Press Release

Senator Dave Min Honors Ten AAPI Leaders in Recognition of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

(IRVINE, CA) — Senator Dave Min (D-Irvine) today announced ten outstanding community leaders in honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. For the third consecutive year, Senator Min has named AAPI honorees in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors for their contributions to Orange County. The only Korean American serving in the Legislature, Senator Min proudly serves as Vice Chair of the California AAPI Legislative Caucus where he has worked tirelessly to address the surge in anti-Asian hate and championed historic state investments, including the multi-year AAPI Equity Budget, which have funded over 80 community-based organizations statewide. 

 “In celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, I am proud to recognize ten outstanding leaders for their incredible service to our Orange County community,” said Senator Min. “From the arts, medicine, to public service, these honorees are not only at the top of their respective fields, but also serve as role models for this generation and the next. I look forward to continuing to work alongside them to push Orange County and California forward.”  

 

The honorees include:

Dr. Gurpreet S. Ahuja, MD

Recognized an expert in the field of pediatric otolaryngology for more than 20 years, Dr. Ahuja serves as division chief of otolaryngology for CHOC Specialists and director of pediatric otolaryngology training for UC Irvine’s residency program in otolaryngology. Dr. Ahuja has been voted by his peers into Super Doctors of Southern California. He is a recipient of the Teacher of the Year Award from the residents of the Otolaryngology program at UC Irvine. Dr. Ahuja consistently receives the annual Physician of Excellence award from the Orange County Medical Association. Actively involved in the Orange County community, Dr. Ahuja serves on the Board of Directors of the American Red Cross-Orange County chapter as well as the OC Human Relations Council. He is active in the county’s interfaith community, working to foster understanding and dialogue.

Beth Fujishige

Beth Fujishige is a lifelong organizer and volunteer for various community, Japanese American and business organizations including the Red Cross, Jaycees, Rotary, Cherry Blossom Freedom Walk and others. A founding member of the Rotary Club of Orange County LA, Beth has become a leader in community service in our neighborhood, dedicating her free time to supporting and uplifting Orange County. Beth received her undergraduate degree from UCLA in political science and history, and earned her MBA at Claremont University, Peter Drucker School of Management. Professionally, Beth is an officer in her family’s real estate investment and property management company.

Commissioner Naz Hamid

Commissioner Hamid is Chair of the community services commission for the City of Irvine. As a City Commissioner, she works to oversee services for children, youth, and families, childcare and senior citizens in the Irvine community. She has also served as an appointee to the health advisory committee for the Irvine Unified School District, and currently serves on various boards of non-profit organizations, including Asian Americans in Action, the Orange County Equality Coalition, and Supporters of Public Education - Orange County.

Joseph Jonghyun Jeon, Ph.D.

Joseph Jonghyun Jeon is the Director of the Center for Critical Korean Studies and Professor of English and Asian American Studies at the University of California, Irvine. UCI’s Center for Critical Korean Studies (CCKS) promotes Korean language learning, critical inquiry into Korea’s place in the Pacific Rim and throughout the world, and a deeper understanding of Korean history. CCKS has become internationally recognized as a leader in the field of Korean Studies, focusing on Korean culture, from its historical roots to the present. Joseph joined UCI in 2017 and is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University with a Ph.D. in English from the University of California, Berkeley.

Dr. Edward S. Kim M.D., M.B.A., FACP, FASCO

Dr. Kim has been recognized as one of the top cancer experts in the nation and among cancer care’s leading advocates for diversity, equity, and inclusion. A respected clinician, researcher, and physician executive, he is a trailblazer who is eliminating practices that exclude minority populations from clinical trials and result in serious gaps in care and research.  Dr. Kim is among the country’s foremost experts in molecular prognostication - which advances cancer detection and personalized therapies - for lung, head, and neck cancers.  He has served as a principal/co-principal investigator on numerous studies and protocols and authored/co-authored more than 200 published articles, book chapters, and reviews in top-tier journals such as The Lancet, The Lancet Oncology, Journal of Clinical Oncology, Cancer Discovery, Cancer, Nature Medicine, and Cancer Prevention Research.

Grace Leung

Grace Leung became city manager for the City of Newport Beach in September 2018.  She is responsible for City’s day-to-day operations, directing the staff of approximately 730 fulltime employees and 450 part-time employees, overseeing the services of 11 departments, and managing an annual operating budget of nearly $210 million. Grace holds a Bachelor's degree from Columbia University in Urban Studies and a Master's degree in Public Policy from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.  She is a member of the International City Managers’ Association. Grace, and her husband Jim, have two children, Skylar and Miles. Her hobbies include supporting her children in their activities, volunteering with Skylar through National Charity League, and outrigger canoeing in Newport Harbor.

Shani Moslehi

Shani Moslehi founded the Orange County Iranian American Chamber of Commerce in 2015 to help promote businesses, provide in person networking, educational seminars and host cultural events. Her primary goal is to have representation for Iranian Americans in business and to bring the community together to support one another. She takes on the challenge of providing newly arrived Iranians with an opportunity to assimilate in the business world by helping them access resources and mentorship.

Lucy Sun

Lucy Sun is currently the President and Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Orange County Museum of Art (OCMA).  Before her work in the arts, Lucy was a banker, a Managing Director of Goldman Sachs International, and worked in its Equity Division in New York, Hong Kong and London for two decades.  A graduate of Vassar College, she also holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, as well as an MA in art and archaeology from the University of London.  Lucy has served on various boards including 3 terms as Trustee of Vassar College (2000-2012), and a Trustee and Co-Chair of the Board of Trustees at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco.

Rose W. Tsai

Rose W. Tsai is the principal attorney of the Law Offices of Rose W. Tsai & Associates. She has practiced law in California since 1996 and has served the community for more than 25 years. Rose serves on the boards of countless community organizations, like the South Coast Chinese Cultural Association and the Orange County Chinese American Chamber of Commerce. Rose has helped coordinate and moderate events with legislators and the District Attorney’s Office to raise awareness on the issues of Anti-Asian hate crimes/hate incidents.

Jay Ungos

Jay Ungos has been an entrepreneur since 2010 - focusing on technology, marketing, and business development. His passion for supporting small businesses and his local community has led him to serve on multiple boards for non-profit organizations for the past 5 years. In 2023, he founded the Small Business Diversity Network - a non profit organization that supports the underserved small businesses in the U.S, providing innovative programming, invaluable training, impactful events, networking opportunities, resource navigation and access to procurement.

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