Julie Mancuso Grants Manager, Youth Service America

Julie Mancuso serves as the Grant Manager. In this role, Julie helps to administer the grants and awards program to increase opportunities for youth and youth-related organizations to plan and execute successful service and service-learning projects. Past grant and award programs include the State Farm Good Neighbor Service-Learning grant; DisneyHand Minnie Grants; the Clay Aiken ABLE To SERVE grant; the prestigious Harris Wofford Awards; and many more from America’s Promise, AT&T, Verizon, Motorola, and others.

Julie began at Youth Service America as a Project Assistant helping to manage National and Global Youth Service Day, the largest service event in the world. Prior to her work with YSA, she served as a Faculty Advisor and Student Relations Advisor for the Presidential Youth Inaugural Conference and the Jr. National Young Leaders Conference held in Washington, DC.

As a champion for youth volunteering, Julie has given her time globally as a volunteer in both Europe and Africa, advocating for youth orphaned by AIDS; endangered sea turtles in the Mediterranean; and persons with disabilities in the UK. Domestically, Julie has volunteered as a youth dance instructor, respite care provider, visitor to the homebound and conversation partner to international students.

Julie received her BA in Journalism and Mass Communication and African Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and is a native of North Carolina.

She can be reached at jmancuso@ysa.org.
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Elizabeth McCausland Partner, Cooney, Mattson, Lance, Blackburn, Richards, and O'Connor P.A.

Elizabeth McCausland is a partner in the law firm of Cooney, Mattson, Lance, Blackburn, Richards, and O’Connor P.A. She practices general civil litigation and insurance law in Orlando, Florida. Mrs. McCausland is currently the President Elect of the Orange County Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Section and is a representative of the Florida Bar Board of Governors Young Lawyers Division.
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Tara R. Miles Director, BizLaunch, Arlington Economic Development

Tara R. Miles is the Director of BizLaunch, Arlington's Small Business Assistance Network in Arlington County, Virginia. Ms. Miles initiated the BizLaunch program in 2002 to help entrepreneurs successfully grow and expand their businesses in the County. Since its inception the program has outreached to over 6,000 business owners through sponsored workshops, seminars, and one-on-one counseling sessions.

Ms. Miles has over 15 years of experience in Marketing and Business Development at a variety of firms: a health maintenance organization, an IT software developer, a financial institution and a uranium enricher - before joining Arlington County in 2001. In 2004 she received Arlington's Best Business Award (ABBIES) for her steadfast contribution to the small business community. She also received the 2005 Small Business Advocate Award by the Arlington Small Business Development Center. Ms. Miles was recently named the 2006 Minority Small Business Champion of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Ms. Miles holds a Bachelor's of Art Degree from the University of Maryland Baltimore County in Political Science and Journalism. She also holds a Masters of Science in Marketing Communications from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.
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Cassandra Miller Field Manager, Youth Service America

Cassandra Miller serves as the Field Manager for National Youth Service Day. Every year in April, millions of young people and adults worldwide participate in community service projects in celebration of National & Global Youth Service Day (N&GYSD). The goals of National & Global Youth Service Day are to mobilize youth to identify and address the needs of their communities through service, support youth on a life-long path of service and civic engagement, and educate the public, the media, and elected officials about the year-round contributions of youth as community leaders.

As the Field Manager, Cassandra is responsible for mobilizing organizations at the local and state level to serve as Lead Agencies for National & Global Youth Service Day. She recruits, trains and supports local/state non-profits, school districts, faith-based organizations, and other organizations to assemble coalitions of agencies and individuals to plan and coordinate large-scale N&GYSD events, engaging anywhere from several hundred to 50,000 volunteers per Lead Agency.

After attending Indiana University, she served two years as an AmeriCorps member with City Year Washington, DC. As a first year corps member Cassandra was the Research and Systematic Learning/Service Director for the AOL Civic Engagement Team. As a member of the team she planned and implemented monthly service projects that united community volunteers to paint, clean, and revitalize DC schools, parks, and community centers. In her first year Cassandra also served as an Executive Director of Camp City Year, a week long camp that provides a safe, fun, and enriching environment for 1st through 5th grade students in the Washington metro area.

