Advisory Council

Richard Calvin Chang is a Native Hawaiian attorney who co-founded and currently serves as Director of the Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) Data Policy Lab at the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. Calvin has over a decade of experience working with NHPI communities and managing policy campaigns that address NHPI health disparities and promote data equity. Calvin currently serves as the Board Chair of Pacific Islander Health Partnership and was appointed to the U.S. Census Bureau’s National Advisory Committee on Racial, Ethnic, and Other Populations in 2021. He earned his J.D. from Seton Hall University School of Law and his M.S. in Computational Analysis and Public Policy from the University of Chicago.

Qin Gao is professor of social policy and associate dean for doctoral education at Columbia University School of Social Work and the founding director of the Columbia China Center for Social Policy. Qin led the 2022 State of Chinese Americans Survey and is part of the New York City Longitudinal Survey of Well-being research team. Additionally, Qin is on the faculty of Columbia University's Committee on Global Thought and Weatherhead East Asian Institute and a Public Intellectual Fellow of the National Committee on US-China Relations. Her work has been supported by various national and international funding sources, including the Asian Development Bank, UNICEF, and the World Bank. Qin holds degrees from China Youth University of Political Studies, Peking University, and Columbia University. 

Bill Imada is the founder, chairman, and chief connectivity officer of IW Group, a multicultural-focused advertising, marketing, and communications agency. With over 30 years of experience, he has represented prominent companies such as AARP, Beam Suntory, Edison International, Lexus, McDonald's, Nielsen, Walmart, Walt Disney, and more. Bill actively engages with the community, serving on several boards and advisory councils, including the ANA Educational Foundation and PBS SoCal. Bill co-founded the Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund (now APIA Scholars) and the Asian/Pacific Islander American Chamber of Commerce & Entrepreneurship. His contributions were recognized by the White House, leading to an appointment to the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

Daphne Kwok is the vice president of AARP’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Asian American & Pacific Audience Strategy. In 2010, President Obama appointed Daphne to chair his Advisory Commission on AAPIs, where data equity and data disaggregation was a top priority. She served as executive director of several AAPI organizations including Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies and Organization of Chinese Americans. Daphne served as the first chair of the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans, Co-Chair of the Nielsen External Asian Pacific Advisory Council, and as a member of the Comcast-NBCUniversal Joint Diversity Advisory Council.

Lisa Lee is a principal research methodologist in the Methodology & Quantitative Social Sciences department at NORC. Lisa specializes in methods for improving survey instruments and reducing measurement error in surveys. She conducts methodological research on behalf of federal agencies and private foundations, focusing on higher education and workforce training. She is also engaged in research on methods to increase the participation of Asian American and Pacific Islander and other underrepresented populations in research. Lisa has a PhD in psychology from the University of Chicago.

Gregg Orton is the national director of the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans. Gregg leads the coalition in developing policy and communications strategy and advancing a joint agenda to address the needs of the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities. Gregg spent a decade working on Capitol Hill for Rep. Al Green (D-TX), serving as a dedicated advocate for the AAPI community and a mentor for many AAPI staffers in Congress. Gregg came to DC as an Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS) Housing Fellow. He most recently served as the Congressman’s Chief of Staff.