Interviewer: Siena Iwasaki Milbauer
We’re delighted to welcome Xia Xiong (she/her) to our Board of Directors! Xia has been a longtime volunteer with AAOP and is going to be a wonderful addition to our leadership team.
We asked Xia a few “get to know you” questions to celebrate her new role. We hope this interview will help introduce Xia to AAOP community members as we embark on this exciting journey together!
Please introduce yourself.
I am a Hmong daughter and mother, a social justice fighter, changemaker, and creative. [I’m] currently working in HR for a non profit home healthcare agency, using my skills to develop HR processes and employee training.
How did you initially hear about and get involved with AAOP?
I first heard about AAOP several years ago when looking for volunteering opportunities. I really wanted to get involved in moving the Asian community in the Twin Cities to become more civically engaged.
What about AAOP as an organization inspires you?
AAOP works to engage young people in the community and I think that is so important for our future and really getting things done locally. The youth are the future.
What drew you to join AAOP’s board?
I actually wanted to be a part of the board a year or so ago, and even went to an info session for it, but had other pressing commitments that didn’t allow for me to be a part of a working board [at the time]. So, I decided to wait, but it’s always something I wanted to do to improve my leadership skills and be involved with an organization I strongly believe in.
What do you bring to the AAOP community?
I have over 4 years of experience in Human Resources and will work with AAOP to create some standard procedures for internal affairs. I also come with a lot of passion to move AAOP’s mission forward as I am a part of the Asian community that wishes to see real change take place in our communities for [the sake of] our children in the future.
To wrap things up on a fun note, do you have any hobbies or fun facts you’d like to share?
I love art. I love imagining something and being able to bring it to life. Being creative and innovative is how I got to where I am now, it’s always been a part of my life. I love painting, drawing, bullet-journaling and making crafts of all sorts. I am also a mother to a bi-racial 10 year-old that keeps me on my toes and inspires me to fight for racial justice and equity for our future.