In her second year Cassandra served as the Civic Leadership and Program Senior Corps member. In this position Cassandra was responsible for creating and overseeing bi-weekly leadership development days that promoted civic knowledge and responsibility. Since she was a child Cassandra has been involved in service in one way or another and her passion for volunteerism continues at YSA.
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Lisa Miller Agent, State Farm

Lisa Miller is a Registered Agent with State Farm since 1992. Her offices are located in Northern Virginia.  Her office provides services in English, Spanish, Vietnamese and French.

Lisa is a graduate of St. Bonaventure University with a BA in English and minor in French. She taught herself Spanish through the Berlitz language program. Lisa a member of the Society of Financial Services Professionals, Legion of Honor, Millionaire Club Qualifier and National Convention Qualifier.
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The Honorable Samuel T. Mok Chief Financial Officer, U.S. Department of Labor

On January 25, 2002, Samuel Tinsing Mok was confirmed by the Senate to be the Chief Financial Officer of the U.S. Department of Labor. He served as Chief Financial Officer and Comptroller of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, appointed by former Treasury Secretary James Baker. While there, he implemented many management control programs to enhance financial reporting and control.

Prior to joining the Labor Department, Mr. Mok served as the Managing Member of Condor Consulting, LLC, a Washington, DC-based international consulting firm. His expertise lies in providing and leveraging business and government contacts for American companies interested in the Asian market. Other aspects of Mr. Mok's practice included assisting American businesses that sought information on prospective business partners in Asia and facilitating meetings for American corporate executives who wished to establish contacts with senior Asian embassy officials in Washington, DC.

Mr. Mok's professional career spans both the American private and public sectors. In the private sector, Mr. Mok began his career as an auditor with Main & Hurdman (now KPMG Peat Marwick) and later served as a Senior Auditor with Parnell Kerr & Forster. In 1971, he was called to active military duty. As a Lieutenant in the U.S. Army, he served in Okinawa, Japan as a strategic intelligence officer overseeing reporting and analysis on China, Vietnam, and North Korea. Upon being promoted to the rank of Captain, he was reassigned to Army Readiness Region 1, at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

In 1976, Mr. Mok resigned his Army commission and reentered the private sector as the Director of Accounting at Time-Life Books. Six years later, in 1982, he accepted an offer from U.S. News & World Report and eventually became the Corporate Treasurer. In 1986, he served as a Foreign Service Officer at the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs at the U.S. Department of State. A year later, Mr. Mok became a member of the Federal Senior Executive Service and was appointed Comptroller of the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Shortly thereafter, he was re-appointed as the Treasury's Chief Financial Officer. During his six-year tenure at the Treasury, Mr. Mok was also appointed by then President George H.W. Bush to serve on the National Advisory Council on Public Service. In 1992, Mr. Mok left federal service and was appointed Chief Executive Officer of G.L. Associates, a New York-based business systems consulting firm. Four years later, Mr. Mok went on to found his own international trade consulting practice in collaboration with retired U.S. Senator Birch Bayh.

Mr. Mok received his M.A. in Auditing from Catholic University in 1982. He earned his B.S. in Accounting from Fordham University in 1968. He also graduated from the U.S. Army Institute of Administration at Fort Benjamin Harrison and from the U.S. Foreign Service Institute in Rosslyn, Virginia. Mr. Mok speaks fluent Cantonese and Mandarin Chinese. He is a Certified Internal Auditor and Certified Government Financial Manager. Additionally, Mr. Mok has undergone extensive formal training in cultural diversity instruction at the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and the U.S. Department of State.

Mr. Mok has served in various capacities for numerous community and government organizations, including Trustee of the Department of Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute (DEOMI); Treasurer of AFSA (American Foreign Service Association) a labor union for U.S. foreign service officers at the Department of State; and Chairperson of the National Conference of Community & Justice (formerly known as the National Conference of Christians and Jews) in the Washington, DC area. In addition, Mr. Mok has frequently lectured around the country on diversity issues and formerly provided seminars to various federal agencies and senior executives of major U.S. corporations. He is a former Chapter President of the Association of Government Accountants. Mr. Mok is also a former Chapter President and National Vice President of the Organization of Chinese Americans and a founding member of the Federal Asian Pacific American Council.

