Board of Directors

With over 20 years of active membership and board service at both local and national levels, Rose continues to leverage her leadership experience to guide the organization in all capacities as the President of the NAAAP Chicago chapter.

Rose was instrumental in establishing a leadership program for Asian American women in the workforce, which has since gained national recognition as Women in NAAAP. She also founded the Asian American Group Leaders Program, a consortium that now includes over 40 corporate employee resource groups and affinity groups. In 2005, Rose co-chaired the NAAAP Convention in Chicago, pioneering an event that featured three C-level executive keynote speakers for the first time: Indra Nooyi (PepsiCo), Sanjiv Anand (Hewitt), and Rohini Anand (Sodexo). She continued her leadership efforts by spearheading programming when the convention returned to Chicago in 2017.

In her professional capacity, Rose serves as the Fundraising and Development Manager for the Muslim Civic Coalition, a civic justice organization that unites over 250 influencers, leaders, and organizations within the broader Muslim community. Her career spans more than 20 years and includes experience in diverse sectors such as fundraising, real estate appraisal, IT consulting, non-profit management, and market research.

Rose holds a Bachelor’s degree in Management with a minor in Labor Relations and Workforce Development from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Mike is Treasurer and board member for NAAAP Chicago.  Mike served the Chicago Chapter as Director of Corporate Relations (2005 -2007); Director of Affinity Groups (2007 – 2008), Treasurer (since 2009) & Board member (since 2012).  Mike also served as Chief Business Development Officer with NAAAP National from March 2015 – December 2021.

Mike was drawn to NAAAP through his involvement with his company’s ERG as he was involved in the creation of the “Asian Leadership Business Resource Council” at Northern Trust Company and served as its president from 2004 – 2015.  It was that involvement that also led to the creation of the Asian American Group Leaders of Greater Chicago (AAGL), a NAAAP sponsored program with over 35 corporate ERG/BRGs throughout the Chicago & Suburban area participating together to host up to two events each year, i.e. The Asian Heritage Month Celebration and the Corporate Leadership Conference.

Mike holds a B.A. from Elmhurst College and an M.B.A. from Keller Graduate School.  He retired from the Northern Trust Company as a Vice President in Personal Financial Services.  Mike is married to Karen Valdez and has two sons, Ethan & Harrison and lives in Crystal Lake, IL. 

Shane Carlin is the founder, President, and CEO of Asian Student Achievement.  He is a Korean American adoptee who grew up in northern Kentucky. Carlin earned his Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Communications from the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Kentucky, and his Master in Higher Education Administration at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.   His professional career has spanned Student Affairs and Fundraising from the following organizations: Northwestern, Miami, and Capital Universities, as well as the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), the American Red Cross, and The Salvation Army.  

Carlin not only has over 20 years of experience in higher education administration, but has also mentored and coached students in international settings. In addition to his expertise in higher education, Carlin is also an experienced public speaker. He has been invited to speak at universities from coast to coast and across the world. In addition, he was a speaker for TEDx Lakeshore East.  His speaking engagements on soft skills have been at many student regional and national conferences as well as universities, Fortune 500 companies, and others.   Internationally, Carlin presented the “Western Way of Networking” to students at The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong University Science & Technology (HKUST), and managers at General Electric (GE) in Shanghai at the China Technology Center.  Lastly, he advised, coached, and mentored students for a C-40 (Clinton Global) case study competition in Seoul, South Korea with Hong Kong University Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Seoul National University and Korea University.

Kevin Cooper is currently a residential real estate broker with eXp Realty and a triathlon coach. He has previous experience working with both higher education institutions and large enterprises consulting on selecting IT services and equipment.
 

Kevin is passionate about both helping people and endurance activities like running and racing triathlons. He has served as a triathlon coach for both Team In Training and Team Brightside which both fundraise for cancer research. He also has gone on multiple Habitat for Humanity Global Villages.
 

Kevin is excited to join the board for NAAAP Chicago and bring his passion for growth and helping people to the organization.

Tyng brings with her over 15 years of professionalism in multinational corporations, start-ups, and higher education institutions. Tyng built her career in brand marketing managing market leading consumer brands at Global Fortune 500 Companies, such as L’Oreal Group and Colgate-Palmolive, where she collaborated with international teams in many new business development initiatives.

Over the last 10 years, Tyng expanded her career into the field of global education and career development services thru her leadership roles at IUBH University of Applied Sciences, InternshipDesk and University of Illinois at Chicago. Tyng currently serves as a consultant to education consultancies and career service providers in the U.S., Europe, and Asia.

Tyng holds an MBA from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a B.A. in Communications from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. Her service-driven approach and passion for making a difference through people allows her to be a great connecting point between students, education service providers and employers.

Liana O'Grady is a skilled professional with a strong foundation in effective communication and marketing strategies. She holds a Master Degree in Global Strategic Communication from Loyola University Chicago. Currently serving as a Marketing Communications Coordinator for a major food distributor, Liana leverages her expertise to drive brand awareness and support business growth. Prior to her current role, Liana gained valuable experience working at the district office for a U.S. House of Representatives member. Liana joined NAAAP Chicago to connect with like-minded individuals and grow in her social media skills. She has a passion for developing leaders in the workforce and is dedicated to making a positive impact in the community. Outside of NAAAP Chicago, Liana volunteers at her local animal shelter.

Dr. Elizabeth 방실 Smith (She/Her/They/Them) is a Korean-Irish Licensed Clinical
Psychologist in the state of IL and IN. She received her PsyD in Clinical Psychology
from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology with a focus in trauma and family
systems. She currently works in an outpatient group private practice where she conducts
neuropsychological assessments and works with individuals, groups, and families, many
of whom have struggles with anxiety, mood, traumatic experiences, are members of the
LGBTQA community, and/or been identified as neurodiverse (those with head trauma,
ADHD, Autism, etc). Much of her work includes play, expressive art, and pop culture,
which are utilized to help facilitate healing and comfort as she aids individuals and
families navigate a variety of stresses and developmental challenges throughout the
lifespan. Elizabeth immigrated to the US at age 5 and her parents inspired her work ethic
and service to the community; her father is a disabled US army veteran and her mother is
an independent business owner that refuses to retire. Her volunteer experience includes
national and local crisis hotlines, hospice, homeless shelters, community cleanup,
advocacy, and marketing/social media for NAAAP-Chicago. She enjoys cooking, baking,
knitting, running, reading, art, music, dance, comics, and cosplay. She is an avid Hello
Kitty and Tokidoki collector and has spoken on several panels at C2E2, Wonder Con, and
San Diego Comic Con to advocate for diversity inclusion in media and the use of pop
culture in therapy.

Tiah Tam is an operations leader with seven years of experience in the financial services industry and currently oversees operations for a Chicago-based advisory firm. Born and raised in San Francisco, she earned her bachelor’s degree from San Francisco State University and holds a Business Management Essentials certificate from Cornell University.

During her time at SFSU, Tiah was actively involved in Sigma Omicron Pi, an Asian-interest sorority, where she developed a strong foundation in leadership, mentorship, and community engagement. Today, she remains passionate about creating meaningful connections and supporting the local AAPI community through professional development, cultural engagement, and collaborative initiatives.