Baltimore filmmaker Ramona Diaz (Global FWN100™ '15) recently earned the prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship which are granted to artists with proven track records and exceptional promise. Ramona is best known for her documentary film, Don't Stop Believin' which chronicles Journey Filipino frontman Arnel Pineda's rise to fame. News story from Baltimore Sun.
Develop your people skills. Having people skills; being approachable, friendly, pleasant and respectful of others; requires that you actually interact with humans. Even in a technology-centric world, face time is essential for establishing relationships. When you're able to make others feel at ease, they're more likely to cooperate.
- Gloria T. Caoile, National Political Director, Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, U.S. FWN100™ '07, Global FWN100™ '13
#FilipinaDISRUPTER
The 17-person delegation that trooped to Sacramento recently to press for the inclusion of the role of Filipino soldiers in World War II in California’s school curriculum hoped to get good news. They were somewhat disappointed. The delegation led by the Bataan Legacy Historical Society (BLHS) included Filipino American Arts Exposition President and FWN100 Keeper of the Flame Al Perez; Ruth Asmundson (Global FWN100 '14); BLHS board members Major (Retired) Rick Villarina (Air Force) and Robert Hansen; former Lowell High School Dean Ray Cordoba; retired Judge Betty Bucat and Consul Reginald Bernabe, among others.
Voters have made history in the Philippines, electing their first ever transgender politician, Geraldine Roman, to the House of Representatives. Roman is a Liberal Party candidate in the congressional district of Bataan. News story from CNN.com.
Eleven Filipino bakery workers say they won $15 million in damages in a human trafficking lawsuit against a couple who they said forced them to do housework after arriving in the United States and paid them a meagre wages. Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Los Angeles said Friday that a federal judge in Los Angeles granted the judgment on behalf of the workers last week. News story from The Associated Press via Toronto Sun.
Denise Miles
Senior Vice President, Strategic Partnerships Manager, Wells Fargo Bank
Denise Miles is a Senior Vice President with Wells Fargo’s Diversity and Inclusion in the Government and Community Relations group. She serves as Manager for Strategic Partnerships where she is responsible for establishing and maintaining relationships with national nonprofit organizations.
Prior to joining Wells Fargo in 2004, she worked as a Community Development Officer in the San Francisco Area, managing economic development and affordable housing programs in partnership with nonprofits. Miles began her career at Wells Fargo in Corporate Communications supporting the Community Bank for the San Francisco-Bay Region.
Prior to Wells Fargo, Miles worked for the City and County of San Francisco in Mayor Willie L. Brown’s Office of Neighborhood Services. There she served as the Community Liaison for several districts and the Filipino community.
Before working with Mayor Brown, Miles was an Assignