Dr. Kal Phan (Bienh, Gauv-daqv) is the Board President of The Center for Mien Advancement and a retired educator with over 30 years of service in California public schools. A pioneering figure, he was the first Mien American teacher and principal in the United States and served in districts with significant Mien populations, including Oakland, Richmond, Sacramento, and Merced. He holds degrees from the University of California, Berkeley; California State University, East Bay; and Mills College. Through his work, Dr. Phan remains committed to advancing Mien education, preserving Mien language and culture, and strengthening connections among Mien communities worldwide.

Mrs. Tan Chiem Tung (Dangc, Taenc-jiem), Vice Chair of The Center for Mien Advancement, is a pioneering Mien American Family Nurse Practitioner and Credentialed School Nurse. After migrating from Laos via Thailand to Merced, California, as a child, she pursued an advanced medical education with degrees and certifications from CSU Fresno, CSU Sacramento, and UC Davis. With 27 years of clinical experience focused on student and community health, and over 30 years of community leadership, Mrs. Tung is a dedicated advocate for the Mien people, focusing on cultural preservation and community upliftment in the Central Valley and Greater Sacramento areas.

Mrs. Meuy Saechao (Zeuz, Meix-ciang), Secretary of The Center for Mien Advancement, is dedicated to cultural awareness, education, and community empowerment. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 19 years of experience providing culturally responsive mental health care and supporting the Mien community. A doctoral candidate in social work administration at Walden University, she earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from California State University, Sacramento. She has been an active member of the Richmond and North Highlands Mien communities in Northern California. As part of the younger Mien American generation, she works to navigate modern challenges in preserving Mien language and culture. She believes the Mien language carries history, values, stories, and worldviews, and that maintaining it strengthens identity, heritage, and community pride.

Yoon Nam has been a dedicated member of the Shasta County Mien community for over 30 years. He brings deep knowledge, steady leadership, and a strong commitment to preserving culture and supporting the next generation.

Mrs. Melissa Chin (Zanh, Meix-wangc) is a K–8 principal in the Stockton Unified School District. Her family was the second Mien family to arrive in the United States, settling in Portland, Oregon, in 1976. She was among the first Mien American women to graduate from a university, earning her degree from the University of California, Berkeley in 1993. She has been an active member of the Mien community in Portland (Oregon), Richmond, and Sacramento, California. She has served as both a teacher and principal in school districts in Richmond, Elk Grove, and Stockton for the past 30 years. She is dedicated to promoting Mien educational advancement and women leadership empowerment.

Dr. Weun Ayn Lee (Leiz, Wuonh-eix) is one of the first two Mien American pharmacists. He was born in Puo Saangh Village in Xayabuli Province, Laos. He received his primary and secondary education in Klonglan, Kamphaeng Phet, Thailand. Upon arriving in the United States at the age of 21, he enrolled in a community college to continue his education and completed his Doctor of Pharmacy degree at the University of the Pacific in 1998. He has been an active community member and leader in the Shasta County (Redding, California) Mien community for over 20 years.

David Saechao has over twenty years of experience in education, specializing in adult education and computer technology. He is also an author of both nonfiction and fiction, with a focus on sharing the stories, history, and culture of the Mien people. He holds a Master’s degree in Education with an emphasis in Online Learning and Technology from California State University, East Bay.

Mr. Michael Fong (Bungz, Cengx-kaeqv) is a Mien musician and a social service public health program specialist. He and his family escaped to Thailand at the end of the Secret War in Laos to live in a Mien village instead of a refugee camp. After several years, his family moved into a refugee camp where they eventually resettled in Oakland, California. Today, he is an active Mien musician. He and his band play modern Mien music at different Mien community events. He composes modern Mien songs using the current Romanized Mien orthography.

Dr. Tom Schao

Victor Huang Fangping