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2008 Board of Directors
Arturo Vargas, Chair [bio]
At Large
Ray Colmenar, Vice Chair [bio]
Public Advocates, Inc.
Philip Nguyen, Treasurer [bio]
Asian Pacific American Community Partnership
Betsy Bayha, Secretary [bio]
World Institute on Disability
Jacquelyn Brand [bio]
Universal Service Alliance
Arnold Friedman [bio]
James Fruchterman [bio]
Doug Hagan, City and County of San Francisco [bio]
Miya Iwataki, Asian Pacific Islander California Action Network [bio]
Robert J. Jordan, Los Angeles Urban League [bio]
Gwen Moore [bio]
African Americans for Telecommunications Equity
Anu Nigam [bio]
Randolph L. Tom [bio]
Helen Iris-Torres [bio]
Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility
Timothy Wei [bio]
Biographies
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Miya Iwataki
Asian & Pacific Islanders' California Action Network
Miya Iwataki is the Director, Office of Diversity Programs at Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, and has led efforts to establish DHS Cultural & Linguistic Standards making L.A. the first county to have developed its own C & L standards. She has a long history of working to improve the quality of life of the diverse populations of Los Angeles County and California. She has held leadership positions in government and the nonprofit sector as Executive Director of the Los Angeles County Commission for Children and Families, and Founding Director of the Pacific Asian Community Clinic, Asian Women's Health Project (T.H.E. Clinic), and the first Asian Women's Center in the US. She has been an advocate on legislative and policy issues in health and human services, and has a successful track record in building collaborations and partnerships within diverse environments. She has worked with broadcast and print media as Press Director for Congressman Mervyn Dymally, managed marketing and communications for the Public/Private Partnership Program, and in various positions at KCET-TV Public Television and KPFK-FM Pacifica Radio where she was Host/Producer for a one-hour weekly program for 12 years.
Miya Iwataki is on the Executive Board of California Pan Ethnic Health Network (CPEHN), Vice President of Asian Pacific Health Care Venture, and Steering Committee of State Office of Multicultural Health Council. She has been recognized with many awards including the Los Angeles County Multicultural Award for Office of Diversity Programs, the Liberty Hill Foundation Founder's Award, Business and Community Leadership Award of the Asian Business Association, and the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Civil Rights Community Leadership Award. She is a graduate of California State University at Los Angeles.
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Arturo Vargas , Chair
Arturo is the Executive Director of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO), and the NALEO Educational Fund. Prior to joining NALEO, Arturo was the Vice President for Community Education and Public Policy of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), where he supervised and directed MALDEF’s community education and leadership development programs. Also at MALDEF, Arturo served as Director of Outreach and Policy, where he coordinated the organization’s 1991 redistricting efforts that led to a historic increase in the number of Latinos serving in the California legislature.
Arturo presently serves on the boards of the Edward W. Hazen Foundation, Hispanics in Philanthropy, the Independent Sector, the National Civic League, Alliance for a Better Community, Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics, the United Way of Greater Los Angeles and the Council of Foundations (COF). Arturo was included in Hispanic Business Magazine’s List of 100 Hispanic Influentials in 1996 and 1998. He holds a master’s degree in Education and a bachelor’s degree in History and Spanish from Stanford University.
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Betsy Bayha
World Institute on Disability
Betsy is an award-winning documentary film producer, director and writer whose films have shown on the History Channel, PBS and Discovery Health. Her film "Outsider: The Life and Art of Judith Scott," (2006) about a world-renown fiber artist with Down Syndrome, has won numerous awards including the Golden Gate Award at the San Francisco International Film Festival and the top prize at the Mendocino Film Festival. Current projects include "Still Life," a film about Parkinson's disease for PBS FRONTLINE, and a two-hour PBS special on Michael Pollan's book, "The Botany of Desire." Betsy was Associate Producer for "Freedom Machines," for POV (2004) about the empowering potential of technology in the lives of people with disabilities. She also worked with two-time Oscar winners Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman on "Hallways," a documentary about violence against gay and lesbian youth. Previously, Betsy has also worked as an editor, a producer, and writer at the documentary unit at Lucasfilm Ltd. in San Rafael CA. She is the former Director of Technology Policy at the World Institute on Disability (WID), in Oakland, California.
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Jacquelyn Brand
Universal Service Alliance
Jacquelyn Brand is the founder and served as Executive Director of the Alliance for Technology Access (ATA) from its founding until 1996. ATA is a national organization with local centers across the country dedicated to providing access to communication and information technologies for children and adults with disabilities She also founded and served as the first Executive Director of the Center for Accessible Technology in Berkeley, California, one of the earliest community-based technology programs established to provide disability access to current and emerging technologies.
She is on the board of directors of Northern California Public Broadcasting, the nation’s largest public broadcasting system. She is the President of the Independent Living Network (ILN), a non-profit organization dedicated to providing options for independent living to individuals with significant disabilities. Ms. Brand has been honored for her work frequently, receiving the Strache Leadership Award at California State University, Northridge (CSUN), the Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Award, and was inducted into the Exceptional Parent Family Hall of Fame.
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Raymond Colmenar, Vice Chair
Public Advocates, Inc.
Raymond is a Senior Program Officer for The California Endowment (TCE), one of the largest health foundations in the U.S. Prior to joining TCE, Raymond was Associate Director of PolicyLink where he led projects in California focused on state-level fiscal reform, school construction policy, and equitable public infrastructure investment. Raymond’s other previous professional positions include Senior Research Associate at the Rockefeller Foundation; Executive Director of the South of Market Problem Solving Council; and policy analyst for the City and County of San Francisco. He is chair of the board of directors of Filipinos for Affirmative Action, and was a Rockefeller Foundation Next Generation Leadership Fellow. Raymond holds a bachelor's degree from the University of California, San Diego and a Master of Public Policy from the University of California, Berkeley.
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Arnold Friedman
As an accomplished executive, Arnold Friedman pioneered new satellite applications sales in digital radio, broadband Internet, local television and next generation mobile phone systems. Arnold brings extensive experience in developing innovative business opportunities in start-up and established companies. He is currently Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Loral Space Systems, responsible for worldwide sales and marketing activities for the company's commercial satellites, systems, and services around the globe. Prior to Loral, he was President of ProntoCast Services, LLC, a company formed to provide new satellite-based consumer telecommunications services and satellite-industry consulting services. He is a member of several industry associations, including the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA); Cable and Telecommunications: A Marketing Society; Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Associations (SBCA); the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE); and the Pacific Telecommunications Council (PTC). He holds a bachelor's degree in engineering from the University of Pittsburgh.
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Jim Fruchterman
A technology entrepreneur and former rocket science engineer, Jim co-founded Calera Recognition Systems in 1982. Calera developed character recognition that allows computers to read virtually all forms of printed text. In 1989, Jim founded Arkenstone, a nonprofit social enterprise which produces reading machines for the disabled community based on the Calera technology. Following the sale of the Arkenstone product line in 2000, Jim used all the resulting capital to fund Benetech, with an explicit social justice goal of using the power of technology to benefit underserved communities. Benetech received the Skoll Award for social entrepreneurship under Jim's leadership. He was named an Outstanding Social Entrepreneur in 2003 by the Schwab Foundation and participates annually in the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Jim received the Robert F. Bray Award from the American Council of the Blind in recognition of his outstanding efforts to make literary works accessible to people who are blind or visually impaired. In 2007, Jim received a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship, commonly known as the Genius Award, for his lifetime body of work in adapting cutting-edge technologies to benefit disabled and underserved populations.
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Doug Hagan
Vice President-Marketing, KRYTAR
Doug is Vice President of Marketing with Krytar, a Sunnyvale-based company which produces ultrabroadband microwave components for military and commercial applications. Founded in 1975, Krytar is an industry leader in creating patented specialized ultrabroadband applications. Prior to joining Krytar, Doug was Director of Corporate Marketing for NETGEAR in San Francisco, where he specialized in leading product launches for new wireless and networking technologies. Doug has nearly 20 years’ work experience in high technology, management consulting, and business development. Previous professional affiliations include both domestic and international positions, including Netopia and AT Kearny in the United States, and Browning-Ferris Industries in Hong Kong. Doug holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Urban Studies from the University of Pennsylvania, and an MBA from the Wharton School.
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Robert J. Jordan
Knowledge Management Systems
Robert is the Chief Executive Officer of Beverly Hills-based Knowledge Management Systems (KMS), a full service business process automation and systems integration firm. KMS specializes in deploying document management technology and workflow automation to reduce business expenses and improve operating efficiency. Prior to acquiring KMS in 2000, Robert successfully acquired, built and sold several companies including the Valley Nissan automotive dealership (Platinum Automotive Group, Inc.), MegaVillage.com, Premier Marketing Group, Inc., and Fulfillment Services, Inc., a distribution and fulfillment company providing inventory management and logistical solutions for e-retailers, infomercials, cataloguers and direct marketing companies. Mr. Jordan received his Bachelor of Science in Finance degree from Northern Arizona University and completed the Entrepreneurial Studies and Mergers & Acquisition Programs at UCLA’s Anderson School of Business. He serves on the board of directors of the Los Angeles Urban League.
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Gwen Moore
African Americans for Telecommunications Equity
A member of the California State Assembly from 1978 to 1994, and former chair of the Assembly Committee on Utilities and Commerce, Gwen gained national prominence for her work on utility and telecommunications issues. As author of the Moore Universal Telephone Service Act, she secured the availability of telephone service to all Californians. As Founder and Chief Executive Officer of GeM Communications Group, Gwen works with clients to develop and implement legislative strategies and community outreach programs. Gwen has been active with the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), serving as both Chair of the State-Federal Assembly and the Assembly on the Legislature. She chaired the NCSL National Committee on Telecommunications and Transportation and served as chair of the National Trade Association of State Legislators. Gwen has received honors and awards from diverse arenas: U.S. Department of Commerce, NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Professional Communication Association, California Independent Gas Producers' Association, California Trucking Association, California Hunger Action Coalition, and the South Coast Air Quality Management District. Gwen served as the founding chair of the ZeroDivide Board of Directors.
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Anurag Nigam
Anurag is the founder and CEO of IncSync Corp, a mobile services company. IncSync launched PartySync, a mobile chat application, and 411Sync, a unique mobile search platform. Anurag is an angel investor with many start-up ventures, and advises companies in areas including Video IP, EDA, Online Ad tracking, SMS services, System Virtualization & Open Source Routing. He is a founding investor of hi5.com, a profitable social networking site with over 20M users. His career started at Intel and then was part of the founding teams & leading ASIC efforts at Cerent Corp (bought by Cisco) and Siara Systems (bought by Redback Networks). Anurag holds an Electrical and Computer Engineering degree from Carnegie Mellon University. He is actively involved with his alma mater, and is on CMU’s CIT Silicon Valley Advisory Council, Alumni Admissions Council, and Andrew Carnegie Society. He is also on the non-profit boards of Friends of the Urban Forest, which has planted over 40,000 street trees in San Francisco, and Compass Community Services, which helps homeless families in San Francisco become independent.
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Philip Nguyen, Treasurer
Philip is currently Chief Executive Officer of Southeast Asian Community Center, a multi-ethnic, multi-service agency with offices in San Francisco, San Jose, and Oakland. He has served as Executive Director of the Vietnamese American Chamber of Commerce of Southern California, Managing Director of Sutter Health in Orange County, Deputy Director of World Relief Inc. in Indonesia, and several director level positions at the Industrial Development Bank of Vietnam in Saigon. Philip has been an active community volunteer during his entire professional career, including serving as Chair of the Community Technology Policy Council, Chair of the Vietnamese-American Coalition for Civil Rights, Commissioner of the San Francisco Commission on Immigrant Rights, and was appointed by the Governor of California to the Sonoma Development Center Advisory Board. Philip holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Western Australia, and a Masters in Economics from the Australian National University.
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Randolph L. Tom
Randolph is the Founder and Chairman of Dynasty Capital Services LLC. He is an expert on Asian strategic alliances, global financings and corporate finance that span a broad spectrum of industries and technologies. Focused initially on the wireless communication and media industries, Randy has expanded the scope of Dynasty’s services to apply enhancing technologies to the corporate governance, asset management, semiconductor and mobile entertainment software sectors. Randy has counseled numerous successful start-ups and leading international technology companies, including planning the successful $1.1 Billion sale of Avant! Corporation to Synopsys Corporation. Randolph’s commentary has appeared in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, The American City Business Journals and The National Law Journal. Randolph received his JD, MBA and BS degrees with honors from New York University and is admitted to practice law in New York, California and the District of Columbia. He is active in Asian American and community service organizations, and serves as an Executive Advisory Board Member of the Center for the Pacific Rim at USF.
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Helen Iris Torres
Helen is the Executive Director of Hispanas Organized for Political Equity (HOPE), a non-profit, non-partisan organization committed to ensuring political and economic parity for Latinas through leadership, advocacy, and education to benefit all communities and the status of women. Prior to joining HOPE, Helen worked at the United Way of Greater Los Angeles as a fundraiser and community relations officer. She has an extensive background in public relations, having worked for one of the world’s largest public relations firms, Burson-Marstellar, representing clients such as Chevron, the City of Los Angeles, and Coca-Cola. She later worked at Laufer Associates, an environmental public relations firm. Helen is currently serving as a Commissioner on the California Service Corps. Most recently, Ms. Torres has been appointed to SBC’s Hispanic Advisory Community Board (HACR), and Los Angeles City’s Commission On The Status of Women. Helen holds a BA in Communications and a Masters degree in Urban Studies and Communications from Michigan State University.
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Timothy Wei
Timothy was formerly the Associate Dean in charge of Computing & Libraries at the Stanford Graduate School of Business where he guided the transformation of the Jackson Business Library from a traditional library model to one that leverages technology and focuses services to all library patrons. Mr. Wei was also the Director of Information Services for the City of San Jose for 12 years where he helped implement one of the most ambitious municipal IT master plans in the US. He brings a wealth of expertise and knowledge from his experience in industry, philanthropy and academia.
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