Holly Ham joins the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders as Executive Director. In this capacity, she is responsible for directing the efforts of the White House Initiative and the President’s Advisory Commission on AAPIs to advise federal agency leadership on the implementation and coordination of federal programs as they relate to AAPIs across executive departments and agencies.
Analisa Balares (Global FWN100™ '14) was recently handpicked by Swiss global banking giant UBS as one of its inaugural batch of “Global Visionaries,” described as a select pool of 10 extraordinary people who dedicate their lives to projects, research, movements and technologies that have the potential to profoundly impact our lives and the society we live in.
“Analisa understands the economic benefits of higher participation rates of women in the workforce and that a holistic approach needs to be applied to women’s education and development,” said Simon Smiles, chief investment officer at UBS Wealth Management." News story from The Inquirer.
Devoted FWN volunteer Franklin Ricarte was recently appointed to San Francisco's Immigrant Rights Commission by Mayor Ed Lee. “I’m honored that I was appointed by the mayor to serve in this commission. And my experiences as a Filipino-American and as an immigrant…will inform the kinds of things we need to discuss and work on in the commission,” quipped Franklin. News story from ABS-CBN.
Bay Area Fil-Am Chef Charleen Cabaay of Kainbigan Restaurant recently won the New Year’s Eve edition of Food Network’s cooking competition show “Chopped”. Chef Charleen showcased inventive Filipino dishes using surprise ingredients to win a cash prize of $10,000. News story from ABS-CBN News.
San Francisco Visual Art Committee in the Arts Commission selected the final design for the San Francisco 'Comfort Women' memorial. The design was among the 30+ applications that were submitted for the Call for Artists. The three girls on top of a cylindrical pedestal represent the victims from different parts of the world, and the grandma figure represents the survivors who are continuing their struggle for justice and dignity. The memorial will be accompanied by a plaque that explains the 'Comfort Women' history and its meaning today.
