Passing The Torch...

As the new decade begins, we will be welcoming Rick Yuen, MSW, as our new Executive Director in January 2020.

Dear Friends - After 10 years of successful leadership and service, Dr. Amor Santiago is leaving to pursue continued efforts in community health and wellness.

The Board of Directors engaged in a recruitment process starting in July. We set out to find the best qualified candidates in a broad national search that brought three finalists among more than 50 applicants for this leadership position. The finalists were interviewed in September and we are now pleased to announce Rick Yuen as taking up the torch as APA's third Executive Director.

We hope that you will have the opportunity to meet and welcome Rick soon. Rick spent his early years in Chinatown and he is passionate about families and children. Rick has a Masters of Social Work degree from San Francisco State University, and is Assistant Dean Emeritus at Stanford University where he served in the role of student success and support. He has served in a variety of community-based non-profit organization roles, most recently on the Board of Directors of our sister organization, Wu Yee Children’s Services. He is already well-known by many members of the community.

The Board is looking forward to working with him to continue our work as a best practice nonprofit organization, and to provide high quality and impactful services to families and children.

Meet Rick Yuen

Rick Yuen is a native of San Francisco raised by a single working parent. He has grown to understand and research many of the needs of children and families in our neighborhoods.

He earned a Bachelor's degree from UC Berkeley and an MSW from SF State University. He began his career as counselor & manager in Oakland Chinatown providing education, employment resources and services for immigrant and refugee communities, and finding young teens summer jobs. He then assumed the role of Counselor with City College of San Francisco's Extended Opportunities & Services.

Rick's recent work as the first full time Dean of Students and Director of the Asian American Activities Center and, subsequently, Judicial Officer with Stanford University, spanned 26 years and an emeriti appointment by Stanford University’s President.

Rick raised his family in San Francisco and is now grandpa to three grandchildren with a fourth on the way next year. Rick and his family are always searching for quality, affordable resources for the grandchildren.

Rick can be reached at:
rick.yuen@apafss.org
(415) 519-2196

"My focus as Executive Director is on
ensuring quality programs, resources and services for
children and families. I envision APA growing to
meet emerging needs in the Bay Area."

Fond Farewell to Amor...

After a decade of successfully leading APA, Dr. Amor Santiago will begin the next chapter in his life's journey.

Dr. Santiago became the second Executive Director of APA Family Support Services in 2010 after Mai Mai Ho, LCSW, retired. During his tenure, the agency won renewed contracts for Family Resource Centers (FRC) in our 8 locations and more locations through our contracting partners. Among other accomplishments, one of the most significant, was the close of a long-standing capital campaign in which APA completed the purchase of our permanent home and corporate headquarters in Chinatown/North Beach in 2012.

A new contract for FRC services in Visitacion Valley extended our services to Latinos and African Americans. Through this contract, the Visitacion Valley Family Center was created on the City-owned community center campus at 50/66 Raymond Avenue. It now includes partners, Project Open Hand, Felton Institute, Asian Pacific American Community Center, and Cross Cultural Family Center to provide intergenerational multi-cultural services.

Amor, along with Annie Chung of Self-Help for the Elderly, were founding Co-Chairs of the API Council, and he led its study/seminal report, "API Health and Wellness," which was released to Mayor Ed Lee and City agencies, resulting in $5M in additional resources to meet identified needs in the API community.

His work in public and community health included leadership in the Steering Committees of the San Francisco Health Improvement Partnership, the Asian & Pacific Islander Health Parity Coalition, and the Domestic Violence Consortium. He has been on the Coordinating Council of CavityFree SF and has been instrumental in developing community health education in District 10 to combat the epidemic of cavities in young children.

We will miss Amor and wish him all the best and success in his future endeavors in community health and wellness.

Impact Report

APA's mission is to promote healthy children and families by providing family support services to prevent child abuse and domestic violence. We also advocate for culturally competent services for Asians and Pacific Islanders through education, community building and leadership development.

APA Family Support Services is a 501(c)(3) non-profit agency. Your contribution to support APA is tax deductible to the extent permitted by law.

Donate. . .

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Chair Rose Chung Asian America Foundation

President Cary Chen Recology
Vice President Jacqueline Huie First Republic Bank

Secretary Julie Hoxie University of California, Berkeley
Treasurer Joyce Tso, CPA/ABV ASAM, LLP

Mai-Sie Chan, M.D. Private Practice
Van Diep KTSF-TV, Channel 26

Stephen Koh, CLF MassMutual Financial Group

Fanny Lam COMPASS Real Estate

Kory Lam HSBC Bank (USA)
Susan Sung, Ph.D., Professor Emerita

San Francisco State University

Dean Yao, Ph.D. Logi Analytics

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Amor Santiago, DPM, MPH

APA Family Support Services
10 Nottingham Place, San Francisco, CA 94133 | apafss.org | info@apafss.org