Commissioners

Commission Members
Ethnicity and county of residence in parentheses

Chair:
Yang Yu, Ph.D. (Chinese, Howard County) – Dr. Yang Yu is the Interim Dean of the Liberal Studies Division at Howard Community College (HCC) and was appointed to represent HCC in Howard County’s Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Commission. She previously served as the Associate Dean of the Liberal Studies Division, Acting Associate Dean of the Social Sciences and Teacher Education Division and Chair of the Social and Cultural Sciences Department at HCC. She holds a Ph.D. in geography from the University of Sheffield, UK, and BA degree in environmental management with environmental science at the University of Leeds, UK. Dr. Yang Yu is a published author, with 13 journal articles and one co-authored book.

Vice- Chair:
Roxanne Yamashita, PhD (Pacific Islander, Montgomery County) – Dr. Roxanne Yamashita serves as the Executive Director of Small Things Matter (STM), a volunteer-run, intergenerational, grassroots nonprofit founded in 2017 by her daughter Lana Anderson. STM is dedicated to fighting food insecurity, increasing literacy in underserved communities, and engaging the community in serving those in need. STM currently serves 8000 food insecure individuals including the disabled, LGBTQ+, elderly, and refugees and distributes a million pounds of fresh produce and culturally relevant foods each year. Roxanne holds a Ph.D. in Genetics and Molecular Biology from the University of Hawai’i and works as a bioinformatics scientist at the National Institutes of Health.

Members:
Isabelle Balakit (Filipino, Charles County) – a first-generation Filipina who immigrated to the United States from the Philippines when she was 6 years old.  She is a dedicated community advocate, serving on the Board of the Filipino-American Association of Maryland (FIL-AM) and as a member of the Port Tobacco Players Theater to promote diversity and visibility of Filipino-Americans within Southern Maryland. She has supported Asian Pacific American employees as a board member with DOJPanAsia at the Department of Justice to coordinate the Asian Pacific American programs.  She worked as an Outreach Coordinator for the Center for Abused Persons in Charles County assisting victims of domestic violence. She holds a B.S. in Criminal Justice and Behavioral Science from the University of Maryland.  Isabelle serves as the Chair on the Education/Workforce Development Committee for the Commission.

Tim Chng (Taiwanese, Baltimore City) – is a principal software developer for Yahoo inc. Throughout his life, he has been active in building the Taiwanese American community as well as Asian American networking and advocacy. Since 1999, Tim has lived and raised his family in Baltimore city.  He currently serves on the Board of Trustees for the Baltimore School for the Arts and has participated in advocacy for education of Baltimore City youth. Tim serves as the Chair on the Community (Arts, Culture, and Interfaith) Committee for the Commission. 

Amy Jean Chung Fry (South Korean, Prince George’s County) – a second generation Korean American serving on her first term as a Commissioner for the Governor’s Asian Pacific American Affairs Commission. With a passion for serving her community, Amy has served in an elected role in the Town of Cheverly, Maryland, since 2019 as the Council Member for Ward 6 and current Vice Mayor. She is the co-founder and President of the AAPI Democratic Club of Prince George’s County, an At-Large Board Member for the Prince George’s County Municipal Association (PGCMA), co-founder and Chair of the Maryland Municipal League (MML) Asian Pacific American Caucus, and recently appointed to the New American Leader’s Elected Advisory Council. In her day job, she is the Chief of Staff for the Prince George’s County Council Chair Jolene Ivey, District 5.

Brian Gerardo (Filipino, Baltimore City) – is a Senior Associate in Learning and Capacity Building at The Annie E. Casey Foundation. Before taking on this role, he served in various capacities within the nonprofit sector, beginning his career as a teacher in Baltimore City Public Schools. Brian is the founder of the Baltimore Chapter of the National Association of Asian American Professionals (NAAAP Baltimore) and the Baltimore Dance Crews Project. He holds an MBA/MA in Design Leadership from Johns Hopkins Carey Business School and the Maryland Institute College of Art and a B.A. in Public and Urban Affairs and Political Science from Virginia Tech. Brian serves as the Chair on the Health Committee for the Commission.
 
