Board Members

Myat Soe Mon (President)

Born in Mandalay, Burma, Myat came to the U.S in 2000 to pursue a higher education. She holds a B.S in Managerial Economics from University of California, Davis and earned her MBA in Finance from Golden Gate University. Currently, she works as a Servicing Specialist at First Republic Bank. She has been actively involved in San Francisco Bay Area Burmese community since 2003. In 2000, she was the treasurer of United Burmese Association and was the event coordinator at the Myanmar Student Club. In 2003, she served as a Burmese news announcer at Moemaka.com, an online Burmese Radio station. In 2008, Myat and a group of Burmese students founded Burmese Youth Association (BYA), later known as One Myanmar Community, to bring the Burmese community in the Bay Area together and to promote welfare of the community. She co-founded Burma Refugee Family Network, a community-based non-profit organization, in order to assist refugees of all ethnic groups from Burma resettling in the wider San Francisco Bay Area, and currently serves as a Board of Director. Myat is honored to have been chosen to serve as the President of One Myanmar Community, and she looks forward to working with such a dedicated and talented team.

Email:  mmon@OneMyanmarCommunity.org

Lai Chow (Senior Vice President)

Lai was born and raised in Mandalay, Burma (aka Myanmar). He immigrated to the United States with his family in 2001 and currently lives in Daly City, California. He has been volunteering in the community events since 2007 and he joined BYA in 2010. Lai has a vision for BYA to be a strong voice representing the Burmese community with non-political affairs while preserving Burmese culture and values. He holds a BSEE degree from San Jose State University and is currently working as an RF Lab Application Engineer.

Email:  lchow@OneMyanmarCommunity.org

Kyaw Kyaw Soe (Acting Co-chair of the Board, Acting Secretary, Acting Treasurer, Acting Director of Myanmar Community and Cultural Center)

Kyaw Kyaw Soe was born in Yangon, Myanmar (Burma) and immigrated to the United States of America on 2000.  He attended at the City College of San Francisco and San Jose State University.  He has finished B.S. in Electrical Engineering along with minor in Computer Science.  He is working for an electrical consultant company that designs electrical power system for residential and commercial complexes.  He is one of the co-founders of BYA. Since 2000, he has been continuously involved in Burmese community events to promote and preserve Burmese culture.

Email:  ksoe@OneMyanmarCommunity.org

Cho Oo Maung (Chair of the Board)

Email:  cmaung@OneMyanmarCommunity.org

Wint Wah Lwin (VP of Operation)

Wint Wah Lwin started actively involved in the Burmese Youth Association in 2011. Before joining OMC (formerly known as BYA), Wint Wah Lwin served as the President of the Myanmar Student Club at City College of San Francisco from 2006-2007. She went to University of California, San Diego and graduated with B.S in Bioengineering. She is dedicated to promote Burmese cultures and awareness in the community. She is working at UCSF and currently involving in research studies that focus on Lung autoimmune diseases. She enjoys conducting academic researches, doing outdoor activities and spending time with friends and family.

Email:  wlwin@OneMyanmarCommunity.org

Thin (Clara) Wit Yee (VP of Organization Development)

Clara was born in Yangon, Myanmar and came to the USA in 2003 for a higher education and an American dream. She holds a B.S in Accounting from San Francisco State University and an MBA in Accounting from Golden Gate University. She currently works as an Accounting Manager in Silicon Valley. Clara joined OMC (formerly known as BYA) in 2008 to promote culture and awareness in Myanmar community. She was a former secretary and treasurer of OMC, and she became the VP of organization development in 2014. She believes in giving back to community and hopes to support the continuous growth of OMC.

Email:  cyee@OneMyanmarCommunity.org

Lu Zaw Htet (Director of Myanmar Aid)

Lu was born in Thanlyin, a small town located in Yangon Province,Myanmar. He moved to San Francisco in July 2011 pursing the higher education after finishing his Bachelor Degree in Electrical Engineering. He is currently working as a Supervisor in UCSF Children Hospital. His passion of helping community, and helping those who are in need started since he was in Myanmar. He was a volunteer English Teaher at Free Funeral Services Society (FFSS), a well known non profit organization in Myanmar, for summer summer classes for the kids. He also volunteered at Maternal Blood Donor Association (MBDA). Lu joined One Myanmar Community (OMC) in August 2011. He is not only now serving as one of the Board Members of OMC, but also dedicated in volunteering at any good cause activities for the community during his free time. Playing tennis and soccer, going camping and hiking are Lu’s favorite things to do.

