We would like to share with our APALA community that this week marks the end of Alvina Yeh's service to APALA as Executive Director. Over the past six years, Alvina has played a vital role in the growth of our organization as a respected voice within labor and a powerful champion for AAPI workers. Her successes are many but some of the notable accomplishments include:
- strengthening chapters and APALA members to engage in the fight for worker and immigrant rights and social justice;
- scaling up our electoral power and playing a pivotal role in important elections;
- working in coalition with others to fight anti-blackness, anti-Asian hate and other forms of bigotry;
- expanding language access in our programming and communications toward inclusivity and language justice;
- growing our robust leadership pipeline for AAPI leaders in labor, and
- multiplying our fundraising and professionalizing our operations.
With this transition, we welcome our new Interim Executive Director, Sandra Engle (she/her) ([email protected]). Many of us may already be familiar with Sandra – she has served on the National Executive Board representing UAW since 2015. Most recently, she served as national Secretary and helped steer APALA at a critical moment. She is a member of UAW Local 2325 (Association of Legal Aid Attorneys in NYC) and recently retired from UAW staff (where she was Director of Communications and Strategic Campaigns). Sandra's experience will serve APALA well in her role as Interim Executive Director. The new leadership elected at the upcoming Convention will guide the process for the search for our permanent Executive Director.
This transition signals a new chapter for APALA, filled with fresh opportunities and renewed strength. In the face of ongoing challenges, our hope for greater resilience is stronger than ever. We are committed to fighting for social and economic justice, worker and immigrant rights, and combating all forms of discrimination. We are excited about the potential for growth and continued impact within our communities, and we are confident that APALA will thrive, building upon the strong foundation established by Alvina and her predecessors.
As we embark on this new chapter, we remain grateful for the ongoing support and engagement of our APALA family. We encourage everyone to join us at our 17th Biennial Convention in Seattle (August 3-6, 2023), where we will come together to shape the future of APALA and advocate for our shared values toward a more just and equitable society.
In Solidarity,
Steve Moy (IBEW), President
Ligaya Domingo (SEIU), First Vice President
Jessica Tang (BTU), Treasurer
Jillian Matundan (AFSCME), Secretary