Los Angeles, CA - On Wednesday, June 16th, CAUSE hosted the Creating Our Paths: Up Close and Personal with Elected Leaders webinar virtually on Zoom.
Creating Our Paths explored the paths created by trailblazing California political leaders Attorney General Rob Bonta and State Controller Betty Yee through individual interviews with CAUSE leaders. This event was also a part of the CAUSE Leadership Institute, allowing the CLI fellows to interact directly with the elected leaders.
Both elected leaders talked about their journeys on how they got to where they are now, mentors they had along the way, and changes they see in the Asian Pacific American (APA) landscape over the years. Interviewed by CAUSE Executive Director Nancy Yap, State Controller Yee shared how she brought her personal experience to her roles, including her upbringing as the second oldest of six children to parents that were small business owners. Controller Yee also shared about ways to engage youth to be civically engaged and her experiences around staying true to her values in face of difficult situations.
Following the conversation with Controller Yee, Attorney General Rob Bonta was interviewed by CAUSE Board of Directors Member Robert Yap. Attorney General Bonta shared about how his work ethic and mentors empowered him through his campaigns and in his roles, recounting how impactful it was to have his mother express interest in becoming a U.S. citizen so she could vote for him. He spoke on his experiences with coalition building and reaching wide audiences through shared values and shared commitments. He left the fellows words of encouragement, reminding them that they have the ability to create change and connect people together.
The CAUSE Leadership Institute (CLI) is community leadership and advocacy training certificate program for high-potential professionals with seasoned leadership experience and a passion for serving the needs of the APA community in California. Participants complete the program armed with the skills and connections vital to advocate for the APA community. Graduates of this program have gone on to change the civic landscape in the region through elected office and leadership roles in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. The 2021 program will be held virtually using Zoom.
Our program is highly selective and each member of our cohort is selected based on their leadership abilities, public service, and community involvement. Program fellows are identified by leading elected officials, select nonprofit partner organizations, CAUSE Board Members, and CAUSE Alumni.
Read more about this year’s Leadership Institute cohort here.