With the year coming to a close, we thank you for your support and commitment to CKA. We have made great strides to nurture leaders and strengthen the Korean American community. Thank you for standing with us and supporting us through these complex times. We are a better organization.
As an appreciation, we hope you can join one of the many CKA holiday parties hosted by our members across the country. It has been a tremendous time to reconnect with CKA members and commemorate a memorable year.
As a reminder, the fourth and final quarter of new membership nominations are due on December 20th. If you have any friends or colleagues to nominate or recommend for 2021, please submit soon, especially if your friend is a NetKAL alum. You can find applications and information here.
And as always, please take a moment to read below about the amazing accomplishments and changes in the lives of our CKA trailblazers. It is amazing how Korean Americans are making a huge impact in so many sectors like technology, business, government, law, research, and sports.
I want to wish you and your family a wonderful Christmas season and a healthy and happy New Year.
Best Regards,
Abraham Kim, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Council of Korean Americans
Confirmation of Judge Lucy Koh to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
Congratulations to Judge Koh for her historic confirmation to the Ninth Circuit to become the first Korean American female federal appellate judge! Judge Koh previously made history as the first Korean American federal district court judge in 2010.
Sesame Street Debuts Korean American Muppet
In November, Ji-Young made history as the first Asian American muppet in the “Sesame Street” canon. She is puppeteered by Korean American Kathleen Kim. Ji-Young was created to counter anti-Asian sentiment and will teach children how to be a good “upstander,” or someone who speaks out against negative attitudes towards a person.
Buried Piece of Korean History – America’s First Koreatown – uncovered in CA
PBS has released a piece about the first Koreatown in Riverside, CA. In this piece, Stephanie Sy interviews CKA member Edward Chang about the decades-long path to discovering America’s first Koreatown, which is now featured in an exhibit in Southern California.
Los Angeles Koreatown Unified in One Single City Council District
The Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously to approve a redistricting ordinance that unifies Koreatown within Council District 10. Owing much to strong community engagement, the 2021 Redistricting Committee was able to successfully revive a campaign from 10 years ago to overturn the city’s redistricting decisions of 2002 and 2012.
Dan Aum co-wrote an article in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, arguing that amidst the global semiconductor shortage, Georgia has an opportunity to improve its position in the chips supply chain.
Frank was featured in an article about whether President Moon Jae-In could end the Korean War with a declaration of peace as the initial step to denuclearization.
Congratulations to Anne on her promotion to Chief Legal Officer and Secretary at Thomas James Homes LLC!
Grace joined the Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs (APSIA) and Women’s Foreign Policy Group for a conversation on navigating a career in global gender advocacy. Grace also wrote a piece on Asian American women leaders rising in politics.
Juliet served as a panelist on the session entitled The Road Ahead: Opportunities to Improve Public Health and Reduce Racial Disparities at the Milken Institute’s 2021 Global Conference. As a national commissioner to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s National Commission for Transforming Public Health Data Systems, Juliet also served as a panelist on the session entitled “Transforming the Nation’s Public Health Data and Data Systems to Achieve Health Equity and Sustainable Well-being” at the American Public Health Association’s 2021 Annual Meeting.
David and his company Equilar were recognized (see 36-min mark) in an episode of the Masters of Scale podcast, which discussed the significance of building a better board.
Innovo Property Group bought the HSBC Tower in Midtown Manhattan. The sale is expected to be completed in April 2022.
At the end of December, Susan will retire after four decades of adoptee advocacy with Holt International. Congratulations on your retirement!
INOVIO received U.S. FDA authorization to proceed with Phase 3 of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate in the United States. Previously, INOVIO received authorization in India, Brazil, Philippines, Mexico, Colombia, and Thailand and now has the opportunity to enroll U.S. clinical trial participants.
PGP Capital Advisors will function as a co-advisor to Minority Equality Opportunities Acquisition Inc. for business combination search and transaction execution.
Congratulations to Jennifer on her Grammy nomination for her album “Alone Together” in the Best Classical Instrument Solo category! Jennifer was featured prominently in the Philadelphia Inquirer discussing the program for her upcoming recital. She was also recently featured in a String sarticle about Bach.
AppHarvest launched its Fight the Food Fight Campaign and e-commerce platform with its first harvest from its second season of sustainably cultivated tomatoes grown on an indoor farm.
Congratulations to Gloria on her appointment to the Hanmi Bank Board of Directors!
Jean was interviewed by GZERO Media about South Korea’s potential to shape global culture and its potential implications on soft power diplomacy.
Congratulations to Jee for starting her new position as News Editor at The Korea Economic Daily!
Congratulations to Dr. Lee on joining the Tenaya Therapeutics Board of Directors!
Congratulations to Dokkabier on its recent accolades! Dokkaebier has won the 2021 Red Dot Design Award in recognition of the brand’s design, and its renowned Kimchi Sour craft beer was awarded the Gold Medal at the 2021 Annual Brewski Awards. The Dokkaebier team also won the 2021 Award of Distinction from the Association of Registered Graphic Designers in their In-House Design Awards Program.
Don was featured in a Wall Street Journal article about his successful efforts to help a retailer manage bumpy supply chains.
I Squared Capital acquired KIO Networks, expanding their commitment to digital infrastructure by adding a platform with an established track record of constructing, developing, and operating data centers.
Gen.G and the University of Kentucky partnered for their second annual “Give Health for Kentucky Kids” fundraiser supporting Kentucky Children’s Hospital.
With Ekwan Rhow leading the Samsung defense team, Bird Marella won a unanimous jury verdict for Samsung Electronics in its trial on-chip supply chains.
Phillip will speak at the 2021 National Asian Pacific American Bar Association Convention in the “Harmonizing Cultural Differences in International Dispute Resolution” session.
Dr. Sohn was quoted in an article about low global HIV viral suppression rates among children and adolescents.
Congratulations to Dr. Song on joining the Mercy Corps Board of Directors!
Jenny co-wrote an analysis about North Korea’s Yongbyon Nuclear Complex and recent evidence that the 5 MWe Reactor is operating.
Congratulations to Suzanne for being named to Chicago United’s Business Leaders of Color 2021!