05/26/2026
The Hamkae Center Advisory Board is thrilled to announce the appointment of our new Executive Director, Mitchell Yangson. Mitchell brings a decade of nonprofit leadership experience and a proven track record in serving and empowering the Asian American community in Virginia through community education, organizing, public policy advocacy, and civic engagement.
Prior to joining Hamkae Center, Mitchell was the Director of the Asian American Pacific Islander Civic Engagement Collaborative (ACE) of New Virginia Majority. There, Mitchell capped his 2026 tenure by guiding the DMV Drivers Alliance to landmark legislative wins in Virginia and Maryland. The victory concluded a three-year campaign, establishing new laws that regulate pay transparency and protect AAPI and BAMEMSA rideshare drivers from arbitrary account terminations. During his decade of work with ACE, he drove electoral strategies and grassroots organizing to achieve meaningful change in Virginia politics and the Asian American community.
Prior to moving to Virginia in 2015, Mitchell managed collections, curated exhibits, and led collaborative programming as a librarian for the Filipino American Center at the San Francisco Public Library.
Hamkae Center Advisory Board Chair Chris Wodicka remarked: “As an advisory board, we were deeply impressed by Mitchell’s years of experience as an organizer and nonprofit leader and his commitment to supporting Asian American communities across the Commonwealth. I am excited to work alongside Mitchell during this leadership transition as we embark on this next phase of our organization. The Hamkae Center Advisory Board also expresses our deep gratitude to Hamkae Center’s Interim Executive Director, Lan Nguyen, for her excellent service and support during the transition period.”
Hamkae Center is an affiliate of NAKASEC, a network of Asian American community-based organizations across six states. “We are so excited Hamkae Center chose an experienced organizer as their new Executive Director,” commented Becky Belcore, Co-Director of NAKASEC. “We look forward to Mitchell’s leadership in Virginia and within the NAKASEC Network.”
“I am deeply honored to step into the role of Executive Director and guide Hamkae Center into its next chapter of growth and change. With staff, community members, volunteers and other stakeholders, we will continue to organize, defend our immigrant communities, and build the collective power necessary to shape a more equitable Virginia,” shared Mitchell Yangson, Hamkae Center’s new Executive Director.
