Board of Directors

Board of Directors 2021-2022

President
Stephanie Nguyen, Council Member, City of Elk Grove

Stephanie Nguyen serves as the Executive Director of Asian Resources Inc., a non-profit community based organization that focuses on supporting low-income and limited English communities with employment preparation and retention, occupational skill acquisition, and career guidance and counseling. Prior to her appointment, she served on several boards and commissions, including the Juvenile Justice Commission, Pacific Rim Street Festival Foundation, and as Secretary of the Council of Asian Pacific Islander Together for Advocacy and Leadership (CAPITAL).

1st Vice President
Juslyn Manalo, Council Member, City of Daly City

Juslyn Manalo was elected to Daly City Council and appointed Vice Mayor in 2016. She served as Mayor in 2017-2018. Juslyn is the first Asian American woman in these aforementioned respective roles.

She was raised in Daly City since she was 8 years old, and has deep roots in serving the community from a young age. Being raised in the multi-ethnic city of Daly City has given Manalo a deep appreciation for diversity. Early in her career, she became a Community Service Worker providing direct service to the Filipino World War II Veterans. Juslyn also managed the Bill Sorro Housing Program (BiSHoP), a program that helped low to moderate income families, find, defend and sustain their housing.

Currently, she is a Community Engagement Associate with Brookfield building partnerships to create community development opportunities such as affordable housing, jobs, open space, and youth development.

Manalo currently serves as a Board of Director for the Bay Area Water Supply Conservation Agency (BAWSCA), Senior Disability Action(SDA),Affordable Housing Committee for Daly City and is seated on the Skyline College President Council.

Previously she served on the Personnel Board for the City of Daly City Chairwoman for the SamTrans Citizen Advisory Committee ensuring that local community voice is represented.

Manalo earned her Masters of Public Administration, from San Francisco State University's School of Public Affairs and Civic Engagement. She has also attained a Bachelor of Arts, in Asian-American Studies and a Minor in Women Studies from San Francisco State University.

2nd Vice President
Jeffrey Koji Maloney, Mayor, City of Alhambra

Jeff Koji Maloney is Chief Staff Counsel for the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, an agency of the State of California that is dedicated to the protection of open space and urban parks and has preserved nearly 80,000 acres of parkland throughout the greater Los Angeles region.

In 2018, Jeff became Mayor of the City of Alhambra, California after winning election to the City Council in 2016. Jeff remains active in a variety of community and governmental organizations, serving as a board member of the Asian Pacific Islanders Caucus of the League of California Cities, the Go For Broke National Education Center, and was co-chair of the Alhambra Host Town Committee during the 2015 Special Olympics World Games.

He attended law school at the University of Southern California and completed his undergraduate studies at the University of California, San Diego. Jeff lives in Alhambra with his wife, Akiko, and their young two children.

Secretary-Treasurer
Shawn Kumagai, Vice Mayor, City of Dublin

Shawn Kumagai was elected to Dublin City Council in November 2018. The son of a first-generation immigrant, Councilmember Kumagai is also a third-generation veteran. He has been serving for the past 18 years in the United States Navy, and is currently serving as a Master Chief Petty Officer in the Navy Reserve, assigned to an intelligence unit at Camp Parks Reserve Forces Training Area in Dublin. He currently works as the District Director for Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (AD-16).

Councilmember Kumagai represents the Dublin City Council on several local and regional committees and commissions including the Alameda County Fire Department Advisory Committee, the Alameda County Housing Authority, Association of Bay Area Governments General Assembly, Dublin Pride – Integrity in Action Committee, East Bay Regional Park District Liaison Committee, Federal and Military Communities Committee, San Ramon City Liaison Committee, Tri-Valley Affordable Housing Committee, and the Tri-Valley Water Liaison Committee.

Councilmember Kumagai is committed to ensuring that the City of Dublin remains a safe and accessible community for people of many backgrounds. Prior to serving the City of Dublin, Councilmember Kumagai was elected to represent Democrats in Assembly District 16 as a delegate to the California Democratic Party (CDP). He also serves as the Northern California Chair for the CDP Asian Pacific Islander Caucus and was a founding member of the Lambda Democratic Club of Contra Costa County.

Councilmember Kumagai received an Associate of Arts in Chinese Mandarin from the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center in Monterey, California. While serving on Active Duty, he completed a Bachelor’s Degree by attending school part-time, and then went on to get a Masters of Instructional Science and Technology at CSU Monterey Bay. He moved to Dublin in 2016, after returning from a Navy deployment. He is guardian to his younger brother Kevin, a student at Dublin High School, and is a committed partner to his husband Alex.

