Staff Profiles
Morna Ha, Executive Director
From 2004 to 2007, Morna served as NAKASEC’s Program Associate and then as the National Organizing Coordinator executing campaigns and developing community leadership around the DREAM Act and comprehensive immigration reform. Most recently, she was the 2010-2011 Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies Legislative Fellow in the Office of Congresswoman Judy Chu (CA-32). She also has broad-based experience in local city government, most notably with the New York City Mayor’s Office of Operations, as well as with local communities in the Mississippi Delta and New Orleans, Louisiana. Ms. Ha received a Masters in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School and a Bachelors Degree from Dartmouth College. She is originally from Queens, New York.
Tim is responsible for supporting the administrative and technical needs of NAKASEC’s D.C. office. He has served as an OCA intern placed at the Peace Corps’ headquarters and has been deeply involved in student affairs and social justice work at his alma mater. His social justice interests include but are not limited to civil rights for all, comprehensive immigration reform, gender equity, and increased cultural understanding. Tim graduated with a B.A. in Communication and a minor in Ethnic Studies from St. Mary’s College of California.
Sarah Kwon, Policy Analyst Sarah serves as the policy analyst at NAKASEC, where she is responsible for working on the development and policy advocacy to strengthen elder civic engagement in economic security issues. Prior to joining NAKSEC, Sarah worked as a legislative coordinator for a boutique government relations firm in Washington D.C. Sarah has also previously interned with Congressman David Wu’s (D-OR) office primarily assisting with constituent outreach and legislative research. In 2005 Sarah came to D.C. as a part of the Washington Semester Program at American University where she traveled to Beijing, Shanghai, Qingdao and Ningbo for a month to evaluate business and economic operations in China. Simultaneously, she interned with the Korea Economic Institute in Washington D.C. where she carried out a research project examining the U.S. – Korea Free Trade Agreement. Sarah graduated from Portland State University focusing on International Studies with a concentration on East Asia.
Yeon-ok is responsible for NAKASEC’s finances. Yeon-Ok has been a member of Young Koreans United since 1991 and has served in various capacities on its executive and steering committees. She also has numerous years of professional experience in the finance and accounting sector. Yeon-Ok has served on the board of the Korean Resource Center for 8 years and has volunteered with them for nearly 20 years.
Joyce is primarily responsible for providing programmatic support for NAKASEC’s Immigrant Rights Project, youth organizing and assisting in developing grassroots mobilizing campaigns. Prior to joining NAKASEC, Joyce served as a Public Ally for two years in Chicago under Americorps, coordinating after-school programs at the University of Chicago – Donoghue Campus charter school her first year and then managing the volunteer program across five local sites at Christopher House her second year. Joyce was first introduced to immigrant rights work when she interned with NAKASEC in 2009 under the OCA internship program where she worked on immigrant inclusion in health care reform. Joyce graduated with a B.A. in Gender & Women’s Studies and minor in Sociology from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Jane Yoo, Deputy Director Jane is charged with program management and strategic communications across all NAKASEC program areas, including designing social media campaigns. Prior to this post, Jane served as NAKASEC’s communications director bringing her expertise as a public relations specialist at Pro-Media Communications, a progressive communications firm in New York City. There she positioned non-profit leaders and experts in high-level media outlets on issues related to immigration, racial justice, financial reform and education, as well as working with them on social media strategies and campaigns. Jane began her community organizing work in 2001 in Flushing, NY and got her start in national immigrant rights organizing work as NAKASEC’s Program Associate and as the Asian American Community Organizer for the 2003 New York City Immigrant Workers’ Freedom Ride event and action. She has a B.A. in International Relations with a concentration in Foreign Policy, War and Conflict Resolution-Asia Region from Syracuse University.
From 2004 to 2007, Morna served as NAKASEC’s Program Associate and then as the National Organizing Coordinator executing campaigns and developing community leadership around the DREAM Act and comprehensive immigration reform. Most recently, she was the 2010-2011 Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies Legislative Fellow in the Office of Congresswoman Judy Chu (CA-32). She also has broad-based experience in local city government, most notably with the New York City Mayor’s Office of Operations, as well as with local communities in the Mississippi Delta and New Orleans, Louisiana. Ms. Ha received a Masters in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School and a Bachelors Degree from Dartmouth College. She is originally from Queens, New York.
Tim Huey, Operations Manager
Tim is responsible for supporting the administrative and technical needs of NAKASEC’s D.C. office. He has served as an OCA intern placed at the Peace Corps’ headquarters and has been deeply involved in student affairs and social justice work at his alma mater. His social justice interests include but are not limited to civil rights for all, comprehensive immigration reform, gender equity, and increased cultural understanding. Tim graduated with a B.A. in Communication and a minor in Ethnic Studies from St. Mary’s College of California.
Sarah Kwon, Policy Analyst Sarah serves as the policy analyst at NAKASEC, where she is responsible for working on the development and policy advocacy to strengthen elder civic engagement in economic security issues. Prior to joining NAKSEC, Sarah worked as a legislative coordinator for a boutique government relations firm in Washington D.C. Sarah has also previously interned with Congressman David Wu’s (D-OR) office primarily assisting with constituent outreach and legislative research. In 2005 Sarah came to D.C. as a part of the Washington Semester Program at American University where she traveled to Beijing, Shanghai, Qingdao and Ningbo for a month to evaluate business and economic operations in China. Simultaneously, she interned with the Korea Economic Institute in Washington D.C. where she carried out a research project examining the U.S. – Korea Free Trade Agreement. Sarah graduated from Portland State University focusing on International Studies with a concentration on East Asia.
Yeon-ok Suh, Financial Manager
Yeon-ok is responsible for NAKASEC’s finances. Yeon-Ok has been a member of Young Koreans United since 1991 and has served in various capacities on its executive and steering committees. She also has numerous years of professional experience in the finance and accounting sector. Yeon-Ok has served on the board of the Korean Resource Center for 8 years and has volunteered with them for nearly 20 years.
Joyce Yin, Program Associate
Joyce is primarily responsible for providing programmatic support for NAKASEC’s Immigrant Rights Project, youth organizing and assisting in developing grassroots mobilizing campaigns. Prior to joining NAKASEC, Joyce served as a Public Ally for two years in Chicago under Americorps, coordinating after-school programs at the University of Chicago – Donoghue Campus charter school her first year and then managing the volunteer program across five local sites at Christopher House her second year. Joyce was first introduced to immigrant rights work when she interned with NAKASEC in 2009 under the OCA internship program where she worked on immigrant inclusion in health care reform. Joyce graduated with a B.A. in Gender & Women’s Studies and minor in Sociology from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Jane Yoo, Deputy Director Jane is charged with program management and strategic communications across all NAKASEC program areas, including designing social media campaigns. Prior to this post, Jane served as NAKASEC’s communications director bringing her expertise as a public relations specialist at Pro-Media Communications, a progressive communications firm in New York City. There she positioned non-profit leaders and experts in high-level media outlets on issues related to immigration, racial justice, financial reform and education, as well as working with them on social media strategies and campaigns. Jane began her community organizing work in 2001 in Flushing, NY and got her start in national immigrant rights organizing work as NAKASEC’s Program Associate and as the Asian American Community Organizer for the 2003 New York City Immigrant Workers’ Freedom Ride event and action. She has a B.A. in International Relations with a concentration in Foreign Policy, War and Conflict Resolution-Asia Region from Syracuse University.