In 2006 Mr. Mok is the recipient of the prestigious Donald L. Scantlebury Memorial Award for Distinguished Leadership in Financial Management Improvement and was named one of the top 100 executives from government, industry, and academia of the "Federal 100" who had the greatest impact on the government information systems. In 2005, he was the recipient of the Distinguished National Leadership Award by the Association of Government Accountants (AGA) to formally recognize elected or presidentially-appointed federal officials who have demonstrated outstanding leadership in federal financial management. Mr. Mok was appointed to serve on the Republic of the Marshall Islands Trust Fund Committee by the Secretary of the Interior. He serves on the General Administration Board for the United States Department of Agriculture Graduate School, and was recently elected to be a Fellow for the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA). Mr. Mok serves on the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) Advisory Council on Government Audit Standards, the Board of Trustees for the AGA Academy for Government Accountability and the Asian American Government Executives Network (AAGEN) Advisory Board.

He has served as deputy mayor of Chinatown, Washington, D.C., and in top leadership positions of most major Asian-American community organizations in the greater Washington, D.C. area. Mr. Mok and his wife, Nancy, reside in Maryland. They are the proud parents of two grown children, both attorneys, and five grandchildren who also reside in the Washington, D.C. area.
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Juan Carlos Rivera Montes Insurance Director, Small Business Center, Overseas Private Investment Corporation

Juan Carlos Rivera Montes has more than fifteen years of international experience in Latin America working as a Regional Director, Senior Advisor, and International Consultant to corporations, multilateral institutions, and government agencies.

Before joining OPIC in 2000, Juan Carlos served as a senior director and chief operations officer (COO) for Meso-American Investments, LLC (MAI), a firm located in Denver, Colorado, focusing in the evaluation and development of conventional and renewable energy projects around the world. From 1996-1998, Juan Carlos served as Regional Director for Latin American Programs while at AATA International, Inc. He was responsible for business development and project management for environmental consulting services to oil and gas, mining, energy, and water utility corporations with infrastructure projects and operations in Latin America. As a project manager, he was responsible for the environmental permitting, management, and baseline studies for Mobil’s Cerro Negro $3.2 billion extra heavy oil project, the $350 million light crude La Ceiba project in Venezuela, and several other infrastructure projects in Peru, Argentina, Brazil, and Honduras.

From 1991-1995, Juan Carlos served as the Executive Director of the Investment and Trade Promotion Office of the Government of Honduras in the United States. His investment promotion efforts under this office allocated more than US $60 million into the Honduran economy. Prior to that, he worked under the United Nations Development Program as a Senior Advisor to the Minister of Natural Resources of Honduras. In this position, he served as leader of an inter institutional commission charged to coordinate all policy development efforts in the mineral, energy, and environmental sectors of the Honduran economy. He also authored the design, elaboration, executive coordination, congressional lobbying, and promotion of legislation to promote foreign investment to the country. As an International Consultant, Juan Carlos has performed assignments for the IADB, the World Bank, the BRGM (France), Samsonite Corporation, International Methane Company (Canada), and the Honduran Foundation for Investment and Development of Exports (FIDE) among others.

Juan Carlos received a degree in geological engineering from the Colorado School of Mines, and an MBA in international finance and marketing from the Jesuit Regis University in Denver, Colorado. He received certified professional training from the BRGM in France, the Swedish Geological Survey, and the World Trade Centers in Dallas and Denver. He holds graduate certificate programs in International Finance from Georgetown University and Housing Finance from Fannie Mae in Washington DC. Additional training includes technical certificates in geographic information systems (GIS), remediation, reclamation technologies, water and wastewater treatment, and renewable energy.
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Angeline Mutima YSA Youth Venture Associate, Youth Service America

N/Angeline Mutima is an AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers In Service to America) serving as the Youth Service America/Youth Venture Partnership Associate. The YSA/Youth Venture Program provides start-up funding, support and resources to young social entrepreneurs (ages 12-20).

