Ms. Smith has been in public service for the County of Los Angeles for almost 24 years, working her way through various audit, budget, employee relations, human resources, and operational positions. Ms. Smith was responsible for budgets totaling $1.3 billion in the Department of Health Services; served in various assignments including as the Budget and Fiscal Officer for the Chief Executive Office; and transitioned to the executive ranks as the Administrative Deputy for the Assessor’s Office. In 2021, she was appointed to Director, Assessor’s Operations overseeing Legal Services, Exemptions, Assessment, and Public Services (LEAPS) as well as Communications and Public Affairs.

During her tenure, she was instrumental in revamping the Assessor’s Training curriculum in collaboration with local community colleges to create a career pathway program for appraiser assistants as well as increasing the department's staff capacity. She also led the Assessor's emergency management response to the COVID-19 pandemic and activations for various fires and other local disasters.

Ms. Smith strives to make a positive impact through partnerships with business groups, community and labor organizations, municipal jurisdictions, and members of the public. She continues to advocate for improved transparency and expanded access to translation services in government communications to reach all of the diverse communities in Los Angeles County.

Ms. Smith earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona and has an advanced certification by the California State Board of Equalization as a Property Tax Auditor-Appraiser. Ms. Smith deeply honors the rich culture of her Chinese, Laotian and Thai heritage.

Peter continues as the scholarship chair. He is currently a Staff Assistant III in Public Works and has been part of the Vietnamese youth group for over 15 years. Peter strongly believes in helping and mentoring the youth to be our bright future leaders.

Diane is our Social Events chair. She has been with LA County for over five years. Currently, she is a Administrative Services Manager II with the Medical Examiner. Though she hasn’t been able to do so lately, she loves going on food adventures, exploring new bars and restaurants for fun. She also enjoys meeting new people, whether virtually or in-person.

Jayson began his County career in 2004 as a Student Worker with the Superior Courts.  He furthered his career at the Department of Auditor-Controller where he specialized in conducting IT audits across numerous County departments.  He is currently with the Executive Office of the Board of Supervisors under the Office of Inspector General.  In his free time, he enjoys traveling, experiencing new foods, listening to music, relaxing outdoors, and learning new things.

Ada is a first-generation college graduate born and raised in Los Angeles. She holds bachelor’s degrees in Statistics Data Science and Chinese from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a master’s degree in Business Analytics from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.

Currently, she serves as a Management Analyst with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. During her tenure with Los Angeles County, she had the privilege to connect with inspiring mentors who have supported and nurtured her professional growth. Ada is dedicated to supporting other first-generation students and is committed to giving back to her beloved Los Angeles community.

Osman began his county service at the District Attorney’s Office and currently works for the Executive Office at the Office of Inspector General. Before moving to Los Angeles County, Osman worked as an Assistant District Attorney at the Bronx County District Attorney’s Office. He was inspired to join LACAAEA because he wants to take part in the group’s ongoing efforts to uplift and empower the AAPI community. He is also a member of the Executive Boards of the Los Angeles County Bar’s Criminal Justice Section and the South Asian Bar Association of Southern California. Osman was born and raised in Metro Detroit and holds undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Michigan.

Jodi brings a wealth of public service and community engagement experience to her current role. With over 30 years of professional accomplishments across the private, non-profit, and public sectors, she has spent more than 16 years serving the vibrant and diverse community of LA County, climbing the County Administration ladder through various roles. Before her tenure with the County, Jodi was an award-winning graphic designer, showcasing her creative talents and commitment to excellence in communications. Her deep-rooted connection to the County is evident through her contributions across various departments, including CSSD, DCFS, Fire, BOS, ISD, and currently, for RR/CC.

Born in Taiwan, Jodi has firsthand experience with the challenges immigrant families face in the US. Her commitment to advancing community engagement and accessibility within the County, especially in the context of racial, gender, and neurodiverse equity, fuels her active involvement with LACAAEA. She dedicates herself to mentoring single parents, immigrant communities, and families with special needs children.

