YFPA Online 2012 Board Elections April 3, 2012

Young Filipino Professionals Association 2012 Board Elections Online Voting Starts Tonight, Ends Wed., 4/04, 12 noon. In Person Voting Starts at 4/04 April Mixer at Mercury Lounge from 67: 30 PM. New board will be announced 8 PM that same night.

Online Voting for this YFPA 2012 Board Elections starts tonight! Below are the official statements of this year's candidates below. Please email your vote from the seven candidates below to elections@yfpaÆorg. * One note, since the board can officially have up to 13 members at the most, you, as a YFPA member can vote to accept all the candidates (4 are currently in term). The online voting ends this Wed., 4/04 at noon. In person voting starts from 6-7:30 p.m. at: Mercury Lounge
Opening Exclusively for YFPA Elections That Evening
1582 Folsom St (between 12th St & Norfolk St.) San Francisco, CA 94103 New board members will be announced at 8 p.m. at the night of the mixer.

YFPA 2012 Elections Candidacy
Statements

CARLO ALMENDRAL
* CoFounder, DogBff, Inc. (Technology company that is going to disrupt the pet
industry. I'm also and advisor for 3 game companies.)
* I want to help Filipino Americans in the workforce or entering it be successful in
every industry. There are traditional industries that Filipinos have been in, but there
are a lot more we could succeed in.
* I want to see more members from different industry sectors participate in the YFPA
events and create stronger organic networks that we could all pull from in the future.
* In the past 5 years, I've started 5 tech startups. 3 of which are still around and have
20+ employees, 1 I sold to another company, 1 I'm currently in. I've been an
executive member for these multimillion dollar companies and have worked on all
levels and positions. I started my career out in corporate training and operations
management then went on to do corporate finance for the Four Seasons hotels. In jr.
college (De Anza), I was president of a Filipino club that had 4 active members when I
started and by the time the school year was out, we had 60 active members.
* I think that in order for Filipinos to empower ourselves in a new world culture, we
need to understand our history and context within the world. More importantly, we're in
a position where we could have the rest of the world appreciate the Filipino spirit (in
the case of being young professionals, our work ethic).

DARIUS CEREZO
* Financial and Life Insurance Agent, Premier Financial Alliance.
* I want to be a member of the YFPA Board of Directors because I want to participate
more in group activities and decision making in the group.
* I envision the group getting more members and retaining those members. I also
envision more fun activities for group bonding.
* As for leadership roles, I've trained many people in my career field. I know I can be a
good asset to the group. I love the Philippines.

LESLIE COQUILLA
* Sales Manager, State Farm Insurance
* I've already served 2 years on the board. I feel like I wasn't so productive because
my responsibilities were somewhat limited. Only in the 2nd year of my term, was I
given more responsibilities and creative freedom to develop programs and create
partnerships with other nonprofit organizations geared toward the same vision as
YFPA. I would like to serve another term to finish what I've started
* My vision is to modernize YFPA and to increase membership by generating interest
through programs and events

