The Vietnamese American Professional Women Association of Silicon Valley (VAPW) strives to outreach, educate, prepare and engage Vietnamese American professional women in areas of leadership and development, to provide a network of support and promote the professional growth of its members, to mentor and encourage youths in the community to enter professional careers, and to encourage community responsibility and participation.

VAPW members will commit themselves to the highest standards of ethics and professional conduct. The VAPW accomplishes its mission through a variety of activities including guest speaker luncheon series, educational forums, scholarship programs, mentorship programs and participation in other community events.

The VAPW is non-partisan and does not make political endorsements.

Advisory Board

Madison Nguyen
Councilmember, District 7 City of San Jose

In September of 2005, Madison received 63% of the votes cast in a special election, becoming the first Vietnamese American to serve on the San José City Council.

Madison currently serves as Chair of the City’s Public Safety, Finance and Strategic Support Committee, Vice-Chair of Neighborhood Services and Education Committee, a member of the Mayor’s Gang Prevention Task Force, Silicon Valley Rapid Transit Policy Advisory Board (BART) and as a liaison to a number of City Commissions.

Prior to her election to the City Council, Madison served as President of the Franklin-McKinley Board of Education, making her the first Vietnamese woman elected to public office in California in 2002.

Madison has also taught Sociology and Vietnamese American Culture at both De Anza and Evergreen Valley Community Colleges. Born in Vietnam, Madison and her family immigrated to the United States in the early 1980s. She received her Bachelor of Arts in History from UC Santa Cruz; and her Masters Degree in Social Science from the University of Chicago.

Board of Directors

Nguyet Dinh

Nguyet Dinh is the Administrator of Language Minority Programs at East Side Union High School District in San Jose, California. She received an M.A. in Educational Administration and Supervision. Nguyet has more than 20 years of experience in implementing successful educational programs and has developed the first Vietnamese language program for high school students in the United States. She is also the vice-president of the Vietnamese Eucharistic Youth Society in the western U.S.A.

Helen Duong

Helen Duong is currently with the Redevelopment Agency of the City of San Jose where she works as a Communications & Marketing Officer specializing in creative marketing strategies, effective media relations and outreach to multicultural communities. Helen has more than 10 years of public relations and marketing experience. She has led efforts to advise and guide the Redevelopment Agency and the City of San Jose to improve communications, increase awareness and community interests in projects and programs that recognize and promote the ethnic community. Helen was also the co-founder of Viet Relations, a group that provides the City of San Jose with valuable perspective, ideas and input on the Vietnamese community.

Helen holds a B.S. in Public Relations and minor in Business Administration from San Jose State University (SJSU). She is a current member of the City-County Communications and Marketing Association (3CMA) and the San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce. She also serves on various public relations and marketing committees for the California Redevelopment Association (CRA), the City of San Jose and its partners. Helen is currently a student at Stanford University.


Myvan Khuu
Secretary

Myvan Khuu attended UC Berkeley and was a double major in English and Art History. After college, she went on to pursue a law degree from Santa Clara University. As a first-generation Vietnamese-American, Myvan has strived to help the Vietnamese community. Before joining San Jose District 7, where Myvan currently works in the Office of Councilmember Madison Nguyen, Myvan spent a year as a Legal Fellow at the East Bay Community Law Center, advocating on behalf of Vietnamese welfare recipients in Alameda County.

Maria Le

Marialinh Le is currently working as a Development Officer for the Redevelopment Agency of the City of San Jose. Maria works within the Neighborhood Business Districts throughout the City of San Jose providing assistance to local businesses owners, adjacent neighborhood groups and business associations. Prior to work with the Redevelopment Agency, Maria was employed as a Council Assistant to former San Jose District 1 Councilmember Linda J. LeZotte. She also worked with the City of San Jose's Department of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhoods Services for the Strong Neighborhoods Initiative (SNI) and Neighborhood Development Center.

Maria was born in Fresno, California and moved to San Jose at the age of 3. Maria holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing at San Francisco State University. In her spare time, she also serves as Vice-President on the Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers Board and enjoys hiking, cooking, spending time with family and venturing the bay area for good eats.

Ann A.P. Nguyen

Ann A.P. Nguyen is a partner at the law firm of Robinson & Wood, headquartered in San Jose. Ann has represented corporations, small businesses and individual clients in transactional matters as well as litigation, appearing before administrative agencies, state courts and federal courts. Ann's practice focuses on business organization, commercial and real estate contracts, employment and estate planning/probate/trust administration. She also has extensive experience litigating cases involving breach of contract, wrongful termination, trade secret misappropriation, unfair competition, real estate disputes and general tort liability.

Ann came to the U.S. as a young child and grew up in Santa Clara, California. She majored in International Relations at the University of California at Davis and spent her junior year abroad, studying at the Universidad de Complutense in Madrid, Spain, and traveling throughout Europe. Ann earned her Juris Doctor degree from the University of California at Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law.