Immediate Past President
Sheng Thao, Council President Pro Tempore, City of Oakland

Sheng Thao was elected in November 2018 as the District 4 City Councilmember in Oakland. She is the first Hmong American to be elected to the Oakland City Council.

Sheng Thao comes from humble beginnings. One of four daughters of asylum seekers from the Vietnam War, she is a member of a tight knit, Hmong American family. As a single mother, and domestic violence survivor, Sheng put herself through college while working and raising her son. She graduated as Valedictorian from Merritt College and transferred to U.C. Berkeley, where she earned her degree in Legal Studies. During her time at Cal, she co-founded a food access program for students with children because she encountered many students who struggled to afford healthy food for their families.

Sheng has many years of experience on the Oakland City Council as a senior legislative staff member and as Council Chief of Staff. As Chief of Staff, she has managed multiple city budget cycles - focused on balancing a transparent and responsible budget. Sheng also has extensive experience staffing regional government Boards and Commissions where she has worked on ways to bring funding to Oakland for public safety, transit, and capital improvement projects. Sheng is also an active participant on the Alameda Labor Council's Rapid Response working group, which aims to protect undocumented immigrants in Oakland and its neighboring cities. As a champion for the environment, Sheng has worked on policy solutions to provide cleaner air and water for Oakland residents.

Sheng is a lifelong public servant and currently serves as a board member on the Redwood Heights Association, she is also on the board for the Oakland Asian Cultural Center, and serves as the Vice President for the Asian American Democratic Caucus of Alameda County. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her son, biking through Joaquin Miller Park, and camping in the Stanislaus and El Dorado forests with her family. Sheng lives in District 4 with her 11 year old son, Benedict, who is a Joaquin Miller Elementary alum.

Director At-Large
Ali Sajjad Taj, Council Member, City of Cerritos

Ali Sajjad Taj has served on the Artesia City Council since December 2013. He was elected Mayor Pro Tem on December 14, 2015.

Mayor Pro Tem Taj has focused his energy and time on improving day-to-day quality of life issues for all Artesia residents. He has supported improved lighting, street quality and traffic safety, while being an advocate for bringing new businesses to the City both to generate revenue for City services and to provide new amenities for residents.

Mayor Pro Tem Taj possesses a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Political Science and a postgraduate degree of Master in Public Administration.

Mayor Pro Tem Taj has been in the financial services industry for the last 15 years. During his career he has held several key leadership positions including District Manager, Regional Manager, Managing Principal, and Vice President with multinational firms like American Express, Ameriprise Financial, Weddell & Reed and T.D. Ameritrade.

Mayor Pro Tem Taj currently serves on several of the City of Artesia's internal committees, as well as representing the City as a member of several regional Boards and Committees. He chairs the Membership Committee and serves on the Board of Directors for the California Contract Cities Association. He serves on the Public Safety Policy Committee of the League of California Cities. He is a member of the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of the Eco-Rapid Transit Orange Line Development Authority of Los Angeles County, and serves the Executive Committee in the capacity of Internal Auditor. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the California Joint Powers Insurance Authority. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Asian Pacific Islander Caucus of the League of California Cities, serving as a Director at Large.

Council Member Taj remains humble about his accomplishments. He maintains that it’s important to keep the right perspective, something he’s strived to instill in his son. He often reminds him, as well as his colleagues, of a story from one of his favorite books, The Noticer: Sometimes, all a person needs is a little perspective. The author says that life is a lot like a game of Monopoly: you may own Boardwalk and Park Place with two hotels but, when the game is over, all those pieces are going back in the box.

Director At-Large
Thu-Ha Nguyen, Mayor Pro Tem, City of Garden Grove

Thu-Ha Nguyen was elected to the Garden Grove City Council in November 2016. She is first and foremost a community organizer active in promoting veteran services, youth leadership development, and civic engagement. A former refugee, Thu-Ha has been passionate in leading community-wide disaster relief efforts for displaced individuals and families. For more than a decade, Thu-Ha has mobilized volunteers and donors to help disabled veterans. She has been recognized as a Women of the Year by the California State Senate and an Emerging Leader by the Orange County Asian Pacific Islander Community Alliance.

Thu Ha is a product of Orange County public schools. She graduated from the University of California, Irvine with a Bachelor’s Degree in Biological Sciences and a Masters Degree in Clinical Genetic from California State University, Dominguez Hills. Thu-Ha works professionally as a research and testing Clinical Scientist. She has built a successful almost 20 years career in management, genetic cancer research, and medical testing.

