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Ryan Names Asian American Advisory Council
CHICAGO-Governor George H. Ryan today announced the creation of the Governor's Asian American Advisory Council, which will serve as an advisory board to the governor on all matters relating to the Asian American population in Illinois.
"The Asian American community has played a significant role in the business, cultural and educational areas of our state," Ryan said. "This Council will address the specific interests of Asian Americans in the State of Illinois."
Illinois' rapidly growing Asian American community now has a population of nearly 400,000.
The Council will act as a liaison to Asian American organizations and make appropriate recommendations to the Governor on matters affecting the welfare of the Asian American population. The Council will also work to keep the Asian American community informed, through public information and outreach efforts, of the wide range of services offered by the state.
The Council is comprised of thirty-three members. The communities they represent include Cambodian, Chinese, Filipino, Indian, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Pakistani, Thai and Vietnamese.
Until a chair can be elected, Dr. Sakhawat Hussain is serving as the interim chair for the Council.
"The committee is the eyes and ears of the Asian American community," Dr. Hussain said. "We are looking forward to working with the Governor."
Ryan demonstrated his commitment to diversity in state government on October 12, 1999, when he signed Executive Order #15. The order directs several state agencies to develop a recruitment plan to reach all populations during efforts to fill vacancies.
A list of council members is attached.
Governor's Asian American Advisory Council
Mr. Leon C. Lim
Founding Member
Cambodian Professional Society of Illinois
Mr. Arthur Wong
President
Chinese American Service League
Ms. Bernarda Wong
Executive Director
Chinese American Service League
Mr. Chun-Wah Chan
Past Chairman
Asian American Coalition
Mr. John Lai
Director
Chinese American Republican League
Mr. Leonard Louie
Board of Director
Chinese American Development Corporation
Ms. Ming-Ming Tong
Account Representative
MetLife
Ms. Nancy Tom
Founder
Center for Asian Arts in Media
Ms. Lourdes Mon
Past Chairman
Asian American Coalition
Dr. Vince Battung
Filipino Amercian Council of Chicago
Mr. Edilberto Ortiz
Board Member
Philippine Cert. Public Account Foundation
Dr. Bansi Sharma
Vice President
Geeta Ashram of Chicago
Mr. Mathew Olickal
State Chairman
India American Forum for Political Education
Mr. Prem Lalvani
President
Alliance of Sindhi Association
Mr. Rajinder Mago
Past President
Sikh American Heritage Organization
Ms. Anne Schipper
Indonesian American Association
Ms. Christine Takada
Executive Director
Asian American Alliance
Ms. Cathy Wang
Minority Immigrants Female Enterprise Council
Ms. Cha-Hee Lee Stanfield
Board Member
Korean American Women's Association
Mr. Inchul Choi
Executive Director
Korean American Community Services
Mr. Jay Jung II Kim
Vice President
Korean Broadcasting Inc.
Mr. Kenny Kim
Chairman
Korean American Merchants Association
Ms. San O
Director
South East Asian Center
Ms. Suzy Kang
Director
Korean American Society
Ms. Younghee Kang
Board Member
Korean Women's Association of Chicago
Dr. Mohammed Arian
Chairman
National Pakistan American Professional and Cultural Organization
Dr. Sakhawat Hussain
Past President
Pakistani American Congress
Dr. Tariq Butt
Mayor's Asian American Advisory Council
Ms. Smita Shah
City of Chicago
Dr. Pipit Chiemmongkoltip
Founding Member
Thai Physicians Association of America
Dr. Sagul Tonsiengsom
Past Board Member
Thai Association of Illinois
Ms. Suchitra Surapiboonchai
Board Member
Thai Association of Illinois
Dr. Ho Luong Tran
President
Vietnamese American Community of Illinois
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