USSA President Becomes APALA Executive Director
Thursday, October 14, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
October 14, 2010
CONTACT: Luisa Blue
APALA National President
(510) 862-4862
Washington D.C.-The Asian Pacific American
Labor Alliance (APALA) announced that Gregory
Allan Cendana, a labor, student, and community
activist who recently completed his term as
President of the United States Student
Association, has been chosen to become the next
Executive Director. Cendana replaces Malcolm
Amado Uno, who recently started as a Special
Assistant to Secretary Hilda Solis in the
Department of Labor’s Office of Public
Engagement. Cendana joins APALA of Asian
American and Pacific Islander union members and
supporters, at a time when the labor movement
and APALA are increasingly focused on outreach
to young workers.
"APALA is excited about our new Executive
Director. Gregory Cendana will bring energy,
experience, and passion for social justice to
the position,” said founding APALA President &
current National Executive Board Member Kent
Wong, “As one of the leading youth and student
activists in the country today, Greg will
strengthen the worker and student alliances of
APALA."
As President of the United States Student
Association, Cendana helped build chapters
across the country, increased the budget of the
organization, established strong community
partnerships, highlighted worker struggles, and
played an integral role in the passage of the
Student Aid & Fiscal Responsibility Act and
Healthcare & Education Reconciliation
Act.
“Gregory comes from an immigrant & union
family,” said Luisa Blue, APALA National
President, “He is grounded with strong values
that are in line with our mission & vision and
has a proven track record of success.”
Cendana comes to APALA with a wealth of
experience having served or currently serving
on the boards of the National Jobs with
Justice, Asian Pacific Americans for Progress,
the Generational Alliance & the National Youth
Advocacy Coalition. As a leader in the Asian
American & Pacific Islander, youth & Lesbian,
Gay, Bisexual & Transgender communities,
Cendana will be able to engage a wide range of
constituencies in the labor movement and fight
for social and economic justice.
“Amado Uno engaged in pioneering community and
youth outreach while at APALA,” said Matt
Finucane, APALA National Vice-President. “We
are thrilled that Greg is coming on board to
push that envelope even further, and advance an
agenda for worker rights at a time when workers
and young people are particularly vulnerable to
the impact of a global economy.”
Cendana completed his undergraduate degree with
honors at the University of California, Los
Angeles and is a graduate of the Rockwood
Leadership Institute, the Management Center's
Managing to Change the World, the Midwest
Academy’s Organizing for Social Change,
Training for Change’s Training of Trainers &
Wellstone Action's Political Training
Program.
##
The Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance
(APALA), AFL-CIO was founded in 1992 as the
first and only national organization for Asian
Pacific American union members to advance
worker, immigrant and civil rights. For more
information, visit www.apalanet.org.