AABA Officer and Board of Director Candidates 2018-19

Officer Candidates

Vice President/President Elect

Charles Jung

I love AABA, and I feel grateful for all I've learned from our members. AABA is special. We are united by the dual purposes of advancing our members' professional growth and moving the needle for our community.

I've been privileged to serve on the board since 2013, and we've accomplished a lot together. We've updated our membership policies, and today our membership today easily exceeds 1,200, making AABA the largest affinity bar of its kind in California and larger than many county bars. We've changed our approach to CLEs, where we are now Northern California's leader in free CLEs and programs. We are leaders in advocacy: our members are doing their part to lead a statewide APA bar and community advocacy organization, California APABA, which will have its first statewide Lobby Day on March 13.

These are extraordinary and challenging times for our community. As VP, I will work to continue AABA's excellence in programming and mentorship. But we will also exercise our voices by speaking out against xenophobia and hatred.

It's time for all of us to step up and speak out. Each of you is already in a position to push to make things better. I ask you to serve as an AABA co-chair, seek a board or commission seat, run for public office, put your name in to be a judge. This is no time for our community to be humble or silent. Let's be loud. Let's make a difference. Let's be heard together.


Treasurer

John Hamasaki

It is an honor to submit this statement in support of my candidacy for Treasurer of the Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area. I have been a member since graduating law school and have had the privilege to serve three years as a Director at Large before being elected to serve as Secretary in 2017.

In my time with AABA, I have had the benefit of the support and mentoring of the organization’s members, supporters and founders. I can trace my career growth and development directly to the relationships I have built and the support I have received from AABA.

I am grateful to have the opportunity to serve as Treasurer in 2018 and ensuring that the organization’s finances are strong as it continues to serve as the backbone to our APA legal community in the Bay Area.


Secretary

Michelle Park Chiu

AABA is a powerful organization that can effectuate change in the legal community and beyond by harnessing the strength of its diverse and talented membership. AABA is a leader among bar associations that speaks up when it perceives injustice, acts to support underserved communities, and mentors its members to achieve the career success they hope to attain. We are an incredible organization and our potential to do even greater things has never been better. This is an important time for our country, and we need organizations like AABA to continue standing up for justice and equality. I would be proud to help AABA continue this important work by serving as its Secretary.

I have served as a Director-at-Large on AABA’s board the past two years, and as an Education Committee Co-Chair prior to that. I supported the Education and In-House Committees, which organized outstanding programming. The annual MCLE Mini-Marathon, a program I created during my tenure as Education Committee Co-Chair, continues to grow in popularity and provides a great platform for our AABA members to showcase their legal expertise. Our In-House Lunch Series has brought together APA in-house attorneys around the Bay Area, allowing for new connections and relationships to develop. I also have been an AABA Mentor many times, which gives me an opportunity to meet newer attorneys and pass on the guidance and support I received in my career.

It would be an honor to continue serving AABA as Secretary. Thank you for your consideration.

Board of Director Candidates


Claire Choo

Like many other members of AABA, I was the first in my family to become an attorney. Fortunately, I started my legal career in the Bay Area and had the opportunity to be a part of AABA— to meet API trailblazers and give back to the API community. I also met amazing people who have become my close friends at AABA.

I have served as co-chair of the Community Services Committee these past three years and as a committee member for four years prior. With my amazing co-chairs (past and present) and loyal committee members, CSC has done an incredible amount of work in the community, including monthly pro bono clinics, planting trees, weeding parks and community gardens, cleaning up beaches, making thousands of cards for Meals on Wheels, sorting tons of food at SF-Marin Food Bank, and packaging holiday gifts for at-risk teenage girls and women. CSC has also organized annual diversity conferences for high school and college students, “Pathways to Law” (fka “Legally Asian”). CSC has recently been honored by API Legal Outreach for our pro bono clinics and obtained a grant from NAPABA to fully fund Pathways next year.

I only regret that I did not get involved sooner.

I would like to continue my service to AABA as one of your Directors and to focus on energizing younger attorneys and law students to become more active in AABA because I know that they will never regret getting involved sooner.

Thank you for your support!



Nathalie Le Ngoc

For the past few years, I have had the privilege of serving as co-chair of AABA’s In-House Committee. I am proud of the committee’s achievements during this time, including expanding the scope and breadth of programming, recruiting new talent and developing leadership pipeline to the committee, and fostering collaboration among local and national minority bar in house communities.

