Political and Community Leaders Sharing Their Successful Stories
Speaker: Theresa Mah
Moderator: Narantsin Kylie Jia
In this session, we will showcase Chinese Americans who have led by their own examples to engage in American civic and political life. Their contribution and exemplary influence will inspire many others to follow their footsteps and contribute more to this great country.
Theresa Mah is the newly-elected Democratic Nominee for Illinois 2nd District State Representative. When she takes office in January, she will be the first Asian American ever to serve in the Illinois General Assembly. Prior to running for elected office, Dr. Mah taught for 15 years at the college level. She came to Chicago 25 years ago to earn her Ph.D. at the University of Chicago. In her most recent position as a Senior Policy Advisor and Director of Asian American Outreach in the Office of former Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, she oversaw the implementation of the Asian American Employment Plan as well as other efforts to promote diverse representation in state government. She served as the Governor’s representative in the Asian American community and advocated for the state’s 600,000+ Asian Americans, bringing their issues and concerns to the highest levels of state government and working on policies to address them.