Her contributions extend to organizations such as Evergreen Baptist Church of LA, Imagine Whittier, Boy Scouts of America, Autism Society of America, Chinese Parents for the Disabled, Eastern LA Regional Center’s Family Advisory Committee on Employment, RR/CC’s Language Accessibility Advisory Committee, and a Charter Member of Soroptimist Int’l of Greater El Monte. Jodi’s dedication has received numerous accolades, including receiving LACAAEA’s Community and Public Sector Award, Above and Beyond AAPI County Employee in 2024.

As a recent Public Sector Management honors graduate (Cum Laude) of Cal State Northridge, Jodi's passion for positively impacting the lives of LA County families firmly establishes her as an invaluable asset in both her professional and community engagement roles.

My American Story 07.2024

LACAAEA Award Acceptance Speech 11.2023

Jesse Zhu joined Los Angeles County Assessor’s office as an appraiser trainee in 2008 and currently serves as Supervising Appraiser in Assessor’s Training Division. Jesse oversees Assessor’s prestige appraiser training program - Appraiser Trainee Certification Program (ATCP) which provides a twelve-month rigorous appraiser training consisting of instructional courses and one the job training. Jesse has been an avid member of Los Angeles County Asian Americans Association (LACAAEA) and has gained strong leadership skills and expanded his professional network thanks to the resources and opportunities LAAAEA offered.

Jesse was born and raised in China. After finishing college in China, he decided to explore the world and went to Sydney Australia to pursue his master’s degree. Jesse eventually immigrated to US and settled in Southern California. He loves the beautiful weather, diverse culture, and endless weekend activities in LA. Jesse enjoys watching historical documentaries, reading, arts and travelling. He is planning a cross-country American road trip with friends this fall.

Edward is the newly-appointed Executive Officer at the Executive Office of the Board of Supervisors, where they manage the technology, staffing, procurement and facilities, as well as the publication of information for the LA County Board of Supervisors, various County depts and the public. The office also oversees the Office of Inspector General and other County commissions, such as the Sheriff’s Civilian Oversight Commission, Office of Child Protection, Commission on Disabilities, and the County Equity Oversight Panel.

Before joining the County work force, Edward was an attorney in private practice. In addition to working long hours, he enjoys playing basketball and anything USC. He even named his kids after the school, Scarlett and Caleb.

Vinh has been a staunch supporter of LACAAEA after hearing about LACAAEA’s goal to advocate for the AAPI community.

Vinh is a public servant, serving as a Councilmember of City of Duarte’s 2nd District where he held a seat on Duarte’s Economic Development Commission. Vinh also serves as a board member of the Santa Anita Family YMCA and looks forward to building a solid foundation and stable community for LA County. Professionally, Vinh become a licensed life and health agent.

Vinh’s family migrated from Vietnam in the 197s and his passions include biking with his five-year-old son, woodworking, golfing, and gardening. 

Since 2006, Ms. Pascual has served as Chief Labor Negotiator and Administrative Counsel with Los Angeles County, Chief Executive Office (CEO). In this role, Ms. Pascual’s primary role is to negotiates salaries, hours and working conditions with five certified labor  unions with over 10,000 employee members. 

Over the last two decades, Ms. Pascual has guided, coordinated and directed county departments in the planning of specialized employee relations and labor related matters.

Ms. Pascual is also a certified life coach with a specialty in transition coaching. Ms. Pascual found passion in mentoring others personally and professionally, including LACAAEA members. 

Ms. Pascual’s mantra is to live a purposeful life is living a joyful life.

Tabitha began her county service at Regional Planning then left to work at the City and the private sector before coming back to the County at the CEO. She is currently a Principal Analyst. Tabitha holds a bachelors degree in Sociology from UC Riverside and a Master of Urban & Regional Planning from UC Irvine.

As Chief Deputy Director for the Los Angeles County Child Support Services Department (CSSD), Genie supports the Director in planning, evaluating and directing all day-to-day operations of the Department. Previously, she served as Administrative Deputy overseeing budget and finance, human resources, contracts/procurement, equity initiatives, emergency management, and facilities.