I now seek the honor of serving on the AABA board. As experienced in-house counsel, I’d serve as the Board’s only in-house representative and, with that unique perspective, help drive engagement and support from our in-house membership and their networks. Should I be elected to the AABA board, my priorities would be to:

(1) Create incentives to help drive engagement and support from our in-house membership and their respective employers.
(2) Help drive diversity and inclusion initiatives throughout the legal community, from law students to professionals navigating career paths.
(3) Formalize soft skill development for API practitioners to help break through the glass ceiling.
(4) Continue supporting AABA’s unwavering dedication to active involvement in civil rights issues and community service.

I would be honored to serve on the AABA board and be a part of the continued growth and success of this organization.

Thank you for your consideration.


Andrea Loh

AABA was the first bar association that I joined upon moving to San Francisco. I vividly recall attending the Minority Bar Coalition Unity Awards where I met past President Ted Ting. Ted immediately made me feel welcomed by AABA’s community of attorneys. My enthusiasm for AABA has only grown since that time, and I now seek your support in becoming a member of the 2018-19 Board of Directors.

As co-chair of AABA’s Employment Committee, I have partnered with the Community Services, In-House, Newsletter, Membership, and Women’s Committees to host events that benefit our junior attorneys and law student members. As a Board member, I will contribute these experiences and the knowledge that I have gained through ten years of practice in a variety of settings. I have experience as a solo practitioner, Big Law attorney, judicial law clerk, business owner, law school career advisor, director of legal outreach, non-profit volunteer, and bar association leader.

My vision as a Board member is to ensure that AABA continues to be a community leader, particularly in addressing the numerous civil rights and social justice issues that threaten our vulnerable local populations. One of my priorities will be to increase AABA’s collaboration with other Bay Area bar associations as well as non-profit organizations. I plan to leverage my leadership skills and extensive network of legal contacts to benefit AABA in achieving our collective goals. AABA is one of the strongest and most impactful legal organizations nationwide (as confirmed by NAPABA!!) and I would love the opportunity to contribute to its future success as a Board member.



Elizabeth Loh

I am honored to submit my name as a candidate for the position of Director at Large.

I have had the privilege of serving the Asian American Bar Association (AABA) for a decade. When I began my legal career as an Employee Benefits/ERISA attorney, I found AABA to be a tremendous source of support, and quickly decided to get more involved by co-chairing the Education Committee. As a co-chair of the Education Committee, I assisted with developing educational programs for our members. After serving on the Education Committee, I co-chaired the Employment Committee for five years. During my time as an Employment Committee co-chair, I helped develop various educational programs and networking opportunities to assist our membership with finding employment opportunities. I also helped raise funds that went towards scholarships for deserving law students. Most recently, I joined the Women’s Committee as a co-chair. Serving as a co-chair of the Women’s Committee has given me the opportunity to further support our membership by creating programs and providing resources to help our members move into leadership roles and engage in change at the state and local levels.

I hope to channel the experience I have gained serving as co-chair of various AABA committees towards working on the Board. Most importantly, I believe that, as a Director, I could help AABA further advance its goals of meeting the professional needs of its membership and serving our community.



John B. Lough Jr.

AABA is my family. My name is John B. Lough, Jr., and I am seeking re-election as Director-at-Large. When I asked for your vote three years ago, my goal was to increase AABA’s visibility and community engagement.

During my tenure, we have done that. Critically, I led and shepherded AABA’s NAPABA Affiliate of the Year application efforts, and finally this year, at the NAPABA Convention in DC, I was humbled to stand on the stage where our AABA family was recognized as NAPABA 2017 Affiliate of the Year!

This recognition would not have been possible without all of our members and past and present leaders’ hard work and commitment, so I’m honored to play my part in showcasing AABA’s work to the national community.

My work on the 2017 Affiliate of the Year Award application is a high water mark of my service, but I’m also proud of the partnerships that I have cultivated for AABA, for example, our ongoing partnership with the Asian Business League of San Francisco and other APA professional community partners.

My AABA service started with our Community Services Committee, and that service has influenced how I lead. I want to see AABA continue to increase its engagement in our local community and on the national stage. I also want our members to see AABA as I see it. AABA is family, and our family deserves the best from its leaders. Thank you for your support, and let’s continue to make a difference.



Jason Yee

Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area

P.O. Box 387 San Francisco, CA 94104
info@aaba-bay.com

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