National Council of Asian Pacific Americans Announces National Director Transition and First Deputy Director

After nearly two years as National Director of the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans, Christopher Kang will be transitioning from NCAPA as the organization begins the next stage of its strategic development. 

As part of NCAPA’s planned growth, it has hired Christine Soyong Harley to serve as Deputy Director, a newly-created leadership position to build organizational infrastructure, increase member support, and help guide our vision and design. NCAPA will begin the search for our next National Director later this summer.

“I’m very proud of the foundation we have laid, and now is the time to pass the baton to new leaders to continue to strengthen our voice and advocacy,” said NCAPA National Director Christopher Kang. “Establishing a Deputy Director position is a big step forward for NCAPA, and Chris Harley’s wealth of experience in both the AAPI advocacy community and government will be critical as NCAPA embarks on this next stage of its development.”

“NCAPA has taken great strides under Chris Kang’s leadership, and we thank him for his service,” said NCAPA Chair Quyen Dinh. “This is a critical time for our community, and as NCAPA begins this strategic planning process, we are thrilled that Deputy Director Chris Harley has joined us to help build our movement for racial and social justice.”

Christine (Chris) Soyong Harley most recently served as the Director of Intergovernmental Affairs for the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, where she led implementation and institutionalization of policy and program initiatives supporting AAPI engagement with and access to federal programs. Chris has dedicated her career to advocating for social progress for vulnerable and underserved AAPI communities on issues of health equity, immigrant rights, reproductive justice, and economic justice and is pleased to rejoin the NCAPA family, having previously held leadership roles at the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO) and National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF). She earned her B.A. from Oberlin College and a Masters in Public Policy from the University of Chicago.

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Based in Washington, D.C., the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans is a coalition of 34 national Asian Pacific American organizations that serves to represent the interests of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities and to provide a national voice for our communities’ concerns. Our communities are the fastest growing racial/ethnic group in the United States, currently making up approximately six percent of the population.