Email:  lhtet@OneMyanmarCommunity.org

Zin Maw Htet (VP of Finance)

Email:  zhtet@OneMyanmarCommunity.org

Officers

Wai Phyo (Regional Director – Myanmar)

Wai Phyo was born in Mandalay, but raised and grew up in many parts of Myanmar, including Lashio, Pyin Oo Lwin, Yangon, and Taunggyi. He came to the USA in 2002 to pursue for a higher education and he received the Bachelor and Master Degrees of Electrical Engineering from San Jose State University. He is currently working as an RF Engineer.

He has written a few articles, poems, and short stories mostly with a pen name of “Mg Ye Khaung (Silicon Valley)”. He is currently teaching Burmese language at Theravada Buddhist Youth Group (TBYG) and he also maintains http://burmese-community.blogspot.com . He is one of the co-founders of Burmese Youth Association (BYA) and has been actively involved in community and social affairs since arriving at the USA. His Motto is: “To promote my ethnic cultures and to help others”

Email:  wphyo@OneMyanmarCommunity.org

Moe San (VP of Public Relations)

Moe Mra San is a native of Myanmar and now base in San Francisco, CA. To make a positive impact on fellow Burmese-Americans with bicultural background, she joined One Myanmar Community. She loves learning new languages and enjoys teaching. She holds dual Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Political Science from San Francisco State University.

Email:  msan@OneMyanmarCommunity.org

Htet Aung Wint (VP of Public Relations)

Htet Aung Wint was born in Rangoon, Burma (Myanmar) and immigrated to the United States in 2003. He is currently a high school senior and plans to study International Relations and International Development in college. He joined OMC to reconnect with his Burmese community and heritage; he hopes to help other Burmese-American youth preserve and celebrate their Burmese identity while living in the United States. He feels passionate about political issues and socioeconomic affairs in Burma and the US; through OMC, he plans to help nurture a strong Burmese-American community.

Email:  hwint@OneMyanmarCommunity.org

Swe Swe Myint (Director of Arts & Culture)

Swe Swe was born in Yangon, Myanmar (Burma). She immigrated to the United States with her husband in 2000 and currently lives in Fremont, California. She is working for ASUS Computer International. She received her Bachelor of Arts from Yangon University of Distance Education in Myanmar (1996). She was a teacher & runner in Myanmar. She has been volunteering in the Burmese community since 2007 until now.

Email:  smyint@OneMyanmarCommunity.org

Rosalyn Chu (Event Manager)

Rosie was born in Mandalay, Burma and moved to America at a very young age. She grew up volunteering at the Burmese community events and regularly performing at our annual New Year festival. She attended UC San Diego and studied Cognitive Science. She is now working in healthcare administration for a local non-profit organization. Rosie is looking forward to seeing how our center’s programs can enrich our local community and the way we live. She hopes to expand her volunteer work when she visits Burma and share her knowledge and growth to younger generations.

Email:  rchu@OneMyanmarCommunity.org

Advisors

Rick Heizman (Advisor)

Rick Heizman has long and deep experience in Burma, with 23 visits totaling 2 years. As a musicologist, he has recorded and documented Burma's top traditional musicians, and opened a unique music school in Yangon in 1996. Rick has also been doing educational and humanitarian work in Burma, and has been a major figure with the long struggle for democracy. He married the brilliant harp player and singer, Su Wai, in 2009.

Mary Nicely (Advisor)

Mary Nicely is the President and CEO of Nicely Done Solutions, Inc (NDS)., a database development company located in Berkeley, California founded in 1994. Prior to joining NDS, Mary worked for Apple Computer for 13 years as a K-12 Customer Support Manager for the Western United States. Mary is also involved with various organizations focused on Burmese communities in the Bay Area and abroad. Mary grew up in Monterey, CA and attended Monterey Peninsula Community College receiving an AA in Business Administration. She transferred to UC Berkeley in 1980 and received a BA in Political Economy of Industrial Societies. She married her husband, whom she also works with, in 1982 and has two daughters.

Nwe Oo (Advisor)

Nwe Oo is a mother, a refugee, a worker, and a struggler who was born near Bangladesh-Burma border. She is a social worker turned political activist and has advocated for various refugee and immigrant rights. She co-founded the Rakhaing Women Union, United Ethnic nationalities Association and Burma Refugee Family Network. Nwe has held a variety of jobs over the years, including appointee for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and API advocacy with various White House Initiates on AAPI. She also received the 2011 Most Innovative Entrepreneur of the Year Award, the 2011 V-day Award and the 2012 The Best Refugee Advocate of the Year Award. Nwe has also been selected as one of the top 50 women of the world for 2013.

Grace Swe Zin Htaik (Advisor)

Grace has been actively involved in creative content industry in Myanmar since 1971. She performed in 200+ films as an actress, and in late 90’s, she has become a producer and a director. She is experienced as a liaison between the local government, state departments, corporations, and the management team to pursue, formulate and explore various collaborations. She acts as a participant and a facilitator for workshops in the fields of film & TV production, copyright and media in Myanmar and in abroad.

