THE PRODUCTION STAFF
HARMAIL CHATHA
Emcee
Born in India and raised in California, Harmail Chatha is creator and host of the top rated Bhangra music video show DESI UNPLUGGED, seen on Comcast, Time Warner, Verizon, FIOS and nationwide on the DISH Network. In addition to his hosting duties, Harmail has appeared in several films and music videos and is in constant demand on the Asian music scene. He is delighted to host the Miss Asia Sacramento Pageant.
To find more info on Harmail, go to www.desiunplugged.com.
DEBRA ICHIMURA
Executive Director
Pageantry inspires Debra and she wants to share this excitement with greater Sacramento. She loves to see the contestants and staff develop confidence, self knowledge, creativity and self-esteem through the process, as she learned herself as a former model, instructor, coach, Miss Asia Hawaii, and Miss Islands of the World in L.A. She earned a B.A. from Mills College in Political, Legal and Economic Analysis, an M.S. from Chaminade University, with honors, and a J.D. from Santa Clara University, where she was awarded the Outstanding Woman Law Graduate, by the National Association of Women Lawyers. Culture and the arts are important to her and she serves on the Cal Expo Cultural Advisory Council.
info@missasiasacramento.com
JEANNIE LAU
Professional Media/I.T. Assistant
Originally from the Bay Area, Jeannie is a third year student double majoring in Computer Science and Psychology in the University of California, Davis. In addition to her responsibilities with her education, she is currently a web intern for the Asian Pacific Islander American Searchlight Directory. In her free time, she enjoys spending her time with friends, reading, and zumba. She just joined the Miss Asia Sacramento team and she has a lot to learn, but she looks forward to the experience!
LILY CHEN
Assistant Director, Marketing
Lily is from San Francisco, California, and recently graduated from the University of California, Davis. She is excited to be working with the Miss Asia Sacramento Pageant again and realizes her passion for helping out the pageantry industry. There are many stereotypes of cultural beauty pageants, and she hopes to break that stereotype for the Asian community. In her spare time, Lily enjoys shopping, spending time with friends, and exploring new places. Lily hopes to achieve a career in the human resources industry, helping people find their passion and future occupations.
marketing@missasiasacramento.com
SARAH LEW
Marketing Coordinator, Social Media
Sarah Lew is set to graduate from University of California, Davis in March 2012 with degrees in Communication and Human Development. Outside of the pageant, she also interns at a local skilled nursing/rehabilitation facility in the activities department where she helps the staff to make the residents’ stays most comfortable and offer outlets for socialization and sensory stimulation. Many of the residents are this facility are physically or cognitively impaired in some form. Sarah one day hopes to start her own non-profit organization working on improving the quality of life for the elderly, particularly for the typically under served Asian American community. In her free time she enjoys cooking, traveling to new places and exploring the culture through food and reading beauty blogs. She will also begin training with her friends in these next few months for The Giants Race (10k) in September benefiting Project Open Hand.
marketing@missasiasacramento.com
ERIKA GREER
Marketing Coordinator, Public Relations
Erika is a third year, double majoring in International Relations and Japanese at UC Davis. She is a new addition to the MAS team, but is excited to be able to sharpen her business communication skills while developing networks among the Asian American community. On campus, she volunteers as a model for the Runway Designers Club and has participated in the annual fashion show for the past two years. Erika is also involved with the Japanese American Student Society and is currently the Treasurer on the Club’s cabinet. Although she was born and raised in Santa Rosa, California, she maintains close connections with her friends and relatives in Japan. In the future, she aims to work in a multinational firm as a liaison between the U.S. and Japan. Some of her interests include fashion, architecture, archaeology, and anything Asian!
WINIFRED SIU
Assistant Director, Graphics
Winnie is a third-year student studying both Design and Communication at the University of California, Davis. With an emphasis in Visual Communication, Winnie has taken classes with the Academy of Art University in San Francisco and created various graphic identities for businesses in the Bay Area. Currently, she is pursuing an added minor in Managerial Economics and taking on as many new projects as she can before she graduates. Her career goal is to work for the magazine industry sometime in the near future, specializing in layout design and typography. Winnie is originally from San Mateo, California and adores dance and music.
graphics@missasiasacramento.com
WIPAWE SIRIKOLKARN
Senior Graphic Designer
Wipawe Sirikolkarn is an international student studying design in University of California, Davis. Wipawe Sirikolkarn is originally from Bangkok, Thailand. Music is another passion for her. In her free time, she likes to play music with her friends. Wipawe Sirikolkarn wants to be an exhibition designer and her goal is to create events to inspire the uninspired. Wipawe Sirikolkarn is an amazing graphic designer.
graphics@missasiasacramento.com
JESSICA CHAO
Graphic Designer
Jessica Chao is from the San Francisco Bay Area. She is currently in her fourth year at UC Davis double majoring in design and art studio. In her free time she loves to make art and crafts. In the future, Jessica hopes to be an interior designer and show others that design is everywhere. She takes pride in her work and has a passion in graphic design.
graphics@missasiasacramento.com
LILY HUANG
Assistant Director, Auditing
Lily is a UC Davis alumnae with a B.S. in Managerial Economics. A daughter of Chinese immigrants, Lily believes in preserving Asian heritage and culture. She believes the Miss Asia Sacramento Pageant is where young ladies can share with the world the value of their cultural background. In her spare time, she loves to study other languages such as Spanish, Korean, and Japanese. She is proud to serve as the Assistant Director of Auditing as she loves being organized and efficient. Lily is also working on her M.B.A. in Accounting from California State University, Sacramento.
