NATIONAL CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

As the oldest daughter of APAPA Founders, CC & Regina Yin, Mary is committed to continuing her parents legacy with APAPA. Since APAPA was established in 2001, she has served in many APAPA leadership roles. She now volunteers her time and resources to serve as a national board member and APAPA CEO. She is committed to building a strong leadership team for APAPA on the local and national level.

As a McDonald's Franchisee, she was elected as the first female and minority President of the Northern CA McDonald's Operators Association. With her husband, she owns and operates restaurants in Solano, Yolo, and Sacramento counties. In her prior career, she worked as a Deputy District Attorney in Northern California. She also served as Vice-President of the Solano County Women Lawyers Association, and was appointed to the Yolo County Planning Commission. She is the founder of the nonprofit Thriving Pink, and is passionate about giving back to the community. In 2024, she was recognized as a Top 20 AAPI Change Maker by The Sacramento Bee, and as Woman of the Year by Congressmember Mike Thompson.

NATIONAL CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

Marilyn facilitates APAPA’s relationships with policymakers, major sponsors, and key stakeholders, aiming to expand organizational capacity with new partnerships. Operational integrity is top of mind, as she leads workflows, marshals resources, and positions our APAPA team as an impactful community leader.

She brings depth of experience as a legislative staffer, nonprofit director, campaign specialist, community organizer, and APAPA Tri-Valley board member. She has lobbied for privacy rights, education equity, culturally responsive mental healthcare, and access to higher education for students with disabilities. She is the first Filipina and Polynesian American appointed to the Contra Costa County First 5 and the Status of Women and Girls Commission. She also served as California State DEI Chair of the country’s longest running child advocacy NGO. She holds degrees in communications, psychology and education from Santa Clara University and a Kennedy School of Government Credential, focusing on public policy, data, and leadership.

NATIONAL CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER

Andrew works closely with our HQ team for strategic planning to support our core APAPA programs and community partnerships.

His affiliation with APAPA spans more than a decade, as a volunteer and a past Davis Chapter board member. He also expanded and grew the APAPA National Internship Program to hundreds of student interns. His longstanding history and loyalty to APAPA, along with his knack for innovation and political savvy are hallmarks of the leadership he brings to our team.

In his prior career, he worked as a U.S. congressional staffer, and is currently a commercial real estate broker. He also serves on the Economic Development & Housing Commission for the City of West Sacramento, and the Climate Action Commission for Yolo County. Andrew is a Certified Project Manager from Stanford University, and a proud UC Davis alumnus.

NATIONAL PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Isa Kelawili Whalen is a well-researched educational and community advocate skilled at exercising longitudinal and cross-sectional research and collaborative projects that center equitable policy and social service creation: including climate justice, public safety, diversity in representation, affordable multi-generational housing, K-12 higher education curriculum, and culturally conscious and accessible healthcare. Isa is an Indigenous Chamoru and Filipina woman raised through the assistance of neighborhood intervention. The collective culture of her upbringing, called inafa'maolek among Chamoru, taught restoration of order through cooperation, reciprocity, and social support. Inafa’maolek has driven Isa to become a transformational leader at APAPA.

Isa was a former chief consultant for the CA API Legislative Caucus. As APAPA National Program Director, she leads our signature programs, including advocacy day partnerships, digital and social media communications, and the APAPA National Internship Program.

CHAPTER ENGAGEMENT MANAGER

Melody works closely with APAPA chapter leaders and ambassadors to coordinate our more than 200 community events across the country each year. She provides technical assistance to our grassroots leaders so they can fulfill APAPA’s mission of leadership development and civic engagement. She is also a valuable member of our grant writing team, and serves as an information manager and database coordinator.

Prior to joining APAPA HQ, she was an APAPA intern for Congressmember Doris Matsui supporting policy, research, and community outreach projects. She also volunteered her time to play a key role in a historic campaign to elect Sacramento County’s first Asian-American District Attorney Thien Ho. Melody graduated from UC Berkeley with a political science major.

OFFICE COORDINATOR

Manny is a dedicated and enthusiastic team member who organizes the office, coordinates the set-up for local events at APAPA HQ, and supports our local partnership community events.  He also organizes chapter kits and outreach supplies for our grassroots leaders and ambassadors. Manny has worked for other nonprofit organizations in the area of advocacy, community relationships, and policy.  He also has extensive administrative experience at a private construction company.

Manny has been an APAPA HQ intern to help with special events. He is graduating this coming year from UC Davis with a degree in Quantitative psychology and a minor in Neuroscience. He is also a strong writer with a passion for research and public policy.

NATIONAL ADVISOR

Linda has been a steadfast leader with APAPA for over two decades as a prior APAPA chapter leader, officer, and internship placement coordinator. She recently completed a successful term as past OCA National President. In her current national role at APAPA, she serves as a national board member, and mentors and supports APAPA leaders in board governance, team building, and community outreach initiatives.  

As an Ethics Commissioner for the City of Sacramento, she ensures elected and appointed officials are in compliance with the city's ethics laws and policies. Prior to that, she was a two-term gubernatorial appointee to the CA Fair Employment Housing Commission. Linda has received many distinguished awards, including a Community Service Award from the Asian Bar Association of Sacramento Law Foundation, and a President’s Award from the Asian Pacific State Employees Association.

CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANT

Michelle is a managing partner at Nelson & Associates, a certified public accounting firm with over 30 years of accounting, auditing, and tax consulting experience. Based in Northern California, Michelle specializes in not-for-profit organizations, corporate clients, and governmental entities. Her team provides APAPA services in the area of financial reports, tax preparation. accounting, bookkeeping, and strategic financial planning.  As a CPA and Certified Fraud Examiner, Michelle provides expert insight in fraud prevention and detection, and implements internal processes/controls. Michelle holds a Bachelors of Science in Accounting, and a Masters of Science degree in Taxation.  She is a member of numerous professional associations and works closely with many nonprofit organizations. 

TECHNOLOGY MANAGER

Byron has over three decades of experience in software development and information technology. He works with a team of developers and a large footprint of hosting systems in a SOC3 data center. Byron supports and manages the APAPA database, website, software programs, and secure applications.

He and his son, Jeremiah, are also dedicated board members of the APAPA Greater Sacramento Chapter. He believes in APAPA’s mission to develop the next generation of leaders, and volunteers his time to support youth oriented APAPA professional development workshops. Byron brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to support APAPA HQ, our national programs and leadership teams.

NATIONAL AMBASSADOR

Jing is passionate about mentoring new APAPA leaders to make an impact in their local communities.  As a National Ambassador, she supports APAPA leadership events and programs in the East Coast, and is the Director of the Internship Program for the APAPA Syracuse Chapter.  She is a professor at New York State University, and a well-established scholar on Asian American Studies, focusing on heritage language learning, as well as mental health issues. She also serves as Board Chair of CNY Chinese School, and Co-Chair of the Chinese American Cultural Heritage UCA Task Force.  JIng has also been instrumental in Lunar New Year becoming an official state holiday in New York, and is passionate about K-12 AAPI history to become future legislation as part of the public school curriculum.

NATIONAL AMBASSADOR

George Vang, a second-generation Hmong American from North Sacramento, serves as one of Everyday Impact Consulting’s Program Assistants. After spending 15 years in Minnesota, he returned to California to pursue higher education, earning his B.A. in Public Relations with Cum Laude Honors from Sacramento State. During his time at Sac State, he became a national Lincoln-Douglas debater, co-founded Allied Students for Justice, and participated in the Cal State DC Scholars Program. His lived and academic experiences fuel his passion for community empowerment, youth advocacy, and spreading kindness.

INTERNSHIP PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Patrick is an experienced manager across multiple industries with a successful business and marketing background. He has an aptitude for team building and utilizing best practices from the private and public sectors. Patrick leads the strategy and detailed planning for the APAPA National Internship Program. He coordinates professional development workshops, community service projects, and research and writing projects for the local diversity caucuses. Patrick is very passionate about advancing the next generation of leaders.

EVENT COORDINATOR

Mary works closely with the APAPA leadership team to support our special events.  She brings to her position many years of marketing experience and more than 15 years of experience as a former TV News Anchor, Reporter, and Producer from several media markets, including Boston, Las Vegas, Anchorage and Sacramento.  She served as the public information officer for the mayor of Anchorage and was recently a mentor for an Asian American Journalism Camp hosted by Cal Matters and AAJA. She is the past President of the AAJA Boston chapter and current member in the Sacramento Chapter. Mary graduated from UCLA with a Political Science degree.

COMMUNITY IMPACT GRANT COMMITTEE

Margaret Liang is deeply involved in the community with a passion for positive and inclusive change. She serves as Board Chair for the APAPA Tri-Valley chapter, and is a board member of the Three Valley Community Foundation. Locally, she serves as a Heritage and Cultural Art Commissioner, as well as an Economic Development Advisor Committee for the City of Dublin, CA. She graduated from UC Davis and has an MBA from the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley.

COMMUNITY IMPACT GRANT COMMITTEE

Stephen DeGuzman endeavors to lead by example to pay it forward, and has been an avid volunteer for numerous organizations. He is a an APAPA Washington DC Ambassador, and has served 21 years on Active Duty with the US Air Force. He has also supported the California Cadet Corps, the Filipino Consulate in Kuwait City, and Habitat for Humanity. Stephen currently serves our country within the Department of Defense as the Chief of Strategic Workforce Design for the United States Space Force Headquarters at the Pentagon.

COMMUNITY IMPACT GRANT COMMITTEE

Linda Shi is the Board Chair for APAPA Indiana Chapter and a board member of Sans Souci in Columbus, Indiana. With over 25 years of HR experience in a top 500 multinational company, she focuses on developing and elevating AAPI in the workplace and community. Linda uses her HR and leadership skills to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion through civic engagement and community service.   

GRAPHIC DESIGN ASSOCIATE

Aaron believes in partnership and collaboration in bringing our community together. He provides graphic design elements for our special events, programs, and newsletters. Aaron is a dedicated board member for the APAPA Davis Chapter, and is passionate about community service. He was recognized by the local chamber of commerce for his outstanding service. He is also the founder and owner of Smartz Graphics.

APAPA HQ & National

Several APAPA student interns from Northern California work at APAPA HQ each week. Hundreds of students across the country are also part of the APAPA National Internship Program working with public officials across the country. They provide support in the areas of event planning, student led workshops, and research projects. Our student interns also engage with our chapter leaders, the API legislative caucus, and community partners.