National Association of Asian American Professionals to Honor Outstanding Leaders
First-Ever NAAAP Pride Award Will Be Presented Among Organization’s Highest Honors at Red Carpet Gala Sponsored by United Airlines in Kansas City
A diverse, outstanding cohort of leaders who have furthered the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community’s vision and mission will be honored at a red carpet gala closing the annual NAAAP Leadership Convention in Kansas City, Missouri on August 24th.
The National Association of Asian American Professionals (NAAAP), a leadership development organization serving the AAPI community with a broad range of professional and educational services for more than 30 years, will pay tribute to these leaders for their extraordinary leadership and contributions through the NAAAP100 Recognition Program, a prestigious annual leadership award.
Sponsored by United Airlines, the NAAAP100, Inspire, and – for the first time – the NAAAP Pride Award, are NAAAP’s highest honors granted to those, who through their life’s work or a recent endeavor, have elevated the AAPI cause and amplified voices of the community in their respective fields.
“This year’s recipients are as diverse as they are exceptional; NAAAP is grateful to United Airlines for sponsoring this year’s awards and is thrilled to invite you to get to know our NAAAP100, Inspire, and NAAAP Pride honorees, at the Multifaceted Gala,” said Cyndy Yu-Robinson, NAAAP Executive Director.
The Multifaceted Gala will cap a three-day Leadership Convention featuring dozens of speakers from all walks of life, encouraging participants to broaden their view of business and community leadership and lead boldly wherever life takes them.
The Gala, located at the Arvest Bank Theater at the Midland, will feature red carpet arrivals, a cocktail reception, live entertainment, a silent auction, a three-course gourmet dinner program, and an after-party till midnight.
NAAAP Pride Award Winner Telly Leung will be featured along with other entertainers, including Three Trails Taiko, The Butcher’s Son Ensemble/Vi Tran Band, The Burnt Ends from The Heartland Men’s Chorus, and Anu Bhatt. A special VIP meet and greet experience with Telly Leung is available.
NAAAP100 Honorees
In 2008, NAAAP began a program to recognize the most exemplary leaders in the AAPI community. The NAAAP100 award is granted annually to luminaries in their respective field who, in addition to their considerable professional achievements, have made powerful contributions to elevating the AAPI cause. Previous award winners include the late Senator Daniel Inouye, Pepsico CEO Indra Nooyi, Superbowl MVP Hines Ward, and playwright David Henry Hwang.
Lhakpa Tenzing Sherpa is the founder of the Apa Sherpa Foundation, dedicated to the improvement of education and economic development in Nepal.
Hitesh Ramchandani, though born with cerebral palsy, became a Paralympic medal winner with the Singapore Cerebral Palsy Football Team. In April 2015, Hitesh authored his autobiography, “Better Than Normal,” which has sold more than 15,000 copies worldwide.
Mia Frances Yamamoto. Born Michael Francis Yamamoto in Poston Relocation Camp in Yuma County, Arizona, in 1943,Yamamoto is the co-founder of the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Southern California; co-founder and current co-chair of the Multi-Cultural Bar Alliance (a coalition of 17 minority, women’s and LGBT bar associations); and founding board member of International Bridges to Justice, a human rights group providing due process education and advocating against investigative torture in the judicial systems in China, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.
Rachelle Arizmendi is the first person and woman of color to be elected to the City of Sierra Madre City Council in California. She was selected by her colleagues to serve as Mayor in 2017 and was recently re-elected to her second term. In 2018, she was recognized as one of the 100 Most Influential Filipina Women in the World by FWN.
NAAAP Inspire Award Honoree
In 2016, NAAAP created a program to recognize our most promising up-and-coming leaders in the Asian community. Over time, this award has grown to recognize leaders who have made a notable departure from their usual work to utilize their platform in affecting positive change in an unexpected way. Like NAAAP100 honorees, these NAAAP Inspire honorees have had a significant impact in business, government, or nonprofits.
Nydia Han is an Emmy award-winning journalist specializing in consumer investigations. She is also a news anchor, TEDx speaker, Speaker Who Dares, and creator of the documentary series, #ThisIsAmerica, a fresh, provocative look at who we are as Americans.
NAAAP Pride Award Honoree
In 2018 NAAAP Pride was officially launched as a national program to empower, educate, engage, and celebrate the Asian American LGBTQ+ professional community and its allies by providing education, promoting visibility, and developing current and future LGBTQ+ leaders. To celebrate the first anniversary of NAAAP Pride, the NAAAP Pride Award was established to honor an influential leader in the Asian American LGBTQ+ community who has made significant contributions in advancing LGBTQ+ leadership, equality, and visibility.
Telly Leung is a singer, songwriter, actor, producer and influential leader in the Asian American LGBTQ+ community. He most recently starred in the title role of Disney’s Aladdin on Broadway at the New Amsterdam Theater. Other Broadway and national touring credits include Flower Drum Song, Pacific Overtures, Wicked, the final company of Rent, Godspell, Allegiance, and In Transit. Telly has performed live all over the world and has appeared on television in “Glee” (Fox), “Instinct” (CBS), “Law and Order: Criminal Intent” (NBC), among other shows. He was also heavily featured in the PBS documentary Broadway Or Bust as a teacher and performance coach for the Jimmy Awards.
Detailed biographies and photos are available at https://www.leadershipconvention.org/awards/.
For Gala ticket packages and information, visit https://www.leadershipconvention.org/gala/. A portion of the evening’s proceeds will go to support NAAAP Pride and the Kansas City Center for Inclusion.
The Leadership Convention will feature a free Diversity Career Fair on Aug. 23 from 11 a.m. To 4 p.m. Visit https://www.leadershipconvention.org/diversity-career-fair/ for registration and details. For Leadership Convention registration and detailed information about speakers, program, and entertainment, visit https://www.leadershipconvention.org/.
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About NAAAP
The National Association of Asian American Professionals (NAAAP) is the premier leadership organization for Asian professionals in North America, with 30 chapters, several thousand active members, and a reach of more than 20,000 professionals. Since 1982, NAAAP has operated as a nonprofit to inspire, develop, and connect leaders in all major industries and countless communities through professional development and community service. For more information, please visit www.naaap.org.
