APAP Board congratulates fellow APAP Board Member, Gregory Cendana on his promotion to APALA Executive Director!

USSA President Becomes APALA Executive Director
Cendana, son Pilipino immigrants & first openly gay to serve in post

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
October 14, 2010

CONTACT: Luisa Blue
APALA National President
(510) 862-4862

Washington D.C.-The Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA)
announced that Gregory Allan Cendana, a labor, student, and community
activist who recently completed his term as President of the United
States Student Association, has been chosen to become the next Executive
Director.  He becomes the first openly gay to serve in this post.
Cendana replaces Malcolm Amado Uno, who recently started as a Special
Assistant to Secretary Hilda Solis in the Department of Labor’s Office
of Public Engagement.  Cendana joins APALA of Asian American and Pacific
Islander union members and supporters, at a time when the labor movement
and APALA are increasingly focused on outreach to young workers.

"APALA is excited about our new Executive Director. Gregory Cendana will
bring energy, experience, and passion for social justice to the
position,” said founding APALA President & current National Executive
Board Member Kent Wong, “As one of the leading youth and student
activists in the country today, Greg will strengthen the worker and
student alliances of APALA."

As President of the United States Student Association, Cendana helped
build chapters across the country, increased the budget of the
organization, established strong community partnerships, highlighted
worker struggles, and played an integral role in the passage of the
Student Aid & Fiscal Responsibility Act and Healthcare & Education
Reconciliation Act.

“Gregory comes from an immigrant & union family,” said Luisa Blue, APALA
National President, “He is grounded with strong values that are in line
with our mission & vision and has a proven track record of success.”

Cendana comes to APALA with a wealth of experience having served or
currently serving on the boards of the National Jobs with Justice, Asian
Pacific Americans for Progress, the Generational Alliance & the National
Youth Advocacy Coalition. As a leader in the Asian American & Pacific
Islander, youth & Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender communities,
Cendana will be able to engage a wide range of constituencies in the
labor movement and fight for social and economic justice.

“Amado Uno engaged in pioneering community and youth outreach while at
APALA,” said Matt Finucane, APALA National Vice-President.  “We are
thrilled that Greg is coming on board to push that envelope even
further, and advance an agenda for worker rights at a time when workers
and young people are particularly vulnerable to the impact of a global
economy.”

Bio 

Cendana completed his undergraduate degree with honors at the University of California, Los Angeles and is a graduate of the Rockwood Leadership Institute, the Management Center’s Managing to Change the World, the Midwest Academy’s Organizing for Social Change, Training for Change’s Training of Trainers & Wellstone Action’s Political Training Program. At UCLA, he was Student Body Vice President, Campus Organizing Director for the University of California Student Association, a member of the Executive Board of Samahang Pilipino at UCLA and a co-founder of the Student Activist Project, developing students to work with campus and community organizations. Additionally, Gregory worked with AFSCME 3299 to build stronger student and worker solidarity, organized service workers in the dining halls and was a part of a campaign to unionize part time student workers.

About APALA
Founded in 1992, the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA), AFL-CIO, is the first and only national organization of Asian Pacific American (APA) union members. Over 600,000 APA workers have joined unions and are seeking better pay, improved benefits, dignity on the job, and a voice in the workplace. Backed with strong support of the AFL-CIO, APALA has 14 chapters and pre-chapters and a national office in Washington, D.C.

For more information, visit www.apalanet.org.