ILF Holds Conference and Gala Awards Night

The International Leadership Foundation (ILF) held its annual Leadership and Business Conference last August 1, featuring Former US Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao as luncheon keynote speaker, national Asian American leaders, business and government executives as speakers and morning panelists, as well as honorees at its awards night.

ILF CEO Chiling Tong remarked on opening session, “We combine the best of American culture and Asian culture.” She mentioned the outstanding speakers, including Peking University honorary chairman Xu Zhihong. Zhihong later remarked, “The world has become smaller and smaller,” due to innovation and changes in transportation and communication, among other things.

A total of 35 ILF national and overseas Fellows attended the event. The conference, held at the Capital Hilton in Washington, D.C., featured panel discussions in the morning. This year’s event chairperson is Howard Li. ILF CEO Tong and Shau-Wai Lam served as co-chairs.
Former Secretary Chao, now with the Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C., said the future “bodes well” for US-China relations. She cited last year’s Gallup survey, which found that 81 per cent of American said “a close relationship with China is important to America.”
She stressed the reality is that “Asia is more integral than ever to ensuring America’s future prosperity.” Asia will be integrated in 2015, leading to more trade and business opportunities.
Ms. Chao noted both countries “are hampered by their different world views, cultural and communications, history and experience–differences which impede a better understanding of each other.”
She told the 35 ILF young Fellows and leaders present: “Asian American leaders such as yourselves understand this country, and your native cultural heritage can be very valuable bridges to help others understand America.”
She said more and more Chinese companies will keep coming to the USA: “Despite the current challenges, America remains the world’s safe haven for capital. Its economy is still enormous–about $16 trillion annually.”

APA Buying Power
Virginia Delegate Mark Keam, panel moderator, underscored “the significant economic contribution in the country” of the fast-rising Asian American population. Some 18.2 million Asian Americans, representing 6 per cent of the nation’s total population, have a “buying power of $718 billion a year.”
He also stressed the need to have more Asian Americans in the corporate board and in elective office.
Speaker Nina Albert, community affairs director for Walmart, commenting on “the nexus between politics, business and community,” stressed the importance of partnerships. “You cannot do it alone,” she pointed out. She added that Walmart purchases its merchandise from US-based manufacturing companies, and in the process, “it also creates jobs.”
The ILF Business and Leadership Conference aims to explore and discuss the relationship between the United States and China as the two countries become increasingly inter-dependent. Event Chair Li gave the welcome remarks during the luncheon program, emceed by Shen Yi.

Gala Awards
In the evening, the ILF honored Yoshimi Inaba with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Chen Feng received the Global Trailblazer Award. The 2013 Organization Award went to the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC).
Recipients of the Leadership Awards were: Johnnie Giles, Steve Hsu, Dr. Rahul M. Jindal, Jan Liu, Marty Lorenzo, Derrick Nguyen, Stan Tsai, Larry Wong, Louis Yip and Clayton Fong.
Inaba is executive chairman of Toyota Motor Sales (TMS) U.S.A., Inc., Toyota’s U.S. sales, marketing, distribution and customer service arm in Torrance, California. He also serves as a senior advisor of Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC), TMS’s parent company in Japan. In these posts, Inaba oversees Toyota’s sales, marketing and external affairs operations in the United States.
Feng is the Chairman of HNA Group. Previously, he worked for the Civil Aviation Administration of China and Air Traffic Management Bureau for many years, and later as the Aviation Business Assistant to the Provincial governor of Hainan Province.
After 20 years, HNA Group has developed a new industrial pattern with aviation tourism, modern logistics and modern financial services as its three pillars, covering aviation, tourism, logistics, financial service, retail commerce, real estate, airport management and other related industries. Currently, HNA Group has an asset of 300 billion RMB and annual revenue of 100 billion RMB, generating nearly 120,000 jobs.

Panel Discussions

The morning conference started with opening remarks by Daphne Kwok, Chairperson of the Presidential Advisory Commission on Asian American and Pacific Islanders, and featured two panel discussions. Ms. Kwok was recently named AARP Vice President for Multicultural Markets and Engagement.
She thanked ILF CEO Tong for her “tremendous leadership over the years.” She said the best part of her civic engagement is “working with interns and the younger generation.” Former Labor Secretary Chao and other speakers also paid tribute to CEO Tong and ILF Founder Joel Szabat.
Ms. Kwok also urged those present to “help us to disseminate information” on the Affordable Care Act, inviting everyone to visit the website, www.wh.go.aapi.
Jeff Hwang delivered the welcome remarks. Ramey Ko, a former Asian American intern, who now “proudly serves” side by side with Ms. Kwok as commissioner of the White House Initiative on Asian American and Pacific Islanders, emceed the opening session.
The panel discussion on US-Asia Global Strategic Alliance, moderated by Deputy Assistant Secretary for Asia Craig Allen of the International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce, had as its featured speaker White House Business Council Executive Director Ari Matusiak.
The panelists were Patricia Loui, Member of the Board of Directors of Export-Import Bank of the US; Sanjay Puri, president of Alliance for US-India Business; and Henry Levine, senior director at Albright Stonebridge.
A Business-to-Business Networking and Procurement Session is held in the afternoon. The event introduces qualified Asian entrepreneurs to program managers and buyers to discuss contracting and subcontracting opportunities. Both federal agencies and corporate organizations are invited to participate. This session also matches international business opportunities to Asian firms.
The Advocacy of Asian American Businesses second panel’s featured speaker was DOC Minority Business Dvelopment Agency National Director David Hinson. Virginia Delegate Keam was panel moderator.
The panelists were: Johnnie Giles, executive affairs director for Comcast; Jim Cheng, secretary of commerce and trade, Commonwealth of Virginia; and Derrick Nguyen, attorney for NRG Power Inc.