Hyepin Im
President/CEO, KCCD/FACE

Ms. Hyepin Im is a U.S. Presidential Appointee on the Board of the Corporation for National and Community Service. She is the President and Founder of Korean Churches for Community Development (KCCD), a national nonprofit involved in empowering churches and nonprofits to leverage their resources by building capacity, leadership, and partnerships in economic development and serving as a bridge between the Korean/Asian American community and the greater community at large.

Since its inception in 2001, KCCD has had over 500 partners, ranging from the White House to Fortune 500 companies. Successful initiatives include educating over 8,000 homebuyers and helping them receive over $1.4 million in down payment assistance, saving over $90 million in assets from foreclosure, partnering with both FDIC and Freddie Mac in developing a Korean curriculum in financial literacy and homeownership, implementing a historic $5 million U.S. Department of Labor workforce development program, and hosting joint conferences with the White House and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to mobilize 4,000 Korean American churches for economic development.

Ms. Im is a frequent speaker who has been on CNN and NPR and whose opinions has appeared in the Los Angeles Times and the Washington Post. She has presented at numerous conferences including those at the White House, U.S. Department of Labor, Christian Community Development Association, and Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco. She serves on the U.S. Army Advisory Board, the Pacific Council on International Policy, the Western Partner for the Council on Foreign Relations, and L.A. County Supervisor’s Empowerment Congress.

In 2012, she was honored as Woman of Action by then California Speaker of the Assembly John Perez. She was selected twice by two different councilmembers as Pioneer Woman of the Year in their districts by Council President Eric Garcetti and Councilmember Tom Labonge. She was also recognized by LAUSD School Board member as a Trailblazer for her work and advocacy for students. She was also featured by Los Angeles Magazine as “Ten Inspirational Women of Los Angeles” in its September 2013 issue.

Her previous positions include venture capitalist for Renaissance Capital Partners, Sponsorship Manager for California Science Center, and Senior Auditor at Ernst & Young. She has a B.S. from U.C. Berkeley, M.B.A. from University of Southern California, and M.Div., summa cum laude, from Wesley Theological Seminary.

The Honorable Antonio Villaraigosa
41st Mayor of the City of Los angeles

Antonio Villaraigosa is a respected voice in American politics and a prominent policymaker with a keen understanding of America’s mainstream and emerging communities. Known for his exceptional skill at building broad bi-partisan coalitions, he draws support from the broad center of both Democratic and Republican voters.

In 2013, Mr. Villaraigosa finished his two terms as 41st Mayor of the City of Los Angeles, after eight years of major strides in transportation, crime reduction, infrastructure, energy and resource sustainability, right-sizing government, business development and education reform. Prior to his election as Mayor, Mr. Villaraigosa served as a member of the Los Angeles City Council from 2003 to 2005. From 1994 through 2000, Mr. Villaraigosa served in the California State Assembly as Democratic Whip, Majority Leader and Speaker of the Assembly. He was a member of President Obama’s Transition Economic Advisory Board and was the 2012 Chairman of the Democratic National Convention.

Mr. Villaraigosa also has served in academia, as a fellow at Harvard University and a professor in public policy at the University of Southern California. He also is a senior fellow at the Bipartisan Policy Institute in Washington, D.C. Today, Mr. Villaraigosa is a candidate for California Governor.

CA Treasurer John Chiang

John Chiang was elected on Nov. 4, 2014, as California’s 33rd State Treasurer. As the State’s banker, he oversees trillions of dollars in transactions every year. One of his top priorities is to conduct the State’s business in the most transparent manner possible.

Chiang sells California’s bonds, invests the State’s money and manages its cash. In addition, he manages financing authorities that help provide good-paying jobs, better schools, improved transportation, quality health care, more affordable housing and a cleaner environment. He handles those duties while sitting on the governing boards of the nation’s two largest public pension funds – the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) and the California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS).

Chiang has made transparency a top priority, believing that sharing information with taxpayers enables them to hold government officials accountable. In November 2015, he unveiled DebtWatch, a website that offers the public easy access to three decades of data related to debt issued by State and local governments.

Prior to being elected Treasurer, Chiang served from 2007 through 2014 as State Controller, during which time he:

• Took steps during the Great Recession to preserve cash to meet obligations to education and bond holders. His cash management decisions – which included delaying payments and issuing IOUs -- were cited as instrumental in keeping the State’s credit rating from plunging into junk status, which saved taxpayers millions of dollars.
• Worked to ensure the fiscal solvency of the State’s pension plans, and was a leader in pension and corporate governance reform. He proposed a plan to address the unfunded liability of providing health and dental benefits for State retirees, and successfully sponsored legislation requiring all State pension systems to adopt disclosure policies regarding board members and placement agents. He also has sponsored bills to curb pension-spiking, require placement agents to register as lobbyists, and require CalPERS and CalSTRS board members to file more campaign contribution disclosure reports
• Aggressively used his auditing authority to identify more than $9 billion in taxpayer dollars that were denied, overpaid, subject to collection, or resulted in revenues, savings and cost avoidance.
• Ensured that $3.1 billion in unclaimed property was returned to the rightful owners. He also led the effort to reform the State’s Unclaimed Property Program, which currently holds about $7.1 billion in bank accounts, utility deposits and other property that businesses have deemed abandoned by their owners.

Chiang was first elected to the Board of Equalization in 1998 where he served two terms, including three years as chair. He began his career as a tax law specialist with the Internal Revenue Service and previously served as an attorney in the State Controller’s Office.

The son of immigrant parents, Chiang graduated with honors from the University of South Florida with a degree in finance. He received his law degree from the Georgetown University Law Center.

Chief Kelley S. Fraser
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department

Kelley S. Fraser, a 26-year veteran of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, was recently promoted to the rank of Commander by Sheriff Lee Baca assigned to Custody Division.

Commander Fraser began her career with the Sheriff’s Department in 1986. After graduating from the Department’s Training Academy as a Deputy Sheriff, she held assignments at Sybil Brand Institute for Women, Carson Station, Professional Standards and Training Division, Recruit Training Unit and Commercial Crimes Bureau. Upon being promoted to Sergeant in 2000, Commander Fraser was assigned to Lennox Station and Emergency Operations Bureau. She was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in 2005 and held assignments at Temple Station and Emergency Operations Bureau. In 2010, Commander Fraser was promoted to Captain and assumed command of the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station.

Commander Fraser holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Occupational Studies-Emergency Management from California State University, Long Beach and a graduate degree from the University of Southern California’s Executive Master of Leadership program.

Commander Fraser resides in the city of Huntington Beach. In her free time, Commander Fraser enjoys spending time with her family, water sports, reading and cooking.

Deputy Chief Dennis Kato
Los Angeles Police Department

Commander Dennis Kato is a 30-year veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD).

He is currently assigned to Operations-West Bureau (OWB) as the Commanding Officer. He recently oversaw the Department’s Community Safety Operations Center (CSOC) that was created to reduce the incidents of gun related violent crimes in the four busiest stations in the City of Los Angeles.

Deputy Chief Kato began his law enforcement career when he entered the Los Angeles Police Department Academy in May 1987. After graduating from the Academy, he was assigned to Pacific Area for his probationary period where he worked in patrol and on the Beach Detail. Upon completing probation, he was transferred to 77th Street where he worked a variety of assignments in patrol, gangs and vice.

In January 1995, he was promoted to the rank of Detective and investigated burglaries, assaults, and domestic violence incidents at Southwest Area. He was also an investigator in the Newton Area-Field Enforcement Section of Narcotic’s Group and conducted homicide investigations at the Asian Crimes Investigations Section of Detective Support Section. Five years later, in April 2000, he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and was assigned to Harbor Area Patrol and eventually became the Officer in Charge of the Harbor Area Vice Unit. He was promoted to Lieutenant in July 2003, and was assigned to Southeast Area Patrol as a watch commander. Shortly thereafter, he was selected to be the adjutant to the Deputy Chief of Operations-South Bureau and then was assigned to oversee the gang enforcement efforts in South Bureau as the Bureau Gang Coordinator. He has also worked as the Adjutant to the Deputy Chief of Special Operations Bureau, OWB and Incident Management and Training Bureau.

He promoted to Captain in November 2007 and was assigned to 77th Street Division where he oversaw the day-to-day patrol operations in the Department’s largest Area command. In July 2008, Kato was assigned to Metropolitan Division, as the Assistant Commanding Officer and one year later was elevated to the Commanding Officer of Metropolitan Division. He oversaw the operation of the Department’s Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team, K-9 Unit, Mounted Unit, Crime Suppression Platoons and the Underwater Dive Unit. In January 2010, Kato was moved back to 77th Street Area as the Area Commanding Officer. He oversaw the entire operation of the Department’s largest and busiest Community Police Stations with over 400 sworn officers to manage.

In December 2012, Kato was promoted to the rank of Commander and assigned to OWB as the Assistant Commanding Officer. In 2015, Kato was assigned to the Los Angeles Special Olympics World Games organizing committee to oversee the security planning for the Games. In April 2, 2017, Chief Charlie Beck promoted Kato to the rank of Deputy Chief and assigned him back to OWB as the commanding officer.

Commander Kato was born in Los Angeles, California, in 1959. He was raised in the city of Montebello where he graduated from Montebello High School in 1977. He received his Associate of Arts degree from East Los Angeles College and his Bachelor of Science degree in Occupational Studies from the California State University at Long Beach.

