New Members Named to Census Bureau Race and Ethnic Advisory Committees; Committees to Meet in May 5/5/2003
From: Census Bureau Public Information Office 301-763-3691 or 301-457-3670 (fax) or 301-457-1037 (TDD) or e-mail: pio@census.gov; or Jeri Green, 301-763-2070 WASHINGTON, May 5 -- The Census Bureau will welcome 17 new members to five advisory committees on race and ethnicity at its meeting in Reston, Va., May 6-7. "The Race and Ethnic Advisory Committees (REAC) play a vital role in ensuring we make the best efforts to reach all race and ethnic groups as we fully implement the American Community Survey and test our plans for the 2010 census," said Census Bureau Director Louis Kincannon. Five race and ethnic committees advise the Census Bureau on issues affecting the African-American, American Indian and Alaska native, Asian, Hispanic, and native Hawaiian and other Pacific islander populations. The REAC committees comprise members of the public at large including representatives of tribal entities, academia and the private-sector community. Committee members serve three-year terms. The newly selected REAC members are: African-American Advisory Committee -- John Flateau (Brooklyn, N.Y.) John Flateau is the dean of the School of Business at Medgar Evers College, City University of New York in Brooklyn, where he serves as the director of the Census Information Center. Dean Flateau also directs the DuBois/Bunche Center For Public Policy and is an adjunct professor in public administration. He is a nationally recognized expert in the field of African-American, African, Caribbean/West Indian and Latino demographic analysis and diversity. -- Daryl Neely (Jackson, Miss.) Daryl Neely serves as chief executive officer with the Triumvirate Management Group. He is responsible for private-based and public agency management contracts arranged by the Triumvirate Management Group. Mr. Neely was a member of the Jackson City Council in Mississippi, where he served on committees addressing local economic development goals and projects. Mr. Neely has been recognized throughout the state for his significant community involvement and business leadership, particularly his experience with youth-based organizations. -- Preston M. Royster, Ph.D. (Burke, Va.) Preston M. Royster has served in several public positions with the Commonwealth of Virginia and throughout the metropolitan Washington area, including most recently as the executive director of the Virginia Council for Adult Education and Literacy and as a commissioner with the Fairfax County Human Rights Commission. Dr. Royster participated in 1990 census activities and will bring to the committee substantial knowledge about field enumeration operations. American Indian and Alaska Native Advisory (AIAN) Committee -- Leigh Ann McGee, Cherokee Nation (Salisbury, Md.) Leigh Ann McGee serves as a legislative officer for the principal chief of the Cherokee nation. She is responsible for developing public and legislative policy on national issues affecting the Cherokee nation. She also networks with other tribes on issues of national tribal impact. Ms. McGee's strong tribal affiliation with the Cherokee nation will broaden and strengthen the Census Bureau's overall understanding of AIAN concerns and Cherokee nation tribal issues. -- Albert A. Yazzie, Navajo Nation (Gallup, N.M.) Albert A. Yazzie spent more than 30 years as a teacher or superintendent with several school districts within the Navajo nation and the state of New Mexico. He serves as executive director, Wide Ruins Community School in Gallup, N.M. Mr. Yazzie has received numerous awards and recognition for his commitment to the improvement of Navajo education. He is a member of the National Indian Education Association Board, vice president of the Navajo Pine Boys and Girls Club and a member of the Coalition of Indian Education's Board of Advisory. Mr. Yazzie's extensive expertise in American Indian tribal education issues and long-standing community involvement with the Navajo nation will benefit 2010 census planning efforts. -- Mary Jane Fate (Fairbanks, Alaska) Mary Jane Fate has served on numerous federal and state policy commissions and organizations affecting Alaska natives. She is a founding member of the North American Indian Women's Association and has served as a member of the Board of Regents for the University of Alaska. Ms. Fate's participation on the AIAN committee will expand the committee's awareness of Alaskan issues, enabling it to better respond and advise the Census Bureau on this population. Asian Advisory Committee -- Y. Richard Lin, Ph.D. (Boulder, Colo.) Y. Richard Lin is employed with the state of Colorado as an estimates demographer. As a demographer, he has extensive technical expertise in the use of census data. Dr. Lin has previously served on the state of Colorado's Asian American Decennial Census Full Count Task Force for the 1980, 1990 and 2000 censuses. Dr. Lin serves as chair of the Governor of Colorado's Asian Pacific American Advisory Council. -- Wei Li, Ph.D. (Tempe, Ariz.) Wei Li is an assistant professor at Arizona State University, Department of Geography. Dr. Li has been a visiting scholar at several universities in the United States and taught at the Universities of Beijing and Peking. Dr. Li has published many papers, books and articles on race and ethnicity, demography and ethnic geography. Dr. Li's technical expertise and Asian Pacific community involvement will enhance the committee's ability to address decennial and