Angeline's main responsibilities include: implementing & managing the YV/YSA application cycles, identifying & pursuing fundraising opportunities, identifying special opportunities (scholarships, awards, speaking opportunities, media recognition, opportunities for collaboration) for YSA Venture teams, supporting & aiding YSA/Youth Venture award recipients to ensure the success of their Venture, supporting & being a resource for other Youth Venture staff and VISTAs as well as YSA staff. Angeline works very closely with YSA/Youth Venture award recipients to ensure the successful implementation, maintenance and longevity of their ventures.

As a recent graduate of Oregon State University, Angeline majored in Business Administration, with an Option in Marketing, and a Minor in Multimedia. On campus she was involved with Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Black Student Union, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Oregon State University's Kaleidoscope Program, Black Connect, Minority Education Office, and Student Support Services Tutoring Program. Growing up in Oregon, Angeline has always been involved in community service, whether it was her school's bake sales or community after school programs. Angeline has always been inclined to work in her community because she truly believe that effort you put into serving your community is not even close to the outcomes of your service. In college, she even joined a Sorority that focuses primarily on public service.

Angeline's interests include: Black issues, music, computer technology, public service, reading, dancing, and shopping. She hopes to someday own and run a magazine with wholesome content for Black, female teenagers.

For more information on the YSA/Youth Venture Program, please visit www.youthventure.org/ysa.
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Ha Nguyen Editor-in-Chief, Viet Bao Illinois

Ha Nguyen is a Certified Public Accountant and former Director of the Vietnamese Service Center in Chicago. He is currently editor-in-chief of Viet Bao Illinois ("The Vietnamese Journal of Illinois").
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Khanh Nguyen Senior Editor, Radio Free Asia

N/A.
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Nguyen Thanh Trang Director, Vietnam Human Rights Network

Nguyen Thanh Trang served as the Vice-Dean, School of Economics and Business at Minh Duc University, Saigon from 1972-1975.  He concurrently served as the Assistant President of Public Relations, University of Hue from 1973-1975.

Having emigrated to the United States and settling in Seattle, Washington, Mr. Nguyen was employed as a Manager for Financial Information Systems at Seattle First National Bank. He later joined Broadway Department Stores in Los Angeles as a Senior Manager for Planning and Budgeting. Having moved to San Diego, in 1982, he started his own company, Alpha Realty & Mortgage Co.

Mr. Nguyen's community activities include serving as President of the Indochinese Chamber of Commerce in  San Diego (1985-1991), President of the Indochinese Committee for Radio Free Asia (1991-1995) and President of the Vietnam Human Rights Network (1997-2005).
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Tram Nguyen External Relations Manager, Boat People SOS

Tram Nguyen is currently Boat People SOS’ (BPSOS) External Relations Manager as well as the National Program Manager for BPSOS’ AmeriCorps VISTA and National Direct programs. Immediately after Hurricane Katrina made landfall, she was dispatched to Houston, TX to coordinate BPSOS’ emergency disaster response. For the first three months, she managed BPSOS’ Houston disaster relief and recovery center in Hong Kong 4 City Mall. Relying mainly on volunteers, this ad hoc center assisted over 2,000 Vietnamese evacuee families. Since then, she has helped to secure several major grants for BPSOS’ ongoing relief efforts, which have resulted in a multi-million dollar Disaster Relief and Recovery Program. In her role as External Relations Manager, she continues to advocate for the unmet needs of the community with local, state, and national governments as well as builds collaborative partnerships with other agencies in order to not only ensure full recovery from the Katrina disaster, but to also mitigate similar access barriers in future disasters. She is an alumna of Columbia University in New York, NY.
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Maheen Qureshi Specialist, Corporate Relations & Housing Outreach, Freddie Mac