Married with two young children, Ann enjoys being able to balance her family life with her career and her desire to give back to the community.

Thao Nguyen
Treasurer

Born and raised in Viet Nam, Thao Nguyen immigrated to the United States with her family in 1995.  Thao is a Vice President at Comerica Bank, a Fortune 500 regional Bank that provides financial services to small businesses, medium-sized businesses, non-profits, and high tech firms.  Thao specializes in developing and managing banking relationships for privately-owned companies with revenues of $10 million to $200 million.  She also serves as a co-chair of Comerica’s Asian Pacific Initiative-Western Market. 

Thao holds a B.S. in Finance from San Jose State University.  In her spare time, Thao and her husband enjoy being with their two boys and participate in community events.

“I am proud to be part of the Vietnamese American Women Association of Silicon Valley, and encourage you to become an active member,” she said.  “It is a rewarding experience knowing you can make a difference in the community we live in.” 

Kimberly Pham
President

Kimberly Pham is a Deputy County Counsel at the Office of County Counsel in Santa Clara County.  Kimberly obtained a B.A. in Political Science and Public Policy in 2001 from the University of California, Berkeley.  She earned her J.D. in 2004 from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law with a concentration in Advocacy.

Kimberly has a strong commitment to the Vietnamese and legal community and holds leadership positions in various associations.  She is a founding member of the Vietnamese American Professional Women Association of Silicon Valley and currently serves as the organization's first president.  She is also a founding member of the inaugural National Conference of Vietnamese American Attorneys and served on the organizing committee in 2006 and 2007.  Kimberly currently serves on the executive board of the Vietnamese American Bar Association of Northern California and on the Board of Directors for the Asian Law Alliance.  She is also currently a member of the steering committee for the Vietnamese American National Bar. 
 
In 2006, Kimberly was selected as "Woman of the Week" by Phu Nu Cali, a Vietnamese magazine that focuses on promoting and strengthening the values of Vietnamese women and highlighting their achievements.  In 2008 she served on the Advisory Board for the Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal Women of Influence.   

Christine Pham

Christine Pham is a Congressional Aide with Congressman Mike Honda's district office in Campbell.  She is the field liaison for social issues including housing, labor, healthcare, and civil and human rights.  She is also the lead district staff covering Congressman Honda's work on the House Appropriations Committee. Additionally, she covers issues affecting the Asian Pacific American communities, with a special interest in Vietnamese American community affairs. 
 
In April 2007, Christine was one of the youngest members appointed to the Santa Clara County Commission on the Status of Women by Supervisor Ken Yeager.

Laura Tran Phan

Laura Tran Phan is the Assistant Superintendent of Business and Operations for Mount Pleasant School District, a K-8 school district on the east side of San Jose, California.  She is a Certified Public Accountant with diverse experience in auditing and consulting, savings and loan, mortgage banking, hotel-motel and high tech companies.  Laura is one of the founding members of the Vietnamese American Professional Woman Association of Silicon Valley (VAPW), an executive team member of the charitable organization Aid to Children Without Parents (ACWP), an executive board member of the Santa Clara County Schools Insurance Group (SCCSIG), and is also a participating member of various committees in Santa Clara County Office of Education.

Mai D. Phan
Vice President

Mai D. Phan is an attorney in San Jose, California and practices business immigration and corporate law. Mai graduated from Tulane University and Loyola Law School in 2002. Mai obtained her LLM from Golden Gate University School of Law.

Mai is a member of the Santa Clara County Bar Association, American Immigration Lawyer's Association, and the President of the Vietnamese American Bar Association of Northern California. Mai is a founding member of the inaugural National Conference of Vietnamese American Attorneys and served on the organizing committee in 2006, 2007, and 2008. Mai also serves on the board of directors of VNHELP.

Evelynn N. Tran

Evelynn N. Tran is a Senior Assistant Counsel for the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority where she practices in all areas of public and transit law. Before joining VTA, she was an associate at McGrane Greenfield LLP, focusing on business, bankruptcy, and real estate litigation. Evelynn graduated magna cum laude from San Jose State University (BS, Accounting). At San Jose State University, she was the VP of the San Jose State Chapter of Toastmasters and a member of Phi Kappa Phi, Beta Gamma Sigma, and the Golden Key National Honor Society. Evelynn graduated in 1999 from UC Hastings College of the Law, where she was the Executive Editor of the Hastings Constitutional Law Quarterly and an extern for Federal Magistrate Judge James Larson.

Evelynn is a founding member of the National Association of Vietnamese-American Attorneys, a member of the State Bar of California, the Santa Clara County Bar Association, and the Vietnamese-American Bar Association of Northern California.