APANO announces interim leadership to support transition

Dear Community,

At APANO, we are rooted in values of self determination and belonging. We believe our relationships are sources of strength, support, and power. And we are committed to building the political, social, economic, and cultural power communities need to thrive.

These values are at the heart of APANO’s organizing, advocacy, community development, and cultural work. While the upcoming months of transition at APANO are sure to provide both challenges and opportunities, we want you to know we are working hard to make sure APANO’s critical work in the community is fully supported as we begin preparing the search for our next executive leadership.

To support and guide APANO during the transition process, the board has contracted with Kathleen Holt and Katrina Gonzalez Yuen, who bring a combined 45 years of experience in strategic organizational development, human resources and workplace culture. Kathleen will be Interim Executive Director, taking the lead on organizational assessment and structure, staff support, and board coordination. Katrina will be Interim Human Resources Director, heading up HR assessment, organizational integration and workplace culture. Both Kathleen and Katrina have past connections to the APANO community, with Kathleen recently facilitating APANO’s strategic planning process and Katrina being a longtime APANO supporter.

Kathleeen and Katrina shared that they are excited and honored to help APANO at this critical time, and look forward to working with APANO’s staff and board. Kathleen can be reached at Kathleen.Holt@apano.org and Katrina at Katrina.Yuen@apano.org. You can read more about their backgrounds at our staff page.

The board and staff also thank Chi Nguyen for her two years of leadership and service as APANO’s Executive Director. Chi shared, “I couldn’t be more thrilled to pass the torch onto our co-director team. Kathleen has been a joy to work with throughout the Strategic Planning process over the last 9 months, and her transition into Interim Executive Director will be seamless as a result of having gotten to know the board and staff. Katrina’s HR savvy will help our organization dive into the heart work of our organization.”

We thank you for your support and patience with us through this transition period, and look forward to continuing to work together to support our communities and call for justice.

All the best,

Jennifer Chang, APANO Communities United Fund Board Chair

Wei Wei Lou, APANO Board Chair