Larry La (Vietnamese, Montgomery County) – an ethnic Chinese from Vietnam, came to the US as a refugee “Boat People.” Larry is the founder and CEO of Meiwah Restaurant Group. He was the Board Member of Newcomers Service Center. Additionally, Larry is Advisory Board member of National Museum of Asian Pacific American and is a member of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Advisory Council. Larry speaks Cantonese, Hakka, Mandarin and Vietnamese; therefore, he is welcomed in the diverse Asian American community. Larry is also the author of Square Moon: One Man’s Journey from War-Torn Vietnam to D.C.’s Hottest Kitchens. Larry has a Bachelor degree in Business Administration from East Tennessee University in Johnson City, Tennessee.  Larry resides in Rockville, Maryland.

Alanna Lee (South Korean, Montgomery County) –is currently a Vice President of the Peaceful Unification Advisory Council of Washington, DC, Deputy Secretary General of the Federation of Korean American Associations of USA, and a board member of the Coalition of Asian Pacific American Democrats of Maryland. Alanna immigrated to the US from South Korea in 1976 and has worked in the Retail industry for over 30 years. For the past several years, she has dedicated her time to working with Maryland’s government officials to help better the community. 

Dr. Ping Lu (Chinese, Montgomery County) – a retired cardiologist, has dedicated 18 years to social service, showcasing her leadership in various organizations in Pennsylvania and Maryland. As the first female President of CAAGW, she has been instrumental in advancing its mission. Her tireless efforts have earned her prestigious awards, including the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award and the Governor’s Volunteer Award in Maryland, recognizing her unwavering commitment to volunteerism. Currently, she provides invaluable guidance as an advisor in multiple positions, continuing to make a positive impact on her community.

Thai Nguyen (Vietnamese, Montgomery County) – worked for the Department of Health and Human Services for over 25 years helping particularly the Vietnamese community. He served as president of the Vietnamese Community Association of Maryland for numerous years and has been a champion for their voices. He also served as advisor for the Vietnamese Seniors Association of Maryland. He is currently a business owner in the Takoma Park area and serves as the program director of the Asian Community Relief Association (ACRA), which was founded in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. ACRA serves the community by providing food, health education and safety information to seniors and low-income families. Their goal is to make sure every senior and low-income family has access to the resources they need to live healthy, secure, and fulfilling lives.

Sarah Prammawat (Thai, Baltimore County)

Siu Cheung Rossmark (Chinese, Baltimore County) – Siu immigrated to the United States from China when she was six years old, growing up in Southeast Washington, DC, and Prince George’s County, MD. In a 35-year career as an entrepreneur and restaurateur, Siu has owned several Chinese restaurants and real estate brokerage, financial services, and residential mortgage companies in the Washington metropolitan area. In March 2023, she retired from the restaurant industry by selling her last restaurant, Siu’s Asian Bistro. Siu is currently the Executive Director at Asian American LEAD, a non-profit that serves Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) youth with educational empowerment, identity development, and leadership opportunities through after-school programs, mentoring, and summer programs in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.

Young Ran Smith (South Korean, Howard County) – is the President of the League of Korean Americans, a non-profit organization focused on empowering the voices of Maryland citizens through programs and services that bridge the gap between the government and the people. She continues her work by acting as the commissioner for Asian American Pacific Islander Commission for Howard County.  With a focus on civic engagement, Young hopes to engage citizens in dialogue, promoting community vibrancy. Young serves as the Chair on the Legislative Committee for the Commission.

Jarrett Stoltzfus (Hong Kong, Prince George’s County)

Jessie Su (Chinese, Baltimore County) – Associate Director of Leadership Annual Giving at Johns Hopkins Carey Business School. She previously served as Associate Director of Alumni Relations. She is also one of the AAPI Advisory Council members of Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and serves as a Board member for Art with A heart, a non-profit organization in Baltimore that enhances the lives of people in need through visual art programs. She has been involved in Baltimore Sister City Committee since 2015 and co-started Chinese American Parents Association Baltimore Area with several local Chinese American parents since 2023. Jessie lives in Baltimore County with her husband and two daughters.

Tho Tran (Vietnamese, Montgomery County)

Cecilia Vergara (Filipino, Frederick County) – is chief financial officer at both the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce and the Montgomery County Chamber Community Foundation. She has worked as a finance leader for several nonprofit organizations focused on business advocacy, Veteran’s training, youth empowerment and social service organizations.  She also volunteers with an orphanage and health center.  

Lili Zhang (Chinese, Montgomery County) – is the president of America Mazu Cultural Exchange Association, executive president of American Li Yun Foundation, executive president of The Union of Chinese American Professional Organization, and senior advisor of the U.S.-China Chamber of Commerce. Lili serves as the Chair on the Business/Economic Development Committee for the Commission.