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2025 CAPAA Board Meeting Dates
Virtual - January 11, 2025
Pierce County location - March 15, 2025
Virtual - May 31, 2025
Spokane County location – September 20, 2025
King County location – November 15, 2025
CAPAA has a vacant position on the Commission Board, and we are
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OLYMPIA, WA - Monday, July 8th - The Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs (CAPAA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Nam Nguyen as the new Interim Executive Director and the hiring of Negheen Kamkar as the new Project Manager. Both bring extensive experience and a shared commitment to serving the Asian American & Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander communities in Washington State. Nam Nguyen, Interim Executive Director Prior to his role as Interim Executive Director for CAPAA, Nam Nguyen served as an Assistant Attorney General in the Revenue and Finance Division. His legal career also includes positions in private practice with law firms in Bellevue, WA, and Houston, TX. Nam graduated from Boston University School of Law and holds a Master in Public Policy from the University of Michigan and an undergraduate degree from the University of Washington. Nam has a rich history of community service. Following law school, he volunteered in Bayou La Batre, AL—famously known as the birthplace of the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company from the film Forrest Gump—where he addressed economic and social issues caused by the BP Oil Spill. There, he developed and implemented youth development programs, social services for those with limited English proficiency, and work training programs for displaced workers. Nam has also volunteered as an assistant scoutmaster and troop leader for Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts in Alabama, Massachusetts, Texas, and Washington. Currently, he serves as Treasurer of the Board of Directors for the Family Support Center of South Sound, a non-profit organization providing coordinated supportive services to families in the Olympia area. Additionally, he is on the board of Seattle University School of Law’s Judicial Institute and was elected as a Governor on the Washington State Bar Association’s Board of Governors for a three-year term in April 2022. A Seattle native, Nam now resides in Tumwater, WA, with his dog, Vader. His appointment as Interim Executive Director brings a wealth of legal expertise and a strong community-focused approach to CAPAA.
Nam Nguyen, Interim Executive Director Negheen Kamkar, Project Manager Negheen is honored to join CAPAA as project manager. She brings over 10 years of experience working in the Washington State public sector. Negheen first served State Representative Judy Clibborn as a Legislative Aide on key statewide transportation projects. During this time, she institutionalized ‘Open Pathways,’ a mentorship program offering professional development and recruitment strategies to invest in a more diverse government workforce. Negheen is a proud first-generation Persian American residing in Seattle, WA. In 2017, she helped coordinate the first Norooz celebration (Persian New Year) at the Washington State Legislature. This was a heartfelt and significant moment for the community to be acknowledged in a culturally-attuned way.
Negheen Kamkar, Project Manager About the Commission The Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs (CAPAA) was established in 1974 to improve the well-being of Asian American & Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander communities in Washington State. CAPAA advises the Governor, state legislature, and state agencies on policies, programs, and needs of these communities, promoting their social, economic, and political well-being. |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date: 6/14/2024
Contact:
K’gnausa Yodkerepauprai, Project Manager
Washington State Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs (CAPAA)
Phone: (206) 370-9554
Email: K’gnausa.Yodkerepauprai@capaa.wa.gov
CAPAA and KAYA strategik, LLC Partner to Develop Density Map Data Visualization of A/NH/PI Eligible Voter Populations in Washington State
*DATE CHANGED* Join us on Wednesday, July 17th for our next A&NH/PI listening session from 12pm-1pm. Register for the small business listening session via Zoom here.
The Legislature will begin its second week of session by honoring the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Legislative committees will continue to devote much of their time hearing overviews of state agency programs, services, and budgets.
The Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs would like to highlight the following public hearings that may be of interest to the community:
Join us for a Community Forum (3/14)
New report on AAPI opportunity gaps in Washington
The National Commission on Asian American and Pacific Islander Research in Education (CARE) has released its latest report, The Hidden Academic Opportunity Gaps Among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders: What Disaggregated Data Reveals in Washington State.
Below are upcoming scheduled public hearings for bills CAPAA is tracking:
March 23, 2015
February 19, 2015 is the Day of Remembrance to remember the exclusion and internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. Members of the Japanese American community will join the Legislature in Olympia to acknowledge and reflect on the significance of more than 120,000 persons of Japanese ancestry, including 12,000 Japanese American residents of Washington State, who were unjustly incarcerated due to Executive Order 9066 of 1942. TVW will have live coverage of the Day of Remembrance beginning at 10AM.
The 9th annual Refugee and Immigrant Legislative Day will take place on Thursday, February 12th at the Capitol. The Commission recognizes the diverse histories and rich contributions of our refugee and immigrant populations to the State of Washington.
The Commission would like to invite the public to participate in these activities at the Capitol:
