Anaheim, CA - The Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO (APALA) elected its new National President Monica Thammarath of the National Education Association (NEA) during its 14th Biennial Convention, “25 Years of Resistance: Organize & Fight,” this past weekend for the 2017-2019 National Executive Board term. President Thammarath is the youngest ever National President to hold this elected office.
 
“APALA has always held a special place in my heart. I am honored to have been elected as the new National President, and I am excited to strengthen our chapters, our community and labor partnerships, and elevate the voices of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) workers and workers of color everywhere,” stated APALA National President Monica Thammarath.
 
Johanna Puno Hester of the United Domestic Workers, AFSCME Local 3930, who had served as APALA’s president for the past six years, added: “Monica’s drive, commitment, and leadership to APALA is unparalleled. Her heart to bring the broader AAPI community together with the labor movement and her track record as an organizer will be critical to pushing APALA forward as it begins its next twenty five years.”
 
Alvina Yeh, APALA Executive Director, concluded: “I will always be grateful for the leadership of President Emeritus Johanna Puno Hester and outgoing Executive Director Gregory Cendana. Under Monica’s leadership, I am confident that APALA’s future is bright and our path forward for workers is clear. Monica is a champion for our communities, and I can think of no better sister to lead us in the fights we know we will experience ahead.”
 
Thammarath is joined by the other elected officers: Tracy Lai, American Federation of Teachers; Michael Yee, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers; Kim Geron, California Faculty Association; and Johanna Hester, AFSCME.

###

​Washington, DC – Today, the National Executive Board of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO (APALA) announced that Alvina Yeh has been selected to serve as the organization’s next Executive Director. 
 
Alvina has been an APALA member with the Washington, DC chapter for eight years and has served most recently as a chapter leader. There, she has helped facilitate and organize civic engagement programming in Virginia, various education roundtables, membership engagement events, and bolstered the DC chapter’s efforts with APALA priorities around supporting local Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) workers and communities. Her prior experiences at State Voices, Asian Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote), and political campaigns, including the 2012 Obama presidential campaign, have also uniquely positioned her as an expert in electoral strategy, program management, strategic planning, and organizational development.
 
“In trying times like these, we need leaders to step up and prioritize movement building and intersectional organizing,” stated Johanna Puno Hester, APALA National President and Assistant Executive Director of the United Domestic Workers, AFSCME Local 3930. “Alvina brings years of coalition-building experience for amazing year round civic engagement, and knows how to organize on the ground to engage the AAPI community and broader people of color in the civic and political process. She is a fierce advocate for our community, and I am confident she will lead APALA and IAPALA to the next level.”
 
“I’ve known Alvina for almost a decade, and her vision, leadership, and track record show she's not only capable but the kind of leader we need in this political moment,” added outgoing Executive Director Gregory A. Cendana. “Rooted in the communities she serves, Alvina is an organizer at heart who will undoubtedly strengthen and expand APALA and our priorities. I can think of no person better to lead APALA into its next chapter. ”
 
Incoming Executive Director Alvina Yeh concluded: “I am so honored to serve APALA in this capacity. Ever since I became involved, I have always found a sense of community in APALA that you can’t get anywhere else. With such a supportive National Executive Board and staff, I am excited to hit the ground running this June, especially in a progressive space that is a leader in the resistance needed in the AAPI and labor communities.”
 
Read Alvina's biography here. Alvina will officially start June 12, and outgoing Executive Director Gregory Cendana will serve as a Senior Advisor through APALA's 25th Anniversary and Biennial Convention this August.

###

​Washington, DC – In June of this year, current Executive Director Gregory A. Cendana will be stepping down as full time staff and transitioning from the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO (APALA) and the Institute for Asian Pacific American Leadership & Advancement (IAPALA) by August. His visionary leadership and boundless energy will be sorely missed by the National Executive Board, staff, all members and supporters. Under Cendana’s leadership, APALA and IAPALA have grown from a single person staff person to nimble four-person team with a budget of almost $1 million, and have strengthened their partnerships and coalition building across community, labor, and youth. He was the youngest ever and first openly gay person to serve as Executive Director and during his tenure also served as the first Filipino and openly gay chair of the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans and youngest general board member of the AFL-CIO, a federation of labor unions representing 12 million working people. 
 
Johanna Puno Hester, APALA & IAPALA National President and Assistant Executive Director of the United Domestic Workers, AFSCME Local 3930 stated: “We’re greatly indebted to Greg. An organizer at heart, Greg has transformed APALA into a trusted progressive leader in labor and in the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. Words can’t explain how much Greg will be missed at APALA, and though I am sad to see him go, we are excited for Greg in his new endeavors and for a new Executive Director to lead APALA in our years to come.” 
 
Kent Wong, Founding APALA President and UCLA Labor Center Director, said: “I’ve known Greg for over a decade. He was one of the best student organizers at UCLA, became President of the U.S. Student Association, and has emerged as a national leader for worker rights and social justice.  Greg’s influence extends throughout the labor movement and Asian American community, and he has energized APALA by recruiting and training a new generation of young activists.  APALA owes a huge debt of gratitude to Greg’s leadership, and we know he will continue to make contributions to our movement.”
 
Gregory A. Cendana concluded: “What I find most inspiring about our AAPI labor community is that we strive to build a pipeline of new leaders and organizers who will elevate our voices where they’re needed most. These past seven years at APALA have been an incredible experience to create and strengthen relationships across movements, sectors and industries. I’ve worked with some of the best and brightest organizers throughout the country, and now it’s time to step back and create space for another emerging leader to organize and direct our resistance for the next 25 years. Special thanks to Johanna Puno Hester and the National Executive Board for the honor to serve--APALA will always have a special place in my heart and I'm proud to be a part of this family.”
 
We are now accepting applications for APALA and IAPALA Executive Director. The deadline to submit all application materials is Friday, April 7th by 11:59pm EST.

###