CAAAV Welcomes Haeyoung Yoon as Executive Director!

CAAAV’s members, staff, and board are excited to announce that long-time member and leader, Haeyoung Yoon, will be the new Executive Director of CAAAV effective August 1, 2008. After an extensive search, Haeyoung emerged as the most qualified and compelling candidate to lead the organization into its 23rd year and beyond. We hope that you will join all of us in welcoming Haeyoung in her new role at CAAAV!

In her 12 years of involvement with CAAAV, Haeyoung has served as the Board Chair, participated in the Strategizing Committee, and provided legal support to the Chinatown Justice Project and Women Workers Project, building an extensive and intimate knowledge of the breadth of the organization’s work. She brings eight years of experience working as a legal advocate and scholar and is recognized as one of New York’s foremost immigrant and workers’ rights attorneys. Haeyoung has worked at MFY Legal Services, providing legal representation to the Chinatown community. During her tenure at the Community Development Project of the Urban Justice Center, she worked closely with community groups in New York City to represent low-wage immigrant workers who face exploitative working conditions and provided legislative support for housing advocacy groups and worker centers. Her most recent post was as a professor in the Immigrant Rights Clinic at the New York University School of Law. For her groundbreaking work defending the civil and human rights of South Asian, Arab and Muslim detainees in federal custody, Trial Lawyers for Public Justice selected Haeyoung as Trial Lawyer of the Year Finalist in 2006. Haeyoung’s deep experience and expertise as a legal advocate is matched by her commitment to social justice and organizing low-income immigrant communities.

This past May, Sung E Bai transitioned out as Executive Director after 14 years with the organization. During her tenure, Sung E has built a remarkable track record and led CAAAV as it established the Youth Leadership Project and Women Workers Project, played crucial roles in local and national alliances, purchased its Bronx office in the heart of New York’s Southeast Asian community, and developed a generation of organizers and leaders in the racial justice and immigrant rights movements. We are deeply indebted to her contributions and look forward to working with her in her new role as Political Coordinator at the Social Justice Leadership Program.

We thank you for your support and we look forward to introducing Haeyoung to you in person in the upcoming months. If you would like to contact her directly, she can be reached by email at hyoon@caaav.org or by phone at718-220-7391/x 22.

Best wishes,

Sophia Silao, Chair, Board of Directors