Maheen Qureshi currently serves as Specialist, Corporate Relations and Housing Outreach at Freddie Mac. She is responsible for managing relationships with Latino groups on CreditSmart® Español/ financial literacy initiatives. Maheen joined Freddie Mac in May 2004 as a Business Analyst in the Mission Oversight and Development Division. Prior to joining Freddie Mac, Maheen was Program Coordinator for the Center for Innovative Conservation Finance at The Nature Conservancy, an international non-profit organization headquartered in Arlington, VA. Maheen holds a Masters in Business Administration from American University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance and International Studies from Indiana University.
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Mary Chi Ray President, Naturalization and Immigration Services

Mary Chi Ray has been the President of Naturalization and Immigration Services, a consulting business, since 1995. She advises and assists individuals to obtain legal entry, immigrant status, and citizenship in the United States. She has been active in the Vietnamese-American community since the early 1970s. She has served as president of the Small Business Network Council, promoting the sharing of experience of doing business for new immigrants and minority business. She was an organizer of, and remains active in, the National Congress of Vietnamese-Americans. She has been a member of the National Advisory Council of the US Small Business Administration since 2003. Her other business activities include president and publisher, Vietnam Today (Thoi Nay) Newspaper, 1995-1998; President of Washington Communications Services advertising agency, 1994-1997;
Producer, 1992-1994, Vietnam Vision of America television shows; and President, La Cheeserie of Alexandria and Adele, Inc., 1980-1984. She worked as a professional realtor from 1976 to 1996. She took time off from the private sector to work as the Deputy Director, Office of Refugee Resettlement, U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1989-1991. Ms. Ray served as a consultant on refugees to the U. S. Air Force at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, in 1975. She worked in the Consular Section, Embassy of the Republic of Vietnam, 1971-1973. She worked as a language instructor at the Defense Language Institute, El Paso, Texas, 1969-1971, and was a marketing representative for Roussel Pharmaceutical Laboratories, Saigon, 1965-1971. She has been active in the Republican party, having worked for the Bush-Cheney 2004 and 2000 Presidential campaigns, Bush-Quayle 88, and Reagan-Bush 84. She has also been active in the Republican Party in Fairfax County, Virginia, the state of Virginia, and the state of Pennsylvania, supporting state and local candidates, and organizing voter registration campaign.

Ms. Ray is married and has four adult children.
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Thomas D. Ray Director, Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization, Defense Logistics Agency

Tom Ray is the Director, Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization, Defense Logistics Agency (DLA). In this position, he serves as the Agency's advocate and advisor on the utilization of small businesses. This includes programs to assist small businesses, small disadvantaged businesses, women-owned small businesses, Native American businesses, and organizations that employ individuals that are blind or severely disabled.

Mr. Ray graduated from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville in 1969. He received an MBA from George Washington University in 1980, and graduated from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces in 1990.

He was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserve in 1969, and entered active duty. He was assigned to the U.S. Army, Vietnam. After completing his active duty tour in 1971, he was employed by the Washington office of the National Federation of Independent Business as a Congressional Liaison. In 1973, Mr. Ray accepted a position with the Defense Supply Agency and entered the Management Intern Program. He was assigned to the Directorate of Procurement and Production in July 1974 and to the Office of the Director of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization in 1979.

Mr. Ray returned to the Executive Directorate of Procurement in 1980. He worked a wide variety of policy and operational issues, and received the DLA Meritorious Civilian Service Award in 1991 for his performance during Operation Desert Shield/Storm.

In February 1992, he was named Chief of the Plans and Operations Branch in the Contracts Division. The Director, DLA, appointed Mr. Ray as the Agency Competition Advocate in May 1992. He assumed the position of Assistant Executive Director, Procurement, in April 1995. In that position he was responsible for overseeing procurement operations, providing procurement policy to DLA field activities, and overseeing the industrial support program in DLA. Throughout the 1990s he participated in development of DLA’s “Shift to Commercial
Practices,” including long-term contracting, corporate contracting, and strategic material sourcing. He was temporarily detailed to the Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition Reform in 1993 where he helped draft the Federal Acquisition Reform Act. He received a “Hammer Award” from the Vice President in 1996 for his work on acquisition reform. He was awarded the Exceptional Civilian Service Award in 1997 by DLA for his work in furthering best business practices. He was appointed Director, Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization, by the Director of DLA on June 1, 2000.

