Nyob Zoo! Zoo siab txais tos!
Thirteen years ago, Bao Vang joined Hmong American Partnership (HAP) as President and CEO. Since day one, she has worked alongside HAP staff to help support tens of thousands of Hmong and other immigrant and refugee families in Minnesota. Bao will now enter the next chapter of her work and step down as HAP President and CEO at the end of this month. She will soon announce what’s next for her and how she will continue to serve the community. We are sad that Bao will no longer lead our organization, but are excited about the opportunities ahead. She will remain with HAP in an advisory role through the transition to a permanent Executive Director.
The board will initiate a national search for a permanent Executive Director in the next few months. We are excited to announce that while we conduct this search, Jodie Tanaka will become HAP’s Interim Executive Director beginning February 1st, 2021. Jodie Tanaka has been a HAP Board Member since 2017. She has extensive experience and knowledge about HAP’s operations and has worked closely with Bao and HAP’s leadership team. She brings over 30 years of leadership experience. Jodie was the past Chairperson of the State’s Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans and the Asian Pacific Cultural Center’s Capital Campaign Committee. She is currently the President & CEO of Tempo Creative (Tempo), a marketing communications firm
For the past three years ago, Bao had told the board about her interest in moving on to new opportunities, but the challenges HAP and the community faced during the pandemic delayed further plans. However, in the past six months, we have made organizational adjustments to help us adapt effectively to the new realities of the pandemic. As we have implemented multiple important changes, the time is right for the leadership transition we have been planning and working on with Bao. We will continue to do the work we do with HAP’s amazing staff. Rest assured that the new leadership will continue to build on the great work that started back when HAP was founded in 1990.
All our clients, partners, funders, vendors, and families we serve can trust that this transition will ensure that HAP will continue to do what it does best: Supporting Hmong and other immigrant and refugee families with resources to help improve their socioeconomic conditions and their overall well-being. We are excited about this new chapter for HAP and our communities. We wish Bao continuous success as she moves into new challenges and finds new ways to serve the community.
Sincerely,
Christopher Petersen, Board Chair