geographic concerns that affect the Asian population. -- Muzaffar A. Shaikh, Ph.D. (Melbourne, Fla.) Muzaffar A. Shaikh serves as professor and director, Engineering Management, Florida Institute of Technology. Dr. Shaikh holds a Ph.D. in industrial engineering and has broad experiences across a wide variety of disciplines in the business sector. Dr. Shaikh was a fellow at the Johnson Space Center at Houston, Texas. He is a fellow of the Operations Research Society and is listed in Who's Who Among American Muslims. Dr. Shaikh is a respected community leader in Brevard County, Fla., where he is consulted on issues of national and state interest. -- Uyen Dinh, Esq. (Springfield, Va.) Uyen Dinh serves as counsel, U.S. House Committee on Government Reform. She previously served as counsel to the U.S. House Committee on Government Reform's Technology and Procurement Policy Subcommittee and in other legal capacities on both Capitol Hill and throughout the Washington metropolitan area. Ms. Dinh is the founder and director of Empress Productions, a Vietnamese performing arts organization in the Washington, D.C., area and has produced and hosted a local cable talk show focusing on Asian American issues. -- Ellen M. Abellera (Mountlake Terrace, Wash.) Ellen M. Abellera serves as executive director, Asian American Affairs for the state of Washington. Ms. Abellera worked as a trainer and recruiter for the U.S. Census Bureau's Seattle Regional Office during Census 2000. She also serves as a member of the Asian Pacific Islander Women's Family Center and as a board member of the Asian Pacific Islander Coalition. Her knowledge of the decennial process and her extensive interactions with the Asian American community in the Pacific Northwest will enhance the Asian committee's advisory capability. Hispanic Advisory Committee -- Jose Manuel Alvarez (Port Reading, N.J.) Jose Manuel Alvarez is a consultant in the legislative and public policy arenas. Mr. Alvarez has worked extensively with the U.S. Congress (1992-2000), as well as with local government. He is an expert on Cuban affairs and has extensive knowledge of Caribbean, Central and South American populations. -- Yvonne Gallegos Bodle, Ph.D. (Ventura, Calif.) Yvonne Gallegos Bodle is a professor of accounting and business at Ventura Community College. Dr. Bodle's community service activities are broad ranging, and include: president, Ventura County Board of Education (an elected position); member, Rotary Club; the American Red Cross Board of Directors and other activities. -- Jacinto Pable Juarez, Ph.D. (Laredo, Texas) Jacinto Pable Juarez is dean emeritus of Laredo Community College and teaches in the college's Department of Mathematics. Dr. Juarez has taught at the secondary and post-secondary levels and has held several local elected positions in Laredo, Texas. Dr. Juarez chairs the Texas Health Information Council and has served on the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans (1991-1992). -- M. Adriana Mateus (Chicago, Ill.) M. Adriana Mateus is a marketing professional for Starcom Worldwide, Chicago, Ill. She has extensive marketing and advertising experience expanding across a broad spectrum of clients and corporate entities. Ms. Mateus has a comprehensive understanding of the U.S. Hispanic consumer market and is charged with developing innovative, competitive media strategies that reflect this rapidly growing population. Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander Advisory Committee -- Shawn Kanaiaupuni, Ph.D. (Honolulu, Hawaii) Shawn Kanaiaupuni, a demographer, serves as director, Policy Analysis and System Evaluation, Kamehameha Schools. Kamehameha Schools is a nonprofit charitable trust dedicated to serving the educational needs of children of Hawaiian ancestry. Dr. Kanaiaupuni also serves as adjunct professor at the University of Hawaii. Dr. Kanaiaupuni serves on the Hawaii Education Policy Center's Research Advisory Panel, the Native Hawaiian Early Childhood Consortia, the Women's Leadership Steering Committee and as research advisor: Pacific American Research Center. She is also active nationally in several professional associations for sociologists and demographers. Dr. Kanaiaupuni has served on several National Science Foundation panels and has participated as a panelist at American Sociological Association and Population Association of America meetings. She is widely published and renowned within and outside Hawaii for her research and technical expertise on native Hawaiian issues. -- Victor (Kaiwi) Pang (Huntington Beach, Calif.) Victor Pang is a community organizer, serving the native Hawaiian and other Pacific islander communities throughout southern California. He has been a key organizer of the Mainland Council, of the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs and a member of several other native Hawaiian and Pacific islander organizations. Mr. Pang is a founding member of the Pacific Islander Community Council which represents Hawaiians and indigenous community leaders from the Pacific islands (Samoa, Tonga, Tahiti, Auteroa, Guam, Fiji, Marshalls, etc.). He has extensive knowledge and understanding of the decennial census, having played a major role in outreach activities during the 1990 and 2000 censuses. Mr. Pang's understanding of diverse Pacific island cultures and populations will be an asset to this committee. ------ Editor's Note: News releases, reports and data tables are available on the Census Bureau's Internet homepage at http://www.census.gov. |