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Friends:
Thanks to all the AAJA-LA members who nominated candidates for the 2021 board election.
Ballots will be sent via email to all full members and student members on Monday, Nov. 2. If you don’t receive a ballot, please message chapter secretary Agnes Constante at a.constante@posteo.net.
Monday, Nov. 2 – Voting starts
Friday, Nov. 6 – Voting ends, 11:59 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 7 – Announcement of winning candidates
Don’t forget to vote!
Agnes Constante
Secretary, AAJA-LA
Here are the candidates for the 2021 board:
PRESIDENT:
Teresa Watanabe
 Teresa Watanabe covers education for the Los Angeles Times. Since joining the Times in 1989, she has covered immigration, ethnic communities, religion, Pacific Rim business and served as Tokyo correspondent and bureau chief. She also covered Asia, national affairs and state government for the San Jose Mercury News and wrote editorials for the Los Angeles Herald Examiner. A Seattle native, she graduated from USC in journalism and in East Asian languages and culture.
“For as long as I’ve been in the news business, AAJA has been an absolutely essential source of friends, mentors and incredible opportunities. As our organization celebrates its 40th anniversary next year, I would love to work with all of our members and friends to celebrate our founding in Los Angeles, expand our connections and develop exciting new programming to serve your interests and needs.”
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF PROGRAMMING:
Vicky Nguyen
 Vicky Nguyen is a TV news reporter at Spectrum News 1 in Los Angeles. Prior
to covering politics and social issues in Orange County for the cable news network, she hosted a bilingual show for a Vietnamese TV network called Saigon TV. She has also reported for an NBC affiliate in North Dakota and ABC affiliate in Santa Barbara.
“I am interested in running for your 2021 Vice President of Programming position. I remember how important it was for me to seek out mentors and a community of people who not only looked like me, but understood the struggles someone like me could potentially encounter when trying to break into the television news industry. My goal is to help AAJA-LA continue to grow our community of journalists through Trivia Bowl, other established and yet to be established programs. I believe I can offer new ideas and a perspective from a broadcast news reporter’s standpoint. As AAJA has worked hard for AAPI representation in various forms of journalism, I believe I can help represent people who have broadcasting backgrounds.”
TREASURER:
Jeremy Chen
Jeremy Chen is a general assignment reporter with 13 Action News (KTNV-TV) in Las Vegas, Nevada. He previously worked at KESQ-TV in Palm Springs, CA and KAEF-TV in Eureka, CA. He started his journalism career as a student at USC working at ATVN, the student-run newscast, and as an intern at CBS2/KCAL9 in LA.
“I have been a part of AAJA-LA for about four years now and I have found it to be very rewarding in fostering relationships among fellow journalists and advancing the interests of AAPI journalists. I feel it’s time to give back and help out our organization. As treasurer, I will ensure our finances will continue to be in order to help fund scholarships and internships for young journalists.”
VICE PRESIDENT OF MARKETING AND SOCIAL:
Hieu Gray
 Hieu Gray is an award-winning producer, filmmaker and social media consultant. A former CNN senior producer for such shows as Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown and Larry King Live, Gray now heads her own boutique production company uplifting Asian American narratives. Her latest film Quan 13 is currently screening at select film festivals around the world. She has several projects in development. Follow her on Instagram @LaPetiteBelle_Eats.
“It has been a pleasure serving on this year’s board. I wish to continue my work next year as the VP of Marketing and Social. During my one-year tenure, I have made my mark by revamping AAJA-LA’s social media efforts and solidifying our brand identity into a more unified and cohesive look. If re-elected, I want to continue my work building AAJA-LA’s digital presence which will include a re-launch of our website just in time for AAJA’s 40th anniversary. With a keen eye for design, intuitive social media acumen, and entrepreneurial spirit, I am eager to continue to amplify our chapter’s work.”
VICE PRESIDENT OF CAREER DEVELOPMENT:
Julie Patel
Julie Patel Liss, a professor at Cal State LA, previously worked as an investigative reporter at the Center for Public Integrity and D.C.’s NPR affiliate. She also worked at the South Florida Sun Sentinel and the San Jose Mercury News and earned over 14 journalism awards and honors, including a 2008 national Emmy Award.
“AAJA helped me when I needed it most, as a young journalist with no connections, and throughout my career, it has been an important network and family. If I can give back even a fraction of what I have received, that would mean a lot to me.”
BOARD MEMBER:
Suhauna Hussain
Suhauna Hussain is a reporter at the Los Angeles Times, where she currently covers tech and breaking business news. Before joining The Times in 2018, she completed internships at the Tampa Bay Times, the Center for Public Integrity, the East Bay Express and the Chronicle of Higher Education. She got her start at independent student-run newspaper, the Daily Californian. Hussain was raised in L.A. and graduated from UC Berkeley in 2018 with a degree in political economy.
“I’m running to join AAJA-LA’s board because as I settle into a permanent job at the Los Angeles Times, I’m hoping to support and give back to young journalists from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds in the Southern California area. My first formal involvement in AAJA was in 2018 as a participant in the student program Voices, which provides mentorship and training to aspiring journalists. I am incredibly grateful for the community I found through Voices. As a reporting fellow at the Times through the Metpro trainee program, which serves as a pipeline for journalists of color, I’ve seen first-hand how difficult it can be to newly navigate a professional newsroom, and I have pushed to make changes to the program. I hope to bring that experience and spirit to a position at AAJA-LA.”
NATIONAL ADVISORY BOARD REPRESENTATIVE:
Samantha Masunaga
Samantha Masunaga is a business reporter at the Los Angeles Times and covers the aerospace industry and supply chains. Since joining the Times in 2014, she has also covered local and national breaking news, the craft beer industry and the Japanese American community. Samantha first joined AAJA as a student and later served as the L.A. chapter’s treasurer for three years.
“My last three years as the L.A. chapter’s treasurer have taught me just how interconnected all of the chapters and AAJA National really are. As a National Advisory Board representative, I would like to work with all of the other chapters to strengthen AAJA, especially for its 40th anniversary.”
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