Meet the team!
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Sandra Engle, Executive Director
Sandra (she/her/hers) serves as the Executive Director of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA) and Institute for Asian Pacific American Leadership & Advancement (IAPALA). Sandra has deep roots within the labor movement. While working as a criminal appeals lawyer at The Legal Aid Society of New York, she was active in her local (UAW Local 2325) and elected Vice President. After taking a leave of absence, she began organizing with multiple unions across the U.S., including UAW, IAM, USW and AFGE. She eventually came home to the UAW when she was put on staff in the Organizing Department and became Assistant Director. In addition, she has served as UAW Assistant Director in the National CAP Department as well as Education Department. When she retired from the UAW in 2023, she was a Top Administrative Assistant to UAW President Ray Curry where she led the union's Public Relations and Strategic Campaigns Departments. She views her activism through the lens of an organizer and believes that the power of the labor movement is in teaching others how to advocate for themselves. n 2022, she started a dialogue within the UAW about its role in the murder of Vincent Chin. |
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Marlan Maralit, Deputy Director
Marlan Maralit is the current Deputy Director at APALA. He brings close to 30 years of organizing workers, from fighting for faculty at Ohio University to amplifying the voices of workers across the country in homecare, healthcare, and public service to the national office. Rooted in community values and commitment to justice, his work spans unions, community organizations, student movements, and grassroots organizations with an eye towards building power from the ground up, especially in AANHPI communities. |