Moving on . . .

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

I am writing to inform you that I have accepted the position of Associate Director for the ASU Southwest Interdisciplinary Research Center (SIRC). My last day at APCA will be July 19th. While I am very excited to be joining a nationally recognized research center, I will also miss being centrally involved in the ambitious enterprise known as the Asian Pacific Community in Action.

I have relished my seven years with APCA. Through the good and the tough times, the work of APCA has never been less than a labor of love for me. I take great pride in the fact that we have become a highly respected and nationally known Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) health organization in the course of just a few years. More importantly, we have provided educational, clinical, and referral services to thousands of AAPI community members – a good number of whom are living longer and healthier lives due to our work. In addition, we have taken a leadership role in involving the AAPI community in the political decision-making process through our Health Through Action Arizona coalition, and we are continuing to test social enterprise approaches through our Bridging Cultures language access program.

I want to thank our Board of Directors for their support throughout my tenure as Executive Director, particularly Dr. Albert Celoza, whose thoughtful guidance and encouragement as Board President has made a great difference in my work at APCA. Most of all, I thank the dozen or so people who have served as APCA employees since I began work in July 2006. These individuals, particularly the six current staff members, have honorably and passionately represented APCA on a daily basis. Moreover, they have patiently weathered fluctuations in our operating resources with nary a complaint and have still managed to put the needs of the community above their own. I could not have asked for better company on my journey. 

Speaking of good company, I also want to thank the many individuals and agencies that have become APCA partners over the past several years. This includes our friends at the state and county health departments, other non-profit organizations, academic partners, health care providers, foundations, colleagues at AAPI health organizations throughout the country, our volunteers, and others too numerous to reference here. I will greatly miss the interactions found among like-minded people interested in serving the greater good.  

However, it is time for me to start a new chapter in my professional life. Having spent a considerable amount of time in the government and non-profit sectors, I hope to bring what I’ve learned to the critically important work of health disparities research. Just as APCA allowed me to more fully explore my Asian ethnicity, I expect my time at SIRC to allow my academic interests to blossom. 

However, this is not goodbye. From my perch at SIRC and through personal interest, I plan to stay involved in addressing the many challenges facing Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders and refugee communities in Arizona. Indeed, my time at APCA has firmly convinced me of the deep truth in Margaret Mead’s well-known quote: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."  As APCA Executive Director, it has been my privilege to work shoulder to shoulder with many, many people to help change our little corner of the world, and I look forward to continuing the fight.

Please stay in touch. At SIRC, I can be reached at (602) 496-0700, or for the time being I can be reached by email at doughir@msn.com.

Regards,

Doug



Doug Hirano, MPH, APCA Executive Director