Genie joins CSSD with over 25 years’ experience at the local, State and federal levels of government on budget and policy issues affecting children and families. Prior to CSSD, Genie served as an advisor to elected officials and policymakers, including Supervisors Sheila Kuehl and Zev Yaroslavsky, First 5 LA, and the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS).

In 2001, she was appointed by the Governor to serve as Assistant Secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency and Ex Officio member of the First 5 California Commission. Genie previously worked in the White House as Assistant Director of the Domestic Policy Council, as well as for the Assistant Secretary for Management and Budget of the US Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, DC.

Genie is a native of Los Angeles, and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Vassar College and a Masters in Public Policy from the University of California, Berkeley, Goldman School of Public Policy. She lives in Sherman Oaks with her spouse and two teenage daughters.

Jennifer Baluyot Tran began her County career in 1998 as a Student Professional Worker. With her dedication and passion for public service, Jennifer worked in several County departments in the areas of accounting, audit and compliance, and project and change management. Currently, she is a Deputy Executive Officer at the Board of Supervisors Executive Office, where she oversees and manages the Assessment Appeals Board. Jennifer possesses a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and a Master’s degree in Public Administration with concentration in Public Policy.

Since immigrating from Manila, Philippines with her family at the young age of 13, Jennifer mostly lived in the South Bay area. She is a proud mother of 14-years old triplets (Meghan, Jaeden and Justin) with her loving husband of over 21 years. She enjoys spending time with her family, watching food vlogs and movies, and listening to music.

Vince believes all working professionals should give back to their communities. After serving 6 years as a Planning Commissioner of Temple City, Vince ran successfully for City Council in 2009 during a time of political upheaval in his city. He has now served over 13 years on the City Council and has been a Mayor three times. He was instrumental in implementing transparency, accountability, and responsible fiscal policies to restore public trust in Temple City. In addition to his council duties, he is a Deputy Director of Los Angeles County Public Works. With degrees in management, architecture, and law, Vince has been a licensed architect in CA with over thirty-year experience in both public and private sectors.

William was first elected to the City Council of Temple City in 2015 and served as Mayor from 2018-2019. Under his leadership in 2018, Temple City successfully co-hosted its first Mid-Autumn Moon Festival with World Journal, adding to the city’s rich and diverse portfolio of community events. In 2022, he was honored by World Journal in contributing to their “Stop Anti-Asian Hate” editorial project.

William has a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Berkeley and a M.S. in Civil Engineering from UCLA. He is a Principal Engineer for Los Angeles County Public Works overseeing the Geotechnical and Materials Engineering Division. He brought his engineering experience into his role as a member of Temple City’s Facilities, Public Works, and Infrastructure Standing Committee, which was instrumental in constructing Primrose Park, the first new park since the incorporation of the city in 1960.

Peter Loo is the Acting Chief Information Officer of the County of Los Angeles. With over 35 years of public sector IT experience, he provides strategy, leadership and guidance on enterprise IT initiatives, IT governance, Information Security and the delivery of information technology capabilities to support the County mission. Prior to his current position, he was the Managing Director for a large consulting firm responsible for implementing public sector solutions for the State of Hawaii and Southern California counties and municipalities. Peter holds a Master of Business Administration from the Anderson School of Management and a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of California at Los Angeles.

Jeff Tend is a second generation grandson of Chinese immigrants and is a son to a first generation Chinese father and a first generation French Canadian mother. He was a nationally ranked swimmer competing in 2 Olympic Trails. His swimming success earned him an athletic scholarship at UCLA where he graduated in 1990. Mr. Tend has 27 years of Los Angeles County Service. He began his County career as a Student Professional Worker in the District Attorney’s office and is currently an Assistant Director in the Los Angeles County Department of Human Resources. He has spent his entire career in Human Resources performing a a variety of different roles in several different departments. Prior to his current role, Mr. Tend was an Senior Manager in DHR, the Director of the Office of Labor and Employee Relations for the Los Angeles Superior Court, the Personnel Officer for the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation and the Assistant Human Resources Director for the Los Angeles Superior Court. Mr. Tend spends his free time with his family, enjoys traveling, camping, taking his Jeep off-roading and is a certified scuba diver.