINK] of Manhattan Beach, California, was
recently a Partner with Accenture, a leading global management and
information technology consulting firm. His expertise includes business
and organization strategy, operations, innovation, and mergers and
acquisitions. He led the firm's Strategy practice in the Energy industry
for North America, and also led the firm's Natural Resources and Strategy
practices in Southern California. Prior to Accenture, he was a Senior
Manager with McKinsey & Company, a prominent management consulting firm,
and was an engineering manager with Chevron USA. For each company he has
worked, Mr. Sakaguchi has been responsible for minority recruiting and
diversity. At Accenture, he also was a member of the US Diversity
Council, was a Partner representative to the Asian American Networking
Group, and served as a "Minority Mentor Partner." Mr. Sakaguchi received
a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Pennsylvania,
The Wharton School, and a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering
from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Mr. Kenneth Wong,[LINK] of Holland, Pennsylvania, is the President of CIG
Asia, Ltd, a national property and casualty brokerage firm in
Philadelphia and Vice President of Combined Insurance Group. Mr. Wong is
also an active community leader in the greater Philadelphia area. He is
the Founder and Co-Chair of the Asian Business Alliance of the Delaware
Valley and President of the Philadelphia Dragon Boat Assocation. He also
serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Philadelphia Suns,
the Asian Arts Institute, the After School All Starts of Philadelphia,
the Pan Asian Leadership Caucus, the Welcoming Center for New
Pennsylvanians, and Woodrock Inc,. His wife is the owner/director of the
Chinatown Learning Center, a preschool and after school care facility
servicing the Chinese American Community in Philadelphia where Mr. Wong
is also a Member of the Board of Directors. Mr. Wong received both a
Bachelors of Arts in Sociology and a Bachelors of Arts in Political
Science from the Pennsylvania State University.