Tom Ray is married and has four grown children. His principal interests outside of work are reading and bluegrass music.
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Lt. Col. Che "Urchin" Russell, USAF Joint Staff, J2E-1 Division Chief, USAF

N/Lt Col Che V. Russell is currently assigned to Joint Staff/J2E-1. He was born in Saigon, South Vietnam, on 14 February 1965. He attended Bellevue East High School, Bellevue, Nebraska. After graduating from high school in 1984, Lt Col Russell earned his Bachelors of Science in International Affairs from the United States Air Force Academy. He was commissioned on 1 Jun 1988. Lt Col Russell began technical training as an Operations Manager, Keesler AFB, Mississippi, where he was a distinguished graduate. His follow-on assignments included Laughlin AFB, Texas (executive officer and adjutant) and Kadena AB, Okinawa, Japan (command post and wing flight scheduler). Lt Col Russell cross-trained into the Intelligence career field and graduated from Goodfellow AFB, Texas in 1995. He returned to Kadena, providing tactical intelligence support to F-15C, E-3, HH-60, and KC-135 aircrew. Following his Okinawa assignment, Lt Col Russell became the Joint Intelligence Center Pacific, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii North/South Korean Integrated Air Defense Systems and Weapons of Mass Destruction analyst. Afterwards, he spent one year at JMIC completing his Masters degree. Following JMIC graduation, he was assigned as the 552nd Air Control Wing Senior Intelligence Officer and 552nd Operations Support Squadron Intelligence Flight Commander, Tinker AFB, Oklahoma. Lt Col Russell returned to the Joint Military Intelligence College (JMIC) as Executive Officer and on Faculty. On Joint Staff/J2P-4, he was the J2’s AO for QDR 2006 and worked PPBE issues. Lt Col Russell has two Masters degrees: Educational Leadership from Troy State University 1994 and Strategic Intelligence from the Joint Military Intelligence College 2001.

Residing in Alexandria, Virginia, Lt Col Russell is married to the former Atsuko Taira of Okinawa, Japan, since 16 July 1988. They have two sons, Jonathan, who is 15 years old and Justin, who is 12 years old.

He was the winner of the 11th Wing/MAJCOM DRU Lance P. Sijan Leadership Award for 1999. Also, he was the USAF winner of the Federal Asian Pacific American Council Award for 2003. He was selected for an Honorary Diversity Award by the Director, Defense Intelligence Agency in 2004. He is the recipient of the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal, Air Force Achievement Medal, and has received many awards and recognition for his civic involvement.

ASSIGNMENTS:
2006-present Joint Staff/J2E-1, Division Chief
2005-2006 Joint Staff/J2P-4, Joint Operations Officer
2003-2005 Joint Military Intelligence College, Executive Officer & Faculty
2001-2003 552nd Operations Support Sq, Commander, Intel Flt (E-3 AWACS)
2000-2001 JMIC, Masters of Science in Strategic Intelligence
1998-2000 Joint Intel Ctr Pacific, Chief of Korea IADS and WMD (ie TBM/NBC)
1996-1997 18th Operations Support Sq, Chief of Intel Plans (home and deployment base plans)
1995-1996 44th Fighter Squadron, Chief of Intelligence (F-15C)
1993-1994 18th Wing Scheduler (6 squadrons, 4 airframes, flying hours and budget, and airspace)
1991-1993 18th Wing Command Post Emergency Actions Officer (Pacific Command Post of the Year 1991)
1989-1991 47th Student Squadron and 84th Flying Training Squadron, Adjutant/Section Commander

EDUCATION:
Joint Forces Staff College, Joint Professional Military Education II, Norfolk, VA, 2006
Air War College by correspondence, 2006
MS, Strategic Intelligence, Joint Military Intelligence College, DC, 2001
Air Command and Staff College in seminar, 2000
PACACES, Eielsen Air Force Base, Alaska, 1996
Intelligence Training Course, Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, 1995
Squadron Officers School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, 1994 (Selected Outstanding Briefer)
MS, Educational Leadership, Troy State University, Alabama, 1994
Operations Management Course, Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi, 1989 (Distinguished Grad)
BS, Political Science (International Affairs), United States Air Force Academy, Colorado, 1988

