President Barack Obama announced on April 24 that he would appoint 14 individuals to the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, to improve the quality of life of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders through increased participation in and access to federal programs. Two of the appointees are Diane Narasaki and Michael Byun.
Diane Narasaki (left) and Michael Byun
Narasaki is the executive director of Asian Counseling and Referral Service. She co-founded and currently chairs the King County Asian Pacific Islander Coalition, and is co-chair of the Seattle Community Police Commission. Formerly, she was director of the Northwest Labor and Employment Law Office, and has served on many healthcare committees, commissions, and councils. She has degrees from both the University of Washington and Seattle University.
Byun is executive director of the Ohio-based Asian Services in Action, Inc. He is a 2010 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Fellow. He received a B.A. and an M.P.A. from the University of Washington. (end)