New Staff Brief Bios

Please kindly give warm welcome to ASIA’s new staff-

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Name: Rui Zhang
Job Title: Program, Communication and Policy Assistant
Job Description:
Policy/media communication: updates and activities on Facebook/Twitter; drafting press releases; ASIA website updates;
Coordinate the logistics for the fall gala including pre- and post-event activities: managing fundraiser database, processing donations; updating the database, and generating reports as well as the actual event
Assist civic engagement and health programs.
Education: B.A. in Psychology from Beloit College
Background and experience:
Rui was born and raised in a Shanghainese longdang, a traditional urban alley-community in the old French concession, where the US embassy is right next to it. She felt lucky to be in this world because it is unique to be a second-born kid as an exception to the Single-child policy in China (Her parents are both from single-child family, so she exempts from the law).
When she was five, her grandpa, who was a college English professor, started teaching her English. She served as a child receptionist to International tourists at 9. Growing up in Shanghai makes her become international and open-minded. She read a book called “Ivy League Is Not a Dream” when she was 10. Since then, the seed of coming to the US was buried in her mind. Due to the economic booming in China, the city has changed dramatically. After she got tired of the “show-off” mentality and unsatisfied with the Chinese higher education, she decided to come to the US.
In 2010, she transferred to Beloit College, a liberal arts college in Wisconsin and switched from English to Psychology major, which she had been longing to pursue. Her college experience was invaluable- she made friends around the world and got inspired by the diverse culture and customs. She hopes to travel around the world and reunite with them one day. She thinks she is a little bit westernized, but still sustains good eastern Confucius ethnics and virtues. She is trying to be independent and pursue her master’s in mental health in the near future and eventually become a therapist- but that might change as well.

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Name: Cathy Vue, MPH
Job Title: Program Coordinator
Job Description: Cathy works on Project RAISE to focus on high impact policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) changes to address nutrition, obesity, and physical activity in the Asian American community.  She is located in the Akron office.
Education: Master of Public Health from the Northwest Ohio Consortium for Public Health in Toledo
Experience: Cathey previously worked at the Monroe County Health Department in Monroe, Michigan in emergency preparedness and community health education.
Some fun things about me: Cathy likes to try different ethnic foods! She also enjoys spending time with my family and has a beautiful 1 year old niece.

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Name: Malissa Xiong
Job Title: Program Assistant
Job Description: Programs assistant for the Akron office, helping with administrative duties, employability skills program, and the interpreting and translation services.
Bio: Malissa is originally from California moved to Ohio in 1998, graduated with a Associate Degree in Medical Assistant and Administrative. Currently working as a Program Assistant at ASIA (in the Akron Office), she is also a Hmong Interpreter at ASIA. Malissa is hoping to improve herself through continuous practice and training that she may have. On Malissa free time, she enjoys spending time with her families, friends and a long walk at the park to ease the mind.

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Name: Luanne Bole-Becker
Job Title: Special Projects Manager
Description: In this part-time role, she works primarily on data collection, grant proposals, and grant reporting.   She is also assisting in marketing efforts with the HAPI Fresh farm project.
Background:
Luanne also works part-time with Building Hope in the City in special projects/grant writing, and as a data managements/special projects for the Refugee Services Collaborative of Greater Cleveland, a group of 14 agencies serving the local refugee community.
Luanne brings a varied background to her work with ASIA:
–  She is an Emmy-Award winning video producer specializing in PBS and non-profit work.
–  She has launched, managed, and promoted grass-roots community programs, volunteer programs and multimedia exhibits.
–  She has written and edited grants, articles, books, technical manuals, and curriculum within the arts, education, business, social service, and sciences.

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Name: Soeng Kha Mahn
Job Title: Case Assistant
Job Description: Help clients apply for public assistance; help them with self-sufficiency, such as jobs, food, Medicare and Medicaid, benefits and help them when they have troubles with law.
Background: Soeng Kha took high school in Burma in 1992 and then moved to Thailand the same year. From 1998-2000, he worked at Earth Right International, mainly focusing on human rights and environment. In 2001, he came to the States. He started his undergraduate at University of Akron in 2002 and accomplished his degree in 2010 in political science.
At his leisure time, he likes to spend time reading with his 3 kids and doing gardening. Guitar is also his favorite musical instrument that he plays time and again.