LILY MADJUS
* Deputy Communications Director, Mayor Edwin M. Lee's Press Office, City &
County of San Francisco
* I'd like to serve as a member of YFPA Board of Directors to:
1. Help foster good working relationships between YPFA members and the
communities it serves;
2. Engage nonmembers
to value the services and tools the organization has to offer;
3. Provide professional and personal development tools for existing and new
members;
4. Raise the visibility of the organization.
* I'd like to grow YFPA by helping to apply the organization's mission of fostering our
community through public and community volunteer opportunities and workshops;
providing members with educational tools that will help with their professional and
personal development; and serving our diverse communities by providing them
assistance and tools to improve their quality of life.
In order to do this, I would work on increasing the visibility of YFPA through the
expanded use of social media as well as traditional ties and partnerships with our
loyal partners and peer organizations connecting our common goals of improving the
lives of our members and diverse communities.
Found below are some ideas for how we can do this by:
1. Developing the YFPA website to showcase what the organization, its members and
the membership have to offer.
2. Facilitating workshops that focus on not only personal, but also professional
development of both members and nonmembers through the use of relevant themed
topics.
3. Utilizing and developing traditional and new media marketing materials such as
monthly newsletters, posters, and flyers as well as social media tools to increase
YFPA's visibility.
4. Engaging and connecting with other Bay Area professional organizations to help
group resources and present a unified voice to representing and helping the diverse
communities we serve.
* I have over 5 years of experience in public relations, marketing and event
planning/coordinating as well as experience in graphics and website design,
implementation and maintenance.
Currently, I work at the Mayor's Press Office leading the redesign of the Mayor's
website, its development and maintenance while also leading the event planning and
coordination for Mayor's attendance at press conferences. Previously I served as the
Special Projects and Events Coordinator at the SF Public Utilities Commission where
I headed up the agency's participation at street fairs and festivals. I helped to design
marketing and media materials for both our participation in these free, public events and topic based focus campaigns.
As for my leadership experience, I currently serve as a member on the Portola Family
Connections Board of Directors, which provides important family and social services
to residents in both the Portola and Excelsior neighborhoods in San Francisco. I've
served on the organization's Little Red Wagon Awards Fundraiser committee for the
last two years since I've joined to help with raising money for the organization. I
provided marketing as well as event planning assistance for the successful execution
of this event.
I am a member of the Municipal Managers Association of Northern California
(MMANC) and served last year as the Marketing CoChair for the organization's 2011
annual conference and will do so this year as the Marketing Chair again for the
organization's 2012 annual conference.
I am also a member of the City's Coalition for Asian American Government Employee
(CAAGE), which is the only Asian American group fostering and engaging both
members and nonmembers professional development in the City & County of SF.
Last year, I completed the Leadership Training Program with the Corporate Asian
American Employee Network (CAAEN), a collaborative network of Asian American
employee resource groups from the private, public, and educational sectors in the
Greater Bay Area community.
* I hope to leverage my experience and the networks I currently have to move
YFPA's mission forward. It is with the help of many and the innovation and creative
minds of our peers can we move forward and reinvent ourselves and make our
communities strongercan we move forward and reinvent ourselves and make our
communities stronger. I hope you give me the honor in serving you the members of
YFPA. Thank you.

MELISSA APUYA
* San Francisco District Representative, State Senator Leland Yee
* Through my years of involvement with YFPA, I have had the opportunity to expand
both my professional and personal networks. Other members too, can attest to the
value and resource YFPA provides to its members. As a member of the Board of
Directors, I would like to continue to promote the values of the organization, to
"Connect. Educate. Serve." Not just within the Filipino American circle but to all those
in the greater Bay Area community.
* The Young Filipino Professionals Association has been a great resource in helping
professionals and businesses connect and expand their networks. Part of my vision
is to give young professionals the same experience so they too can develop
themselves to be confident and successful in their career fields. I also hope to
continue working with our youth and college students, to inspire and empower them to
be our future leaders.
* Through my current job and various community involvements, I carry years of
experience in marketing, communications, event planning, and leadership training.
These include, but are not limited to:
Philippine Consul General of San Francisco, Philippine Independence Day Organizing
Committee, 2011present
o Planned an evening gala to celebrate the 113th Anniversary of the Independence of
the Philippines. The occasion also celebrated the 150th Birthday of National Hero
Jose Rizal and the 50th Anniversary of the San Francisco Manila Sister City
Committee.
o Sat on the Marketing & Sales committee that sold over 500 seats for the formal
evening affair. This year, I am heading the Marketing & Promotions committee.
Bay Culture Inc, Autumn Moon Festival Organizing Committee, 2008present
o Organize and plan a neighborhood street fair in San Francisco's Sunset District.
o 2000+ people in attendance with over 60 vendors each year.
The Alvarado Project, "Through My Father's Eyes", 2007, 2009
o A traveling photo exhibit of first wave Filipino immigrant Ricardo Alvarado. Almost
3000 photos were found by his daughter, Janet, after he died. The exhibit has been
featured at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History in Washington,
DC.
o Organized and planned for the exhibit to be featured at the Hiram Johnson State
Building in October 2009 to officially launch October as Filipino American History
Month, as passed by Senator Leland Yee.

