The White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (WHIAANHPI) is charged with coordinating and supporting an existing Regional Network (RN) of federal officials who facilitate improved communication, engagement, and coordination between the federal government and Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AA and NHPI) communities throughout the United States.
The RN includes over 400 federal agency officials based in 10 federal regions. The RN seeks to build relationships between the federal government and AA and NHPI communities by coordinating outreach efforts and connecting community stakeholders with federal resources across regional offices.
If you would like to engage with your local RN leadership and receive updates on events and resources in your area, please email WHIAANHPI@hhs.gov. They would be happy to answer any of your questions or direct you to the right federal agency. The RN leadership looks forward to coordinating local and regional events and continuing to help AA and NHPI communities better understand, navigate, and engage with the federal government.
National Co-Chairs
Ben Raju
Los Angeles District Office
U.S. Small Business Administration
Paul Chang
Wage and Hour Division
U.S. Department of Labor
Region 1 ｜ Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont
Norman Eng – Boston, MA
U.S. Small Business Administration
Region 2 ｜ New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands
Everett Lo – New York, NY
U.S. Social Security Administration
Rachel Park, New York, NY
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Region 3 ｜Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia
Emily Kessel – Washington, D.C.
Minority Business Development Agency
Lanlan Xu, Washington, DC
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Region 4 ｜Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee
Glory Gervacio – Raleigh, NC
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Region 5 ｜Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin
Doug Nguyen – Chicago, IL
U.S. Social Security Administration
Region 6 ｜Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas
Audrina Lange – Little Rock, AR
U.S. Department of Labor-Wage and Hour Division
Lucia Garcia – Houston, TX
U.S. Department of Labor-Wage and Hour Division
Region 7 ｜Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska
Maria Flores, Chicago, IL
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Region 8 ｜Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming
Patricia McMahon – Denver, CO
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Angelo Dalmacio, Denver, CO
U.S. Housing and Urban Development
Region 9｜Northern California
Thomas Szymanek – San Francisco, CA
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Justin Lock – San Francisco, CA
U.S. Department of Justice- Community Relations Service
Region 9｜ Southwest: Arizona, Southern California and Nevada
Cherry Destura – Los Angeles, CA
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Region 9｜Hawai'i, American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Marshall Islands, and Republic of Palau
Hanako Wakatsuki-Chong – Honolulu, HI
U.S. National Park Service
Region 10 ｜Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington
Stephen Yim – Seattle, WA
U.S. Department of Labor – Wage and Hour Division
Davis Zhen – Bothell, WA
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
