APALA Names New National President

During the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA) annual conference in Anaheim, CA, the organization elected Monica Thammarath as its new President. At 31, Monica becomes the youngest and first-ever Southeast Asian American to lead the organization. Monica currently leads Asian American Pacific Islander outreach for the National Education Association and their three million members. She will continue in her capacity at NEA and wear both hats. Prior to the NEA, the UC Berkeley graduate was the education policy advocate for the Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC), where she oversaw the organization’s education program. The daughter of refugees from Laos was born and raised in San Diego. She recently completed her Masters in Public Administration with a concentration in policy analysis at American University’s School of Public Affairs. Congrats, Monica! More about her here.