RIZ QUILALA
* Investment Advisor, JP Morgan Securities
* I believe in the principles and mission of YFPA. As a board member and proud
Filipino American, I can help make a meaningful impact and contribution towards that
end.
* My vision for YFPA is for it to grow, increase awareness, visibility of our
organization and to promote its values and goals.
* Some of my leadership experience includes advising clients on where they should
invest and grow their investment assets, a skillset
that is suited for this board
position. On a basic level and through working closely with clients, I increase
awareness of the various investment opportunities available, evaluate which will be
best suited to achieve investment goals and promote the importance of saving and
investing.
* I intend to work closely with the board and most importantly the members, and listen
to how we can all work together to connect and advance with fellow Filipinos. Equally
important is that I want to work towards being a catalyst for growth and connection
among our membership base and implement it through a well thought out execution
strategy.

ROBERT UY
* Partner, Law Office of Lien L. Uy; Of Counsel, Kutrubes Law
* I want to serve on the YFPA Board of Directors because YFPA is unique in that it is
the only organization in the Bay Area that focuses on professional development for
Filipino and Filipino American Professionals. I currently am involved in several bar
associations where I have been able to be mentored and mentor other Asian and
Pacific Islander Attorneys and law students. I want to be similarly involved in an
organization that will help to provide mentorship, networking, and professional
development opportunities for members of our community.
* I feel that professional organizations like YFPA can help to contribute to our
professional community and to the Filipino community at large. My vision for YFPA is
for it to continue providing networking and professional development opportunities
(such as seminars and trainings), to its members. At the same time, I envision YFPA
as being a group of young professionals who serve as leaders in the Filipino
community, who will engage in community service events, scholarship raising,
volunteerism, and community building.
* Leadership Experience:
Asian American Bar Association CoChair,
Community Services Committee,
2008Present
o Coorganized and founded "Legally Asian," a conference for high school and college students to enter the legal profession. (2009, 2011, 2012).
o Administered the AABA Summer Law Grant from 20082011, which granted 2 scholarships to law students working in public interest.
o Organized "AABA Law Day," which brought together a multidisciplinary group of
over 30 attorneys and 30 law students to serve a large group of clients.
o Coordinated the Oakland AABAAPILO legal clinic and coordinated the San Francisco AABAAPILO legal clinic, coordinated volunteer law students and attorneys
and served as supervising attorney during said clinics.
o Member of AABA law student mentoring program
o Nominated by AABA for the 2011, Jack Berman Award for Achievement SF Immigration and Legal Education Network Executive Committee 2007, 2008, 2009
o Helped draft guidelines and procedures for deportation advice hotline.
o Assisted in the hiring of the network attorney.
o Developed organizational plans of action for Immigration Reform Pilipino Bayanihan Resource Center Vice President of the Board of Directors, 2008 2009
o Coauthored a successful community development block grant for the city of Daly
City.
o Managed legal clinics.
o Implemented the creation of Tagalog classes for low income members of the
community. Filipino Bar Association Former Legal Clinics Director, Current Secretary
5/2010Present
o Managed free legal clinic program. Interfaced with Legal Aid Society, API Legal
o Outreach, and the City of Daly City. Publicized and promoted the program through
media outlets.
o Coordinated FBANC scholarship program.
o Managed the FBANC Newsletter Alliance for Community Empowerment Former Secretary, Current Member 12/2009
Present
o Currently leads "Tech" Committee, which provides technical support for ALLICE
Events
o Assisted in the planning and presentation of biannual presentations on domestic
violence, child, and elder abuse. Community Ynangbayan Theatre GroupFounder
and Executive Producer 9/20026/2003
o Produced 2 theatre productions in Tagalog/English.
* I am a graduate of Santa Clara University School of Law and of the University of
California Los Angeles. I have previously been commended by the City of Daly City,
the Office of State Senator Leland Yee, and the San Francisco Board of supervisors
for my work as a pro bono attorney and legal clinics coordinator. I have frequently
been invited to speak at conferences throughout California on issues relating to
domestic violence, immigration, and human trafficking.

Thanks†for†your†vote†and†see†you†this†Wednesday†evening†so†you†can†welcome†and
congratulate†your†new†2012†board°
Maraming†Salamat†again†for†your†support†and†participation°
Your YFPA Board of Directors
Young Filipino Professionals Association
CONNECT. EDUCATE. SERVE
The†mission†of†the†Young†Filipino†Professionals†Association†©YFPA®†is†to†foster
professional†connections¨†ideas†and†expertise†to†support†and†engage†Filipino
professionals†in†the†greater†San†Francisco†Bay†AreaÆ
The Young Filipino Professionals Association
660 4th Street, Suite 499
San Francisco, California 94107