Executive Director

Huy joined Viet Voices after a team of volunteers came together to form the group with the intention of increasing civic engagement in the Vietnamese community.

Professionally, he used to work in the accounting field but left in 2020 to join the non-profit sector to do community organizing work full-time. When Viet Voices became a 501c3 non-profit in 2019, Huy served as President for 3 years and has now settled into the role of Executive Director.

Huy and his parents were the last people in his clan to migrate to the U.S. in 1990. After graduating from high school, he attended UCLA, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology. He has lived in San Diego for almost 20 years and considered it his home.

Huy enjoys gardening, plants, arts, books, cooking vegan food at home, and playing with his two cats.

Administrative & Operations Manager

Jane Le is our Administrative & Operations Manager. Prior to this role, she was the Staff Assistant for U.S. Congresswoman Sara Jacobs (CA-53) district office, working in and around issues of AAPI, environment, education, energy, housing, and immigration. She received her Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of California in Riverside and her Master of Public Administration from California State University, Northridge.

Jane previously worked for the San Diego Diplomacy Council as their Program Associate, hosting international delegations through the State Department's International Visitors Leadership Program (IVLP). She started her public service career as an Administrative Coordinator for the Vietnamese American Arts & Letters Association in Orange County.

Jane's family immigrated to the United States in 1995. She is a proud 1.5-generation Vietnamese American, born in Vietnam, and fluent in Vietnamese.

Jane enjoys reading, baking, exploring cooking recipes, hiking/walking, and spending time with her family at national and state and local parks.

Consultant

Emily Diem Tran started as a volunteer in 2020, joined our team as our Community Organizer in 2022, and is currently a consultant.

Emily has a BS in Gerontology with Distinction and a Minor in Asian Studies. They serve on several advisory and leadership boards. Their core values of intentionality, mindfulness, and inclusion, which is the driving force in promoting healthcare justice and creating a more equitable and fair healthcare system for older adults. Emily’s Vietnamese-American heritage influences their perspective on inequality, community building, and civic duty issues. Emily currently is the Management Analyst who oversees the “healthy and age-friendly initiatives” for the city of Chula Vista.

Emily is a Queer, second-generation Vietnamese American and the eldest of three children. Their Vietnamese parents sought refuge in the United States in 1975 during the first wave of Vietnamese refugees after the fall of Saigon.

Emily enjoys watching anime, collecting kawaii-related items, and French pastries and desserts.

Chair

Nam Nguyen is a mechanical engineer for the U.S. Navy and UC San Diego Graduate. Driven by the memories of his parents and the community they built in his hometown of San Jose, he has stepped up to strive for resiliency and prosperity for the Vietnamese of San Diego. When not hiking in the forests of Mount Laguna, Nam enjoys sailing, going to the movies, and feasting with friends.

Vice Chair

Dr. Minh Tuyen Le Mai is the academic research coordinator at UC San Diego. She creates and directs computer science and technology learning opportunities for teachers and students across the San Diego county, especially for those from low-income and underserved backgrounds.

She was born in Saigon and raised in Milwaukee, WI. She’s proud to establish her new roots in San Diego.

She holds a Ph.D. in Educational Policy Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Board

Alexander Nguyen is an Emmy award-winning journalist. He is currently the North County reporter for KPBS News.

In addition, he’s been on the boards of several community organizations, such as the Mira Mesa Town Council, Mira Mesa Theatre Guild, Vietnamese American Youth Alliance, and Asian American Journalists Association - San Diego Chapter.

He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern California and a master’s degree in journalism innovation from Syracuse University.

Board

Born and raised in San Jose, Jefferey set down his roots in San Diego after graduating from UC San Diego with a degree in Economics and a minor in Theatre. Through his work with the City of San Diego, Jefferey reconnected with his Vietnamese roots, where he sees deep similarities within the Vietnamese community of San Diego with the community he grew up in. He aims to see a Vietnamese community in San Diego as strong and prominent as in his childhood.

In his free time, Jefferey enjoys traveling, exercising, and finding the best dessert places.

Board

May Thach is a community organizer, international development learner and practitioner. She is a proud 1.5 generation Khmer-Krom American immigrant.

