Washington, D.C. (November 12, 2010) – The Asian American Government Executives Network, the organization with a mission to promote, expand, and support Asian American and Pacific Islander leadership in Government, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the U. S. Department of Agriculture on November 4, 2010. The MOA is designed to enhance Federal career opportunities for AAPI Senior Executives and prospective senior executive service members.
The objectives of this MOU is to coordinate and facilitate activities that are responsive to the needs of USDA’s mission and its employees. In this regard, AAGEN would make recommendations to USDA on initiatives that address concerns affecting the recruitment, on-boarding, training, career development, promotion, under-representation, and retention of USDA’s workforce.
AAGEN also recommends as it relates to providing higher levels of government with Asian Pacific American leaders who can contribute fully to the building and maintenance of the USDA; educating APA public servants and prospective public servants on the proper process and procedures for achieving entry into higher levels of government.
AAGEN has signed a similar MOU with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and is currently in discussions with other agencies.
AAGEN was founded in September 1994, and it is a 501(c)3 non-profit, non-partisan organization of the highest-ranking Asian Pacific American career and appointed executives. Its mission is to promote, expand, and support Asian Pacific American leadership in Government.
The AAGEN Advisory Board included U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI); Carol A. Bonosaro, President of the Senior Executives Association; US Rep. Mazie K. Hirono (HI-2); U.S. Rep. Michael M. Honda (CA-15); U.S. Dept. of Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta; Samuel T. Mok, CFO, U.S. Dept. of Labor; and Rep. Robert Underwood (Guam).
The AAGEN Board Chair is Yann King, Ph.D., and the Vice Chair is Sharon M. Wong. The Executive Director is James Meng, Ph.D. There is also an Executive Committee an a Technology Advisor, Minh Nguyen.
AAGEN is located at 1001 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Suite 530, Washington D.C. 20036. For more information on AAGEN, please visit www.aagen.org and www.facebook.com/aagen.org.