SHERRY VANG
Assistant Director, Makeup & Style
Sherry was born and raised in Sacramento. She attended the well known Art Institute of California at San Francisco for Interior Design. Makeup has been her passion since she was a teenager. Sherry is a VIP-CAT Academy of Makeup Arts of Sacramento graduate, where she received a Certificate of Completion for Makeup Artistry. Currently, she is a Freelance Makeup Artist specializing in makeup for fashion photo shoots, weddings and pageantry. Sherry loves the Miss Asia Sacramento Pageant experience because she can share her talents and skills with other artists, the contestants, and the staff. Her goal with makeup art is to explore and experience the different types of venues which a makeup artist is exposed. makeup@missasiasacramento.com
SUSAN EDMONSON
Contestant Director
Susan Edmonson is a Labor Relations Officer with the City of Sacramento. Upon graduating from Sacramento State with a Bachelors Degree in Health and Human Services, she began her career with various state and local governmental agencies with over 25 years experience in the Human Resources field, specifically in the Civil Rights arena. Born at Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines, but raised Stateside, Ms. Edmonson is of African American and Filipino descent. New to the Miss Asian Sacramento pageant, Ms. Edmonson is excited to be part of an organization that supports and encourages both internal and external beauty. She is the proud mother of three kids, Carl 23, Mariessa 21 and Alisha 14. In her spare time, she is training to run her first marathon.
SUZIE VANG
Contestant Coordinator
Suzie Vang served as a School Readiness Liaison at Mutual Assistance Network of Del Paso Heights through the AmeriCorps Program. She was born in Thailand, raised in California and come from a family of seven children. She was a former contestant of Miss Hmong California in 2008-2009 and also earned Miss Congeniality Award; she is motivated and inspired to give back to the community. She had volunteered as a Pageant Coordinator and was part of the Pageant Committee of the Sacramento Hmong New Year Inc. in 2009. It is a honored be a part of Miss Asia Sacramento Scholarship Foundation where she continues to encourage young women to thrives for the best potentials in them and to empower the voice of women. She is hoping to finish her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration of Finance and Management with a minor in Human Resources in the next few years.
KAREN MORRIS
Event Coordinator
Karen was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, where she discovered her passion for decorating and wedding planning. Karen started coordinating weddings and planning baby showers when she was around the age of 16, for family and friends. She discovered her talents for designing weddings in her early twenties. Karen has now taken her dreams and turned them into a reality. Residing in Sacramento, Karen has made a name for herself as a well-respected and knowledgeable Wedding Coordinator and Event Planner. Karen was featured in the Sacramento “Observer” Newspaper for Business of the Week in 2006 and 2008. She was also the Columnist for the “Ask the Wedding Planner” column highlighted in “Urban Magazine” in 2007 until early 2008. Karen states, “I am so very proud to be a part of such a wonderful event as the Miss Asia Sacramento Pageant. Nothing gives me more pleasure than being in the company of such great women of vision.”
SABRINA CHEN
Mrs Asia Sacramento
I was born, raised, and educated in Canton, China. At my early twenties, I was offered the opportunity to move to Italy. It was a dream come true, and it happened just like a fairy tale. While my relatives were worried about my decision, I saw it as a life time chance given by God to fulfill my wishes. During my eight years in Italy, I have survived and conquered the fear of being an immigrant, the insecurity of a struggling, minority foreign student. I also became one of the very few Italian – Chinese interpreters at that time in the city of Torino, Italy. Today, I am living with my three precious children, Lo Qin, Adam, Alex, and my loving caring husband Herman Franck in Sacramento. In addition to selling real estate, I am managing my husband’s small Law firm for the last twelve years. I am very thankful for what life had granted me. Thank you team MAS. I am grateful that you are part of my amazing journey with MAS.
JUDY LEE
Miss Asia Sacramento 2012
The 2012 Miss Asia Sacramento is Judy Lee, she is 22 years old and was born and raised in San Francisco, California. She is of Chinese descent, and is fluent in Cantonese, Mandarin, and Spanish. Currently, she is a fourth year at the University of California, Davis, studying Statistics and Economics. She plans to pursue a Juris Doctorate upon graduation. She has travelled to Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Japan, Shanghai, Beijing, and throughout the United States. She has played volleyball for the past 15 years as it inspires her to value teamwork and encourages her to actively stay in shape—which is highly important to her to stay healthy and happy. She also enjoys shopping, going on spas on occasion, travelling, and spending time with her family and friends.
queenjudy@missasiasacramento.com
MICHELLE THACH
Miss Teen Asia Sacramento 2012
Michelle is a junior in high school. She was born in Sacramento and has lived there her whole life. She dreams about her future career as a pediatrician and moving to another city that has a beautiful view of the ocean. She is a hard worker when it comes to her education and academics. Besides school, she loves to hang out with her friends and play her piano. Michelle loves going to amusement parks. Her favorite is Six Flags Discovery Kingdom. She enjoys shopping, preferably with her sister and friends. She is very nice and loves meeting new people.
queenmichelle@missasiasacramento.com
SPECIAL THANKS TO VOLUNTEERS
- Emily Tang
- Denise Gee
- Mai Vue
- Amethyst Wang
- Matt Day
- Grace Ballesteros
*If you are interested in becoming a member of Team MAS, please email info@missasiasacramento.com.
© 2012 Miss Asia Sacramento Scholarship Foundation, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