She has been involved with volunteering service since she was in the 7th grade, which eventually led her to serve in the Peace Corps in Zambia in 2015. Her time working in Zambia showed her the power of grassroots and community-led organizing.

May is currently the Organizing Manager of the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF) in Florida.

She holds a dual bachelor’s degree from the University of South Florida and a master’s degree in International Development/Non-profit Management from UC San Diego.

Advisory Board Member

Liza is a Vietnamese-American personal development junkie, world citizen, and daughter. Born and grazed in Stockton, CA, the migratory hub of many Southeast Asian families, she has developed a passion for addressing the major social justice issues of our time: access to educational and economic opportunities and building healthy pipelines for underserved communities, all while preserving the beautiful earth that we’ve inherited.

Liza runs LNC Consulting, a civil rights policy and strategy firm. She also provides 1:1 coaching for individuals to live in alignment and joy with their values and goals. Prior to her entrepreneurial pursuits, Liza has worked in several industries, including startup management, the California legislature, and as a lobbyist for Asian Americans Advancing Justice – California, a non-profit partnership. Her lived experiences as a first-generation college graduate and small business owner have emphasized her love for living creatively and in service to others.

Data Analyst & Youth Organizer

Nathan is a Cognitive Science student at UC San Diego, specializing in Machine Learning and Neural Computation.

At Viet Voices, he bridges technology and civic engagement—developing machine learning models to predict voter behavior, writing automation scripts to streamline tasks, and empowering fellow college students to become leaders in their communities. His work is driven by a desire to build stronger, more connected civic ecosystems.

Beyond Viet Voices, Nathan is a coding instructor at Code Ninjas, and a Software Engineer Intern at a startup focusing on backend infrastructure. In his free time, he enjoys fashion, exploring new cafes, and spending quality time with friends.

Consultant

Britt Pham has been supporting facilitation of Viet Voices events at the Mingei International Museum and continues to work with us as a consultant.

Britt is a first generation Vietnamese-Lao-American, a child of refugees, and a lover of all things disco. Their work lies at the intersection of healing, culture, and liberation work. As a facilitator, multidisciplinary artist, and much more, Britt guides people in slowing down, listening, and connecting the individual with the collective.

She holds a BFA in Recorded Music from NYU Tisch School of the Arts, and is currently residing upon Kumeyaay land (known post-colonially as San Diego).

Advisory Board Member

Alexis Villanueva, MS is the Interim Executive Director of City Heights CDC. Alexis has 11+ years of workforce and business development experience. Alexis obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work and Chicano/a Studies from San Diego State University and a Master of Science in Organizational Leadership from National University. Alexis was raised in the City Heights community into the dynamic leader she is today. She currently serves on Board of Directors for Viet Voices, Mohuman, and Business for Good. She also serves the community by participating on the Advance Advisory Committee with Mission Driven Finance. The advisory committee makes a determination of future impact funding and how to contribute funding to communities that are historically underserved.

When she is not serving the community, she loves to travel, spend time with her family and dog, Mr. Darcy.

Intern

Frank is a student studying public health at UC San Diego with a concentration in medical sciences. Outside of Viet Voices, Frank has applied himself as an outreach intern under Medical, Educational Missions & Outreach (M.E.M.O.) for the past two years. 

This student-led organization allows him to provide aid and promote healthcare accessibility to vulnerable populations across Southern California and abroad in Vietnam through free dental, medical, and scholarship-based opportunities.  
After completing his undergraduate degree, he plans to attend a post-grad program to explore his career in the world of medicine and work toward increasing equitable healthcare for underserved communities in his hometown of San Jose. 

In his spare time, Frank enjoys going on hikes, exploring cafes with friends, and finding new places to both study and relax.

Intern

A college student majoring in Graphic Design, Hannah is passionate about using creative skills to foster positive change and build inclusive spaces. Originally from Vietnam and fluent in Vietnamese, Hannah takes pride in her heritage. After moving to the U.S., they quickly adapted to new challenges, embracing every opportunity for growth and self-improvement.

Hannah enjoys singing, spending time with family and friends, and exploring the local community. She is excited to continue learning, developing their skills, and making a meaningful impact through this opportunity.