Community activist named new CEO of Advancing Justice-LA

SCREEN CAPTURE / YOUTUBE

Connie Chung Joe will take help of Asian American legal advocatcy group.

An activist with deep roots in Asian American community was named Wednesday as the new CEO of Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Los Angeles (Advancing Justice-LA) announces esteemed community leader Connie Chung Joe as CEO. 

Joe joins the nation’s foremost Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) civil rights organization during a historic time for social justice. As an attorney and activist, she will lead Advancing Justice-LA in its long-standing commitment to providing advocacy for and legal services to AANHPI’s whose needs and voices are as diverse as its languages.

“I am honored to take the helm at Advancing Justice-LA, an organization I deeply respect for being at the forefront of AANHPI issues while also responding to the individual needs of our community. Now more than ever, with so much occurring in our society with anti-Asian discrimination due to COVID-19 and the Blacks Lives Matter movement to address systemic racism, I feel drawn to Advancing Justice-LA’s work in social justice and civil rights. I look forward to continuing the legacy,” said Joe.

“After an extensive search process, we are excited to welcome Connie to Advancing Justice-LA. She brings vision, experience, and passion to this role, marking a new chapter in our 37-year history. Her experience in growing organizations and building strong teams will guide Advancing Justice-LA through a successful transition,” said Nita Song, Board Chair, Advancing Justice-LA.

For over 11 years, Connie Chung Joe served as Executive Director of Korean American Family Services (KFAM). Under her leadership, KFAM grew from 12 to 43 staff that now serves over 7,000 clients annually with mental health, domestic violence, and child welfare services. 

In 2017, Connie was named by then California Assemblymember Sebastian Ridley-Thomas and LA County Board of Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas as one of the 40 Under 40 Emerging Civic Leaders. In 2016, she was appointed by CA Senate President Pro Tempore Kevin de Leon to the Domestic Violence Advisory Council. 

Connie has been honored for her work by the Asian Pacific Women’s Center and the Asian American Drug Abuse Program. She has served as a vice-chair on the Board of Directors at the Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council (A3PCON), a consortium of over 40 AAPI community organizations. She co-chaired A3PCON’s Mental Health Committee and co-founded the Human Trafficking Task Force. Connie also co-chaired the API Domestic Violence Task Force of LA. Connie has been a public interest lawyer at the Housing Rights Center in Los Angeles and the American Civil Liberties Union in Chicago, Illinois. 

She received her BA in Spanish and International Relations from USC and her JD from Georgetown University Law Center.

“Connie is a force for good in Los Angeles. I know she will continue our fight against racism while celebrating, protecting and uplifting the diverse people in our AANHPI community,” said Stewart Kwoh, Founder, Advancing Justice-LA.