RECOGNITION:
11th Wing Lance P. Sijan Leadership Award 1999
USAF Federal Asian Pacific American Council Award 2003
Recipient Director, Defense Intelligence Agency Honorary Diversity Award 2004
Defense Meritorious Service Medal (1)
Air Force Meritorious Service Medal (1)
Air Force Commendation Medals (3)
Joint Service Achievement Medal (2)
Air Force Achievement Medals (2)
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Robert Sharp Business Insurance Field Underwriter, State Farm

After graduating from Mary Washington College in Fredericksburg, Robert Sharp began his State Farm career in 2000. He started as an underwriter in the Personal Lines Fire Company working with agents in the Raleigh, North Carolina area on homeowners, personal articles, boat, etc. insurance. After three years in that department, he moved to the Commercial Fire department and began working with Tidewater Virginia and West Virginia agents on Business, Apartment/Condominium, and Commercial liability insurance. After two years in this role, he was then promoted to his current position as a Business Insurance Field Underwriter for the D.C. metro area where he works with seventy agents stretching from Upper Marlboro to Centreville. In his current role, he assists agents with marketing, insurance reviews, and helping match Business customers with the best insurance coverages for their operations.
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The Honorable Sichan Siv U.S. Representative to the U.N. Economic and Social Council

Sichan Siv was nominated by President George W. Bush in October 2001 and unanimously confirmed by the Senate as U.S. Representative to the U.N. Economic and Social Council.

Ambassador Siv was a delegate to the 57th U.N. Commission on Human Rights. From 1989 to 1993, during the Administration of the 41st President, George Bush, he served as Deputy Assistant to the President for Public Liaison and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs.

Ambassador Siv holds a Master of International Affairs from Columbia University.

He was born in Cambodia and resettled as a refugee in Wallingford, Connecticut. He is married to the former Martha Pattillo of Pampa, Texas.
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The Honorable Joel Szabat Chief of Staff, Small Business Administration

Joel Szabat is the Chief of Staff for the U.S. Small Business Administration by SBA Administrator Steven C. Preston.

In his role as Chief of Staff, Szabat plays a critical role in ensuring that the Administrator's initiatives are carried out, and will serve as one of the primary advisors to Administrator Preston and the agency's senior managers.

Prior to joining SBA, Szabat served the Department of Transportation as Counselor for Transportation Infrastructure. There, he led department-wide initiatives such as the President's Management Agenda, Pandemic Flu planning, Hurricane Katrina Lessons Learned, and interagency research coordination.

In 2005, Szabat served the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, as the Transportation Counselor to the Ambassador directing the U.S. government's $544 million transportation reconstruction program in Iraq. Joel originally joined DOT in 2002 as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy.

Before joining DOT, Szabat served as the Principal Consultant for Transportation for Republicans in the California State Assembly, served as a management and budget aide to the Administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and worked in a management consulting firm in the private sector.

Szabat received a B.A. in economics and government from Georgetown University in 1981, and an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1988. Between Georgetown and Harvard, Joel was in the United States Army during the Cold War, commanding tank units patrolling the East-West German border.

Szabat is from Sacramento, California. He is the founder of the International Leadership Foundation, a non-profit organization providing public service scholarships for Asian American college students. His wife, Chiling Tong, also serves President Bush in the Commerce Department.
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The Honorable Chiling Tong Associate Director, Minority Business Development Agency, U.S. Department of Commerce

Chiling Tong is the Associate Director for Legislation, Education and Intergovernmental Affairs. Tong oversees MBDA's Congressional outreach, intergovernmental affairs, international trade, advocacy and outreach to federal, state and local governments.

Prior to Ms. Tong's appointment with MBDA, she served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Asia and the Pacific, for the International Trade Administration, in the Department of Commerce, with responsibility for improving access by U.S. companies to Asia-Pacific markets; strengthening the international trade and investment position of the United States; establishing international economic policies concerning the Asia-Pacific region; and carrying out programs to promote international trade. Previously, Ms. Tong worked for the State of California to promote California's economic development, trade and employment services.

