FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JULY 9, 2020
Contact: Justine Ventura Mejia
Programs Manager
Phone: (213)269-4639
Email: justine@causeusa.org
Los Angeles, CA – Respected Asian Pacific Islander (API) community leader and activist, Nancy Yap, has been named as the new Executive Director for CAUSE (Center For Asians United for Self Empowerment), it was announced today. Yap, who has been serving as Vice President for Development at LEAP (Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics), will begin her new position with CAUSE on July 20 and will be responsible for all facets of the organization’s leadership training, political and community engagement and other programming.
“All of us at CAUSE are very excited to welcome such a proven and experienced non-profit leader as Nancy as our new Executive Director,” said CAUSE Board Chair, Charlie Woo. “During this uncertain and difficult time for the Asian Pacific Islander community, CAUSE needs to step up and Nancy will provide the right kind of leadership that will take us to the next level.”
Yap was selected after a comprehensive nationwide talent search that identified a number of qualified candidates, according to CAUSE Search Committee Chair Ralph Barnes.
“We knew immediately that we found the right candidate with Nancy,” said Barnes. “Nancy brings the right balance of leadership, expertise, and relevancy which is going to be instrumental as we adapt to our new normal.”
Yap has worked for LEAP for more than 13 years and was responsible for the development of the $1.8 million organization and delivering and designing leadership programs nationwide. She is the co-founder of Community Feeding Community, a meals program for those impacted by Covid-19 business closures that distributed over 6,500 meals and invested over $100,000 into small businesses.
Yap also serves on the executive board of the Arts District Little Tokyo Neighborhood Council, and is an alumnus of the Aspen Institute and AAPI Civic U at Cal State LA’s Pat Brown Institute. She is a graduate of New York University.
“I am honored to have this pivotal role in the API community,” said Yap. “I am looking forward to shaping the future of CAUSE, amplifying the voices of API communities that are impacted by local issues, and increasing the visibility of API civic engagement.”
About CAUSE
Center for Asian Americans United for Self Empowerment (CAUSE) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, nonpartisan, community-based organization with a mission to advance the political empowerment of the Asian Pacific American community through nonpartisan voter outreach, training, and education as well as leadership development.
Since its founding 1993, CAUSE has led efforts to drive APA civic engagement, from facilitating in-language Get Out The Vote workshops in the Greater Los Angeles Area to hosting the first-ever APA-facing gubernatorial debate in California history in 2018. CAUSE plans to continue efforts in 2020 to mobilize the community by providing the knowledge, access, and network to inspire APAs of all ages to voice their vote.
For any further inquiries, please contact CAUSE via phone at (213) 269-4639 or email at info@causeusa.org. General information can be obtained from our website at www.causeusa.org. Our office is located at 1605 W. Olympic Boulevard, Suite #1027, Los Angeles, CA 90015.
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