Commander Kato is a resident of Torrance, California, where he lives with his wife and two children.

Rev. Chris Halverson
Former U.S. Senate Chaplain

Chris Halverson is the father of six children, and the grandfather of eight grandchildren.  His late wife, Maura, died of cancer in 2012.

After graduating from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1974, Chris pastored numerous congregations, while remaining actively engaged in the national prayer breakfast movement, which began with members of the United States Congress meeting weekly for times of prayer, fellowship, instruction and breaking of bread.

Upon entering the White House, President Eisenhower called upon the congressional prayer group to conduct a Presidential Prayer Breakfast in February of 1953.  Since then, prayer breakfast events and activities have spread across the country and to over 180 nations throughout the world.

Dr. Jesse Miranda
CEO, National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference

Dr. Jesse Miranda, a Distinguished Professor at Vanguard University in Costa Mesa, California, is an international Christian leader with a firm commitment to Latino civic engagement. A noted community leader and religious educator for more than forty five years, his expertise and extensive background in the areas of leadership, social ethics, reconciliation, and theological education have resulted in his being called for consultation with four United States Presidents on issues dealing with church, society and immigration.

His knowledge and expertise regarding Hispanic culture have been dissected in two books, The Christian Church in Ministry (translated into ten languages) and Liderazgo y Amistad (Leadership and Friendship). He was co-director and one of the principal researchers of the Hispanic Churches in American Public Life research project funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts and one of the editors of the Latino Religions and Civic Activism in the United States, a book of anthologies, monographs and reports published by Oxford Press.

Dr. Miranda is a veteran church leader. He was the Founder and President of the Alianza de Ministerios Evangelicos Nacionales (AMEN) consisting of 27 denominations and 77 ministries.

He also founded the largest Latino seminary in the nation, The Latin American Theological Seminary. Currently, he serves as an Executive Presbyter with the General Council of the Assemblies of God, the President and Founder of the Miranda Center for Hispanic Leadership, and CEO of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, America’s largest Hispanic Christian organization. This organization leads more than 16 millions growing Hispanic born again Christians and 25,434 Evangelical congregations by providing leadership, networking, partnerships, and public policy advocacy platforms to seven directives: Life, Family, Great Commission, Stewardship, Education, Youth and Justice.

Dr. Miranda received his B.A. at Southern California College (now Vanguard University), a Masters in Religious Education Degree Talbot Theological Seminary (Biola University), a Master of Science Degree in School Administration from California State University (Fullerton), and a Doctor of Ministry from Fuller Theological Seminary. He and his wife, have three grown children and eight grandchildren and lives in Hacienda Heights, CA.

John W. Mack
Former Los Angeles Police Commissioner

John Mack is a longtime civil rights leader and a highly respected advocate for equal opportunities in education, law enforcement and economic empowerment for African Americans and other minorities. He was a close personal advisor to Tom Bradley throughout his tenure as mayor, advising him on various issues as part of the mayor’s “kitchen cabinet.” He was president of the Los Angeles Urban League for 36 years (Tom Bradley also served on the League’s Board of Directors). In 2005, Mack was appointed to the Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners and served for 8 years and as President for four years. Mack helped negotiate an end to the Federal Consent Decree and played a key role in helping to reform the LAPD.  Mayor Eric Garcetti appointed him to the City Planning Commission, August of 2013. 

Jihee Kim Huh
Vice Chairman, Pacific American Fish Company

Jihee Huh is a business leader, philanthropist and activist. Currently, Jihee is the Vice-Chair and President of New Business Development at Pacific American Fish Company. She is the Co-Founder and President of the Pete’s Seafood Club retail brand products. In 1970 and at the age of 7, Mrs. Huh immigrated to the U.S with her mother, Mrs. Kyung hee Kim, late father, Hyung Ki Kim, and younger brother, Anthony Chang Kim. Her late father who came to the US in 1964 was one of the pioneer Korean American business leaders in New York City helping the immigrant Korean Americans build their lives in the early stages . His business KPC helped build many small business owners that prospered to the present time.  Jihee Huh studied at the prestigious Manhattan school of Music preparatory school for the gifted and at age 13 years debuted at Carnegie Hall which was broadcasted on the public radio. She completed her high school work at famous High School of Performing Arts in New York City and received her bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice at St. John’s University in 1986.