Thu-Ha is a proud Tae-Kwon-Do mom. She and her husband, Tom, are the proud parents of three boys. She is currently a board member of the California League of Cities – Asian Pacific Islander Caucus and the Coordinating Committee of Vietnamese American Youth Organizations of Southern California.

Director At-Large
Gabriel Quinto, Mayor, City of El Cerrito

Term Expires: 2022

El Cerrito High School Class of '79
Long Beach State University BS – Radio TV Film 1983
El Cerrito City Council since 12/2014
Mayor 2018
Mayor Pro Tem 2021, 2017
Contra Costa Mayors Conference – Chair 2020
Council Liaison to Financial Advisory Board and Urban Forest Committee - 2021
West County Integrated Waste Management Authority Liaison Alternate - 2021
Council Liaison to Crime Prevention Committee, Design Review Board, and Economic Development Committee - 2020
Council Liaison to East Bay Green Corridor, Human Relations Commission, Planning Commission, and Urban Forest Committee – 2019
Contra Costa Mayors Conference – Vice Chair 2019
Council Liaison to Economic Development Committee – 2018
Council Liaison to Planning Commission and Parks and Recreation Commission – 2017
Human Relations Commission Member 2011 to 2014, Chair 2013 to 2014
Committee on Aging Member, 2013 to 2014
Contra Costa Mayors Conference Representative to the Hazardous Materials Commission
Cal Cities - At Large Executive Boardmember
Cal Cities East Bay Division – President
Cal Cities API Caucus – At Large Boardmember 2020-2021
Cal Cities LGBTQ Caucus – President 2020-2021
Cal Cities - Environmental Policy Committee – Member
Association of Bay Area Government – Delegate Representing El Cerrito
West Contra Costa Transportation Advisory Committee – Alternate 2014 – 2018
Marin Clean Energy – Executive Boardmember 2021
Sierra Club Bay Chapter – Elected Executive Committee Member, Political Committee – 3/2020

Director At-Large
Farrah Khan, Mayor, City of Irvine

Mayor Farrah N. Khan is first and foremost a mother of two boys. She was first elected to the Irvine City Council in 2018 with the highest votes among 12 candidates and is the first woman of color to be elected to the Council. She is a small business owner and a recruitment consultant. Prior to that, Farrah served 8 years as a Regulatory Affairs Manager for a biotech company in Emeryville, CA. And for 4 years, from 2015-2019, she served as the Executive Director for a local nonprofit, Newport Mesa Irvine Interfaith Council, where she worked with the local faith communities and other non-profits to tackle issues like homelessness and human trafficking while promoting peace and understanding.

She grew up in the San Francisco/Bay Area, is a graduate of UC Davis and moved to Irvine in 2004. Her boys attended Irvine public schools since Kindergarten, with one still in high school. She and her husband are also Legacy Partners with the Irvine Public School Foundation. She proudly served 3 terms as PTA President at her sons’ elementary school, PTA Board member at the middle school and served on the School Site Council at the high school.

Farrah has worked extensively with many community organizations in Irvine and Orange County. She has served on the Steering Committee for the Irvine Global Village Festival, is a CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) volunteer with the Irvine Police Department and an active member of the Irvine Rotary Club. Farrah was appointed as a Community Services Commissioner in 2014, where she took the time to get to know the city parks, open spaces, land development, amenities, and employees.

She has received numerous awards and recognitions throughout the years which is a testament to her commitment to service. She was also awarded the Community Service Leader Award from the OC Human Relations Commission. Building bridges and bringing communities together is a priority for her as is making sure Irvine is environmentally and economically sustainable for years to come.

Director At-Large
John Tang, Council Member, City of Rosemead

Mr. Tang has been a long-time resident and active member of the Rosemead community. He serves on the Rosemead Planning Commission and previously served on the Rosemead Traffic Commission. Mr. Tang also serves on the boards of several community-based organizations, including the San Gabriel Valley Civic Alliance, the California Asian Chamber of Commerce, and the California Asian Pacific Islander Caucus Institute.

He is currently the Director of Government Relations and Public Affairs for Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling. He leads State and local government relations, public affairs, media relations, and leadership communications in Southern California and Nevada.

Mr. Tang is a product of local schools in the Garvey School District and San Gabriel High School. He earned his bachelor’s degree with cum laude honors from the University of Southern California. He and his wife, Janet, are proud Rosemead parents of their two daughters Hanna and Sophia.