This month we celebrate and honor the culture, history, and accomplishments of Asian and Pacific Americans. May was chosen for American Asian and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) Heritage Month in remembrance of the first Japanese immigrants arriving in the United States in May of 1843 and the completion of the transcontinental railroad in May of 1896, where many of the railroad workers were Chinese immigrants.
In honor of this month, we will be introducing you to our board member, Pang Mee Xiong, and sharing the vital role she plays in our community.
Pang Mee Xiong is the VP and Cash Management Sales Officer for Choice Bank and has been a board member for WomenVenture since June of 2022, but has been a part of our community since 2017 when she began volunteering.
Pang Mee’s knowledge of WomenVenture began when a colleague mentioned that she was on the board of an organization she thought Pang Mee would be interested in. “She knew my involvement with the community and a woman in the business industry, she knew it would be something that would interest me…I wanted to see women-owned businesses succeed and grow.”
When her colleague’s term of service on the board of directors was coming to an end, Pang Mee jumped at the opportunity to further her involvement with WomenVenture.
Pang Mee was drawn to WomenVenture’s sense of community and mission of empowering women to create profitable and sustainable businesses. She spoke to her upbringing and how it influenced her decision to become a part of WomenVenture. “The lifestyle I grew up in, the community, the mission, I wanted to be involved. I knew with my involvement would be able to help WomenVenture achieve its mission to help women build and grow sustainable, profitable businesses, provide resources, and serve the community that is lacking some of these needs.”
In her role as a board member, Pang Mee sits on two committees, the Loan Committee, which she leads, and the Advancement Committee. In these positions, she helps provide affordable capital to individuals who may not otherwise have access and supports the organizations through the deliberation of funding opportunities brought to the board.
One of the most challenging obstacles that Pang Mee has faced is balancing work and life. She describes the ease of prioritizing work because she loves her job and the difficulty of coming to the realization to take a step back and prioritize friends, family, and herself. When she did this, she saw a noticeable difference in that she was able to do her job better.
Being a part of WomenVenture has been a learning curve for Pang Mee, as most things in life are. Board membership was new for her, and she was not familiar with anyone at WomenVenture, but she knew she wanted her voice to be heard and to make a difference in her community. Pang Mee made a point to talk to one new person at each in-person meeting or event to better understand and know the people and organization.
Pang Mee reflected on her experience, what she heard, what she saw, and how impactful it was for her to be there in September during WomenVenture’s first in-person graduation ceremony since covid. “To see the client’s work that they put into these business plans and for them to get up there in front of an audience. To share their story, what they’ve learned, what they’ve been doing. This program that they were in, to teach them all these things and help them get here. And the volunteer’s commitment. For me to just be there in person, it was very impactful.”
We ask you to take this time to reflect on your own experiences, donate if you are able or sign up for our newsletter to hear about events, stories, and how you can help WomenVenture support those within the AAPI community and beyond.
Author: Autumn Lamparty, Grants and Communications Coordinator, AmeriCorps VISTA