In 1987, Jihee. Huh married Peter Huh current Chairman and Co-founder of family owned business -PAFCO established in 1977. They moved to Los Angeles where she began her career in real estate development. As the top producing associate of Kennedy Wilson she expanded her network as a business leader.  After the family moved to Palos Verdes her two children attended Chadwick school where she joined the Chadwick School Board. She was able to focus on community engagement. In addition her activist work was ignited by the Comfort Women movement which in 2005 was a failed issue. Jihee joined the Southern California Public Radio Board in 2005 and served on the board for over twelve year to present as Life Trustee. In 2012, she received the Congressional Service Award for her efforts in the successful passage of House Resolution 121 in 2007 (A resolution expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Government of Japan should formally acknowledge, apologize, and accept historical responsibility in a clear and unequivocal manner for its

Imperial Armed Forces), Jihee has served as SCPR Chair of Governance committee, Chair of the Finance Committee and Chair of the Board of SCPR until retiring in 2015 as Life Trustee Active of the Board of SCPR.  Jihee and Peter wholeheartedly believe in the value of Public Service Journalism which fundamentally must exist to serve our Democracy in America.  Her additional philanthropic works include:  The Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, serving as Vice- Chair of Saban Research Institute, CAUSE (Center for Asian United for Self Empowerment), supports the Human Rights Watch international work and KAFC - Korean American Forum of California.)

Jihee has completed the Harvard Executive Business School Program-”Governing for Not for profit- Excellence”, to sharpen the tools for nonprofit excellence and impact. In June of 2016, she participated in the international Human Right Watch Summit in Berlin, Germany.  The Huh family currently resides in Rolling hills, Ca, New York City, Seoul where they continue to work to serve the diverse community by giving their resources and actively participating in civic empowerment and political engagement. Jihee and Peter have two Children, Amanda Huh and Christopher Huh, who have recently graduated from of Amherst College. They are alums of their father and uncle- Anthony Kim. Peter and Jihee have also established the -Peter Yun Huh Scholarship Fund 1982’ at Amherst College to serve the Asian American Students.

Sandra Ko
KCCD Board Co-Chair

Sandra grew up in Korea and Paraguay amid poverty, inequality, dictatorship, coup d’état and financial crisis.  She is fully aware that she is standing here solely due to God’s grace and her parents’ sacrificial hard work leading an immigrant family in unknown territories. She got a scholarship to attend University of Southern California and came to the United States.  She has a BA in Political Science/International Relations and an MBA from USC.  She had 10-year-long career at Enterprise Rent-A-Car (a place she still calls her home) where she learned to how to build a successful business by truly taking the customers and employees.  She is currently the Director of Workplace Operations (Development) at United Way of Greater Los Angeles.  Her job is to raise resources and advocates to “End Homelessness in Los Angeles, ensure all our kids graduate high school and make sure all our veterans have a job.”  She is also the Co-Chair of the Board of KCCD.  In both places, she loves seeing the impact that is possible when people come together.  Her life goal is to serve God and to never lose the joy He has granted in our lives. She is passionate about her family, being grateful every moment and serving those around her.

Rev. John Jongdai Park
KCCD Board Co-Chair

Rev. John Jongdai Park is an ordained pastor and advocate for Korean immigrants. He is originally from South Korea and came to the States in 1982, where he attended Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary. Rev. Park served as the past President for The Council of Korean Churches in Southern California. He also currently the Chairman of KCCD and of the Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation of America as well as Co-Chair of the Board of Korean Churches for Community Development. Rev. John Park is currently in Los Angeles California where he continues to serve as Head Pastor of Joong-Ang Presbyterian Church in Hollywood.

Caroline Kelly
Chairperson, Los Angeles County Mental Health Commission

Caroline Kelly is the Chairperson of the Los Angeles County Mental Health Commission. She is also a proud volunteer of the Institute of Non-violence in Los Angeles, founded by Avis Ridley-Thomas, through which she teaches mediation skills to LAUSD elementary and middle school children. Committed to restorative justice, Caroline is a facilitator with the LA City Attorney’s Neighborhood Justice Program and Dispute Resolution Program. She is engaged in philanthropy and advocacy for better K-12 public education, currently as a Green Dot Ambassador, and has served as a psychology tutor and mentor to students at Santa Monica Community College. A retired attorney, Caroline is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and UCLA School of Law. An immigrant herself, she is a wife and mother of three children, all born in Los Angeles.

Rev. Najuma Smith-Pollard
Program Manager, USC Cecil Murray Center for Community Engagement

As program manager for the USC Cecil Murray Center for Community Engagement, the Rev. Najuma Smith-Pollard combines her experience as a pastor and expertise as a community leader to run programs that train pastors to take on civic engagement work. Rev Najuma is the founding Pastor of Word of Encouragement Community Church, in Los Angeles.

Smith-Pollard also is a motivational speaker and trainer, author, radio personality and community activist. Her areas of expertise Preaching, Women Clergy, Sexual Violence, Faith Leadership, Black Church and Civic Engagement.

Rev. Jae Yul Kim
President, The Council of Korean Churches in Southern California

Filiberto Gonzalez
Founder and CEO, Social | Impact Consulting, LLC