Ms. Tong was the Director of California's Office of Trade and Investment in Taipei, Taiwan, and served as Assistant Secretary for International Trade in the California Trade and Commerce Agency. She subsequently worked for the California State Senate Office of Public Affairs as the Chief Asian American Affairs Advisor and was appointed by President George W. Bush as a commissioner of the White House Initiative for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

Ms. Tong received her MBA from California State University at Long Beach and a BA from the Chinese Cultural University in Taiwan. Before joining state government, Tong was awarded a Coro Public Affairs Fellowship. Ms. Tong was the President of the International Leadership Foundation, the Chairperson of the Los Angeles County Community Action Board, Vice President of the Monterey Park Community Relations Commission and the Public Affairs Director of the American-Chinese Business Journal. She was also a television anchor and reporter for China TV, a Los Angeles-based international television station. In Sacramento, she served on the Metropolitan Arts Commission and the Sacramento Asian Chamber of Commerce.

Ms. Tong is married to Joel Szabat, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Management and Budget in the U.S. Department of Transportation.
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Cuong Hung Van Pianist, Gold Winner of the Cincinnati World Piano Competition

The recipient of many international awards, pianist Cuong Hung Van has performed throughout the United States, Asia, Australia, and Europe and has been hailed by critics as a major young talent.

Born in South Vietnam, Cuong Hung Van began his studies at the Saigon Conservatory. Before coming to the United States he was awarded a Scholarship to study at Moscow State Conservatory where he worked with Victor Merzhanov. His record of performance in Russia is extensive.

Currently, he resides in Bluemont, Virginia. Cuong Van is in the Doctoral Program in Performance after he earned his Mater Degree in Orchestral Conducting at Shenandoah University, Virginia. He pursued his postgraduate studies under Paul Schenly and Daniel Shapiro at the Cleveland Institute of Music. In March 2002 Cuong Hung Van completed a concert tour in Korea with performances in Seoul, Pusan and Daegu.

Recent concert engagements in the United States include Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, and the Phillips Collection and the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C. He has also made orchestral appearances with the World Festival Symphony Orchestra in Cincinnati, Ohio, and the Saigon Ballet and Symphony Orchestra, Vietnam.

In addition to winning the gold medal at Ohio's Cincinnati World Piano Competition, Cuong Hung Van was also honored with the first prize at the Frina Awerbuch International Piano Competition in New York City and the second prize at the Hilton Head International Piano Competition.

Critics have been effusive in their praise for this artist's interpretive powers and technical skill. Donald Rosenberg of the Cleveland Plain Dealer said, "Cuong Hung Van puts his searching musicality to splendid use in all of his fare...[his] taste was impeccable; his command of musical elements complete." Of his Hilton Head performance the reviewer said, "He displayed carefully developed musical ideas...distinguished by multicolored cascades of sound, translucent sections of stillness and supple, tastefully proportioned phrasing." Live recordings have been broadcast on WQXR, New York, WGMS, Washington D.C., WCLV, Cleveland, and the Vietnam National Television.
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Vo Thanh Nhan Executive Producer, Vietnamese American Television

Nhan Thanh Vo is a Federal employee. He used to be a Board Member of Maryland Vietnamese Mutual Association and a volunteer tutors for a tutoring program at two Elementary Schools in Montgomery County. He is a community advocate. He saw the need of creating sport activities and/or scout for Vietnamese youngsters living in the low-income area in Silver Spring. He was the founder of the Vietnamese Boys and Girls Scouts that have saved many kids who otherwise would have become delinquents or joined gang activities. He helped organize field trips over weekends and summers for economically disadvantaged Vietnamese kids who otherwise would never have a chance to go anywhere. He organized sport tournaments to encourage Vietnamese youngsters to focus more on sports instead of illegal involvement. Presently, he is the Executive Producer for Vietnamese American Television that preserves Vietnamese culture and informs the community of current events of local and national importance. This program is very popular in the Vietnamese community especially for those who do not speak English.
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