OCA ANNOUNCES THE RESIGNATION OF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR RITA PIN AHRENS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
24 August 2020
Contact: Thu Nguyen | Associate Director of Development
202.223.5500 | tnguyen@ocanational.org
Washington, DC – OCA–Asian Pacific American Advocates regretfully announces the resignation of Executive Director Rita Pin Ahrens, effective as of September 4, 2020. Rita will be stepping down from her position to focus on remote learning for her family during these unprecedented and challenging times, and we at OCA can only respect her decision and wish her all the best.
During her tenure, Rita provided much needed leadership at the OCA National Center in Washington DC. She spearheaded several major initiatives at OCA, including the celebration of AANAPISI Week, the passage of the FUTURE Act, the Inclusive K-12 Curriculum Task Force and anti-Asian hate task force legislation. We thank her for her service and for all her contributions to the organization.
“We are very sorry to see Rita’s departure for family reasons,” said Sharon M. Wong, OCA National President. “As a mom to a seven-year old, I clearly understand where she places her priority at this time and I support her decision completely.”
“Rita is a thoughtful leader with great ideas,” said Ken Lee, OCA National CEO. “I am very grateful for her passion and commitment to our organization and to our community. She will be surely missed.”
“Though this was a difficult decision to make,” Rita noted in her resignation letter to the OCA National Executive Council, “I remain committed to the community and will continue to be a friend of OCA as we collectively work to address the challenges that our community faces from our unique spaces of engagement.”
During this transition period, Ken Lee, OCA National CEO, will continue to lead the day-to-day operations of OCA and provide the needed continuity.
OCA – Asian Pacific American Advocates is a national civil rights organization dedicated to improving the social, political, and economic well-being of Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs).
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