The APEX staff consists of skilled and experienced administrators, social workers, and educators who share multi-ethnic backgrounds and diverse languages.
Kristy Nguyen
— EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
kristy.nguyen@apex-ny.orgKristy joined APEX in May 2008. As the Executive Director, she is responsible for raising awareness of the critical need for educational programs and services for the highly under-served population of inner-city Asian American youth. Kristy has been a long-standing advocate for providing rigorous academic opportunity and training for young people. She was most recently Executive Vice President at Working in Support of Education (W!SE), where she was responsible for the development and oversight of the highly successful services division, which designed, implemented and managed educational programs for prominent clients. Additionally, over her 13-year tenure at W!SE, Kristy directed a number of programs that prepared students for college and the global workplace, including the Global Business Challenge and the award-winning Sanford I. Weill Institute for Lifelong Learning. Kristy has been a volunteer with the Institute for Vietnamese Culture and Education and the Long March Foundation. Kristy earned a B.A. in Political Science from the University of California, San Diego, and is working toward her M.A. in Educational Administration from Teachers College, Columbia University.
Trang Le-Chan, MSW
— DEPUTY DIRECTOR, DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS
trang.le-chan@apex-ny.orgTrang joined APEX in January 2006. She is responsible for creating and maintaining partnerships with organizations and overseeing, developing, and managing all program areas, including staffing, program development, event planning, curricula development, and training of new mentor volunteers. Prior to joining APEX, Trang was an intern at the United Nations' Population Fund and worked for various medical centers throughout NYC. She has extensive experience as a clinical social worker in the medical health field working with children, youth, and families. Trang currently sits on the advisory committee for Project YEA-AAH (Youth Empowerment for Asian American Adolescent Health) at the Charles B. Wang Community Health Center, where she assists in developing a comprehensive plan surrounding youth development and community outreach. She is also a member of the Action Council at the Coalition for Asian American Children and Families (CACF), participating in annual fundraisers and helping promote awareness of issues impacting children and families from Asian American communities in NYC. Trang received her MSW from the University of Pennsylvania, with a concentration in Administration and Social Policy and earned her B.S. from SUNY Binghamton University in Human Development with a minor in Studio Arts. She holds a certificate in middle management program for youth services organizations at the Institute for Not-for-Profit Management (Columbia University School of Business), as well as a certificate in mentoring supervision from Big Brothers Big Sister of NYC and Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service. Trang completed her SIFI certification (Seminar in Field Instruction) at Columbia University School of Social Work and participated in the Immigrant Civic Leadership Program at the CORO New York Leadership Center.
Jill Chen, MA, TESOL
— SENIOR PROGRAM COORDINATOR, EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS
jill.chen@apex-ny.orgJill joined APEX in August 2006. She is currently managing and monitoring the Educational Programs. Her primary responsibilities include: supervising on-site programming and developing curriculum; planning and implementing trainings to all educational program volunteers; teaching in the After-School Public Speaking and College Prep Programs; coordinating all educational programs, including SAT Prep and 4th Grad Prep classes; and assisting in volunteer and student. Prior to joining APEX, Jill worked for the Riverside Language Program and Chinatown Manpower Project, Inc. Adult Literacy Program as an ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher. She has extensive experience as a bilingual EFL (English as a Foreign Language) and ESL teacher in Taiwan and New York, which included teaching Mandarin. In addition to teaching, Jill is also an experienced translator. Jill received her M.A. from New York University with dual degrees in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) and Speech and Interpersonal Communication and earned her B.A. from Soochow University in Taiwan in English Language and Literature. Jill is a licensed and registered business school teacher in general academics and ESL and holds a certificate in mentoring supervision from Big Brothers Big Sister of NYC and Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service. Prior to managing APEX's Educational Programs, she coordinated APEX's Middle School Mentoring Program.
Max Chang
— PROGRAM COORDINATOR, MIDDLE SCHOOL MENTORING PROGRAM
max.chang@apex-ny.orgMax joined APEX in November 2007. He is currently managing and monitoring the Middle School Mentoring Program. His primary responsibilities include: supervising on-site programming and developing program curriculums; communicating with parents and guardians; planning and implementing parent and student orientation and workshops; designing and facilitating group events; assisting in volunteer and student recruitment and outreach; screening new volunteers and students; and providing general support to volunteers and mentees' needs. Prior to joining APEX, Max served as a Youth Specialist for the Asian Pacific Family Center – East in Southern California, where he helped run a leadership program fostering healthy lifestyles in Asian immigrant youth. He has also gained valuable experience working with a variety of youth organizations in the Los Angeles area while he worked with Public Allies – Los Angeles, an Americorp nonprofit leadership program. Max received his B.A. from Pomona College in Politics with a minor in Sociology.
Amanda Ing, LMSW
— PROGRAM COORDINATOR, HIGH SCHOOL MENTORING PROGRAM
amanda.ing@apex-ny.orgAmanda joined APEX in March 2007. She is currently managing and monitoring the High School Mentoring Program. Her primary responsibilities include: providing comprehensive assessment and support to off-site high school mentoring pairs; assisting with outreach and recruitment of potential volunteers and students; screening new volunteers and students; planning and implementing student workshops; and designing and facilitating group events. Prior to joining APEX, Amanda worked at various youth development and Asian American/Pacific Islander organizations in California, Hawaii, Washington DC, and New York. Amanda received her MSSW from Columbia University School of Social Work with a concentration in clinical practice with children, youth and families and earned her B.A. from the University of California, Davis in Psychology and Communication. Amanda is a licensed social worker and holds a certificate in mentoring supervision from Big Brothers Big Sister of NYC and Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service.
Kelly Wong
— MANAGER, OUTREACH & ADMINISTRATION
kelly.wong@apex-ny.orgKelly joined APEX in April 2008. He is currently in charge of office management and outreach and administrative duties. His primary responsibilities include: conducting recruitment of volunteers and students; planning and implementing group events; administering office responsibilities; and assisting with fundraising. Prior to joining APEX, Kelly worked for two other Asian non-profit organizations: the New York Asian Women's Center (NYAWC) and the Chinese-American Planning Council, Inc. (CPC). At the NYAWC, Kelly supplied various forms of advocacy and support to clients and their children who were victims of domestic violence. Before that, Kelly served as a Group Leader for CPC, where he oversaw a group of elementary school children in an after-school program. In the past, Kelly was part of APEX as a former High School mentee in the 9th Grade. Now, coming full circle, he has gained a vast sense of the diverse needs within the Asian community. Kelly received his BBA from Baruch College.
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