FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 17, 2018
Contact: Ty Ma’ae, (206) 624-1221
National Asian Pacific Center on Aging Elects New Board Leadership
[Seattle, WA] – The National Asian Pacific Center on Aging (NAPCA) recently elected new leadership for its Board of Directors plus two new members.
Anna Eriko Crosslin, who joined the NAPCA Board in 2012, has been elected Chair. Crosslin is a Japanese-American who was born in Tokyo, Japan, and raised in Seattle. For the past 40 years, she has served as the President & CEO of the International Institute of St. Louis. In 2016, President Barack Obama recognized her as a White House Champion of Change. Crosslin holds two honorary doctorates from St. Louis institutions: one from Webster University and the other from Washington University, her alma mater.
The following were also elected as officers: Vice Chair – Deborah Ching of Los Angeles; Secretary – Gie Kim of Washington DC; and Treasurer – Cao O of New York City.
The Board also elected two new members for three-year terms: Sun Min Jung, Program Manager with Boeing Company in Seattle, and Steve W. Chung, CEO of Frankly Inc., based in California’s Silicon Valley.
The Board expressed gratitude to two retiring Board members: John Duong of Los Angeles and Patricia Saiki of Honolulu, HI. Former Congresswoman Saiki also served as the Administrator of the Small Business Administration under George H. W. Bush. Both Duong and Saiki served previously as Chair of the Board of NAPCA.
The Board of Directors is currently engaged in a search for NAPCA’s next CEO. Working through Commongood Careers of Boston, a well-respected national firm engaged in non-profit leadership searches, the Board will seek a staff leader to build on its mission and strategic direction to address emerging needs among America’s AAPI older adult communities.
“Much as been accomplished in the past several years to strengthen NAPCA to better achieve its mission,” said Crosslin. “Now we seek to put plans in action and make a difference for AAPI older adults in Seattle and around the nation.”
March 2018 – NAPCA recognizes Dr. Wesley Lum, President and CEO, Patricia Saiki and John Duong for their outstanding leadership, dedicated service and commitment to improving the quality of life for AAPI older adults.
Since 1979, NAPCA’s mission has been to preserve and promote the dignity, well-being, and quality of life of Asian American and Pacific Islanders as they age. The organization does so through provision of a variety of direct and subcontracted services, both at its headquarters in Seattle and throughout the nation. Increasingly, its leadership is being called on to advocate for AAPI, who lack a national voice to create awareness and appreciation for the linguistic, economic and cultural challenges that this population faces.
###