My journey in public service is deeply personal. Born in Cambodia during the fall of the Khmer Rouge regime, I arrived in the United States in 1981 under the Refugee Resettlement Act. This experience taught me that when we create pathways of opportunity for our most vulnerable, we strengthen the foundation of our entire community. It's a lesson that drives my approach to public service: "a rising tide lift all boats" is the cliché. 

As a communications specialist at Washington State's Office of Equity under the Office of the Governor, I bring a deep commitment to inclusive governance and equitable policy implementation. Drawing from my previous role as Digital Media Manager in Governor Jay Inslee's office, I've developed expertise in creating communication strategies that bridge diverse communities and advance meaningful policy change.

Throughout my career, I've demonstrated success in building broad coalitions that benefit our entire communities. My work with the Khmer Advocacy & Advancement Group (KhAAG) has not only supported families facing deportation but also helped establish more equitable immigration processes that protect all families, regardless of their background. This work has created frameworks for community support that serve as models for addressing challenges faced by many diverse communities across Tacoma and beyond.

My record of community engagement includes founding Red Scarf Revolution, a platform that combines cultural celebration with advocacy for the arts and its impact. This platform exemplifies my approach to policy-making: engaging communities through shared culture and experiences while advancing substantive policy changes. The success of this model was recently demonstrated through the Southeast Asian Comedy Collective, which earned the AMOCAT Award for Community Outreach by challenging stereotypes and promoting dialogue about Asian-American experiences.