Zargy Myint Aung (Advisor)

Zargy came to United States in 2000 to get a better college education. Graduated from San Francisco Sates University with Bachelor Degree in Business majoring in Decision Science, Zargy has experience in retail management, business analysis and supply chain management. She is currently working as Global Supply Manager at Apple. Appreciating the opportunities that she got for her education and work experience in the United States, Zargy believes that people who are fortunate to have responsibility to share their experience to make a difference in their communities. She has strong emotional tie with her motherland Burma (Myanmar) and is passionate about helping Burmese and all ethnic people from Burma to have better socio-economic and education status in United States as well as in Burma. Zargy’s main goal for Burmese Youth Association is to lead an initiative of establishing the Community and Cultural Center in San Francisco Bay Area for all people of Burma.

Email:  zaung@OneMyanmarCommunity.org

Former Board Members

Su Wai

When Su Wai was young, she became musically inspired by listening to her father play Burmese mandolin in the evenings. She began to study Burmese Harp and excelled. Later, Su Wai passed the stiff requirements to enter the prestigious University of Culture in Burma, and she graduated with a degree in music in 1999. Su Wai came to the US in 2009, and quickly became known as a professional and respected musician, playing a unique instrument – the saung gauk (Burmese harp), and various Burmese drums. She performs often, for various types of events, within the Burmese Community and the large Asian Community. Su Wai recently released her CD, named GITA PON YIEK (The Image of Music). She sings the traditional classic repertoire accompanied by her virtuosic saung gauk playing. Su Wai lives in San Francisco and teaches the traditional Burmese singing and harp.

Eidarli Myint Aung

Being born and raised in Burma (Myanmar), Eidarli always thinks about giving back to Burma and the Burmese community one way or another whenever she can. Among all possible ways to give back to the community, her passion lies in the fields of education and technology. Spearheading BYA (now known as OMC) IT committee, she is also one of the main staff of EYE-B (Empowering Youth with Education – Burma), an educational program to help Burmese refugees kids. She holds a Bachelor's degree and a Master's degree in Computer Science from University of California, Los Angeles, and is currently working as a software engineer in Silicon Valley.

Nant Nandi Kyaw Min

Nandi migrated to US in 2006 for an advanced education. She received her Bachelor of Arts from Yangon University of Myanmar in Economics. She earned her M.B.A with an emphasis in Marketing from Webster University, St. Louis, Missouri. She works as a Lead Accountant at Marriott international as well as a Finance coordinator at CPI ( Community Partners International ). Nandi has been actively involved in the Burmese Community since she moved to California. She also served as the treasurer of Burmese American Women Alliance (BAWA). Nandi has always been supporting BYA by leading the Finance committee and by helping in the fundraising activities with her knowledge in Marketing and Finance.

Kyaw Min Oo

A native of Burma from Mandalay, Kyaw Min Oo came to the US in 1995 to pursue a career in Aviation. Now, he holds a Private Pilot license with IFR. Prior to reaching his dream, he served as the President of United Burmese Association (UBA) at City College of San Francisco (CCSF) in 2001, while also serving as Vice President of Inter Club Council. He has earned Associate of Science degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management from City College San Francisco and Bachelor’s degree in Asian American Studies as an honoree hood recipient from San Francisco State University. He said, "When I first came to SF State, I didn't know that I would discover that I share my struggle with many others throughout history as Asian Americans and that I have the power not only to think, but to make a change.” He has learned that an organized community is a strong community. He has volunteered in many activities to make the Bay Area Burmese American community more united and to help them find a voice in the U.S. To reach out to younger generation Burmese Americans, he co-founded the Burmese Youth Association of San Francisco and currently serves on its Board of Directors. He says that everything he accomplishes is to honor his father, who passed away a few years ago in Burma.

Email:  koo@OneMyanmarCommunity.org

Than Min Kyaw

Email:  tkyaw@OneMyanmarCommunity.org

Former Officers

Myat Myat Nwe (VP of Information Technology)

Email:  mnwe@OneMyanmarCommunity.org

Khin Kyu Kyu Thet (Charlotte) (Director of Education)

Charlotte was born and raised in Mandalay, Myanmar. She came to the United States in 2012. Charlotte received her Bachelor of Computer Science from UCSM, University of Computer Studies Mandalay, in 2008. She is currently going to City College of San Francisco to obtain a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology. She actively involved in Burmese community events since she came to the States. She started to volunteer at Theravada Dhamma Society, TDS, in Daly City. Later, she moved to East Bay and continued her passion of helping Burmese community. She vigorously participates in One Myanmar Community and serves as Director of Education hoping to preserve and promote diverse Burmese culture and arts.

Email:  kthet@OneMyanmarCommunity.org