Tag: tina matsuoka

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Press Release: NAPABA Extends its Warm Wishes to Long-Time Executive Director Tina Matsuoka and Welcomes Interim Executive Director Jill Werner

For Immediate Release I December 30, 2019
For More Information, Contact:
Jill Werner, Interim Executive Director, [email protected]

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) extends its gratitude to Tina Matsuoka for her dedicated service as executive director of NAPABA for more than eleven years. NAPABA flourished under her tenure, which was marked by significant financial and programmatic growth.

“The NAPABA Board is grateful to Tina for her leadership and vision,” said Bonnie Lee Wolf, president of NAPABA.  “NAPABA is recognized on the national stage for its effective advocacy and policy work and emulated by peer organizations in large part because of Tina’s efforts.”

Tina was the longest-serving executive director in NAPABA’s history. Before she joined NAPABA, she was a practicing attorney with experience in government and private practice.

In announcing her departure, Ms. Matsuoka said, “It has been an honor to have worked with dedicated and talented NAPABA staff, board members, and volunteers to support the Asian Pacific American community and diversity in the legal profession. Although I am looking forward to spending more time with my family, I will truly miss the NAPABA community of lawyers who have become friends and mentors.”

Jill Werner, who is now serving as NAPABA’s Interim Executive Director, has served in various roles at the American Bar Association, including as director of member retention and staff director of the National Association of Bar Executives and the National Conference of Bar Foundations.  

The NAPABA Board of Governors is working to ensure a smooth transition and has begun the recruitment and selection process for the next executive director.

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NAPABA DONATES $10,000 TO TYPHOON HAIYAN RELIEF EFFORTS

National Asian Pacific American Bar Association

1612 K Street NW, Suite 1400 
Washington, DC 20006

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
November 20, 2013

Contact: Emily Chatterjee 
(202) 775-9555

NAPABA DONATES $10,000 TO TYPHOON HAIYAN RELIEF EFFORTS 
Supports Immigration Relief for Filipinos Based in the United States

WASHINGTON — The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) today announced that it has committed $10,000 to the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in support of the IRC’s emergency relief efforts in the Philippines. NAPABA also announced its support for temporary immigration-related relief for individuals from the Philippines who are currently in the U.S.

“NAPABA is committed to supporting the victims of the Typhoon Haiyan catastrophe. We will be donating $10,000 to support the IRC, which is currently focused on clean water, health care, and other urgent needs in the Philippines,” said William J. Simonitsch, president of NAPABA. “Almost a million people have been displaced internally, and the rebuilding efforts will be ongoing for years to come. We encourage all those who are able to do so to make a charitable donation to the IRC or to other groups working on the ground.”

In addition to the list of aid agencies recommended in NAPABA’s statement in support of victims of Typhoon Haiyan on Monday, which may be found here, potential donors may want to consider Save the Children and the National Alliance for Filipino Concerns (NAFCON).

Tina Matsuoka, executive director of NAPABA, stated, “We recognize that, in addition to financial support, victims and their families need other assistance, which is why NAPABA has endorsed Temporary Protected Status for the Philippines. With TPS, Filipinos in the U.S. can be protected from deportation and are eligible to work, enabling them to continue to send remittances back home, thereby helping their families rebuild their lives.”

Under §244(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) would allow nationals from the Philippines residing in the U.S. to receive a temporary, humanitarian form of relief from deportation, and make them eligible to obtain work authorization. The Department of Homeland Security designated Haiti for TPS in similar circumstances after a massive earthquake in 2010. Today, NAPABA joined the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and others in a letter to Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Beers, and formally requested that the Philippines be designated for TPS will all due haste.

About the International Rescue Committee:

The International Rescue Committee responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. When an emergency arises, the IRC arrives on the scene within 72 hours with urgently needed supplies and expertise that protect people caught in the midst of chaos. We commit to stay as long as we are needed, helping survivors to heal, recover and rebuild their communities to be stronger, more stable and more democratic.

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NAPABA APPLAUDS NOMINATION OF THEODORE CHUANG TO SERVE AS DISTRICT COURT JUDGE

National Asian Pacific American Bar Association

1612 K Street NW, Suite 1400
Washington, DC 20006

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 25, 2013

Contact: Emily Chatterjee
(202) 775-9555

NAPABA APPLAUDS NOMINATION OF THEODORE CHUANG TO SERVE AS DISTRICT COURT JUDGE

WASHINGTON – Today, President Barack Obama nominated Theodore Chuang to a seat on the United States District Court for the District of Maryland. If confirmed, Chuang will be the first person of Asian descent to serve as a federal judge in the state of Maryland, and the first person of Asian descent to serve as an Article III judge in any of the courts covered by the Fourth Circuit.

“We commend Theodore Chuang on his historic nomination to the federal bench,” said Tina Matsuoka, executive director of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA). “Mr. Chuang is exceptionally qualified to serve on the federal judiciary in Maryland. We also applaud President Obama’s ongoing commitment to nominating qualified Asian Pacific Americans to serve on the federal courts.” If all of the current Asian Pacific American judicial nominees are confirmed by the Senate, President Obama will have more than tripled than the number of Asian Pacific American federal judges since he first took office.

Mr. Chuang currently serves as Deputy General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, where he has worked since 2009. Previously, Chuang was the Chief Investigative Counsel for the House Committee on Energy and Commerce in 2009 and Deputy Chief Investigative Counsel for the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform from 2007 to 2009. From 1998 to 2004, Chuang served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the District of Massachusetts. Prior to becoming a federal prosecutor, Chuang was a trial attorney in the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. Mr. Chuang also has been active in community service. He has held leadership positions with the Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center, District of Columbia Bar, and the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of the Greater Washington D.C. Area.

NAPABA commends President Obama for nominating Theodore Chuang to the bench and Senators Barbara Mikulski and Benjamin Cardin of Maryland for their support of his nomination.

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The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) is the national association of Asian Pacific American attorneys, judges, law professors, and law students. NAPABA represents the interests of over 40,000 attorneys and 66 state and local Asian Pacific American bar associations. Its members include solo practitioners, large firm lawyers, corporate counsel, legal service and non-profit attorneys, and lawyers serving at all levels of government. NAPABA continues to be a leader in addressing civil rights issues confronting Asian Pacific American communities. Through its national network of committees and affiliates, NAPABA provides a strong voice for increased diversity of the federal and state judiciaries, advocates for equal opportunity in the workplace, works to eliminate hate crimes and anti-immigrant sentiment, and promotes the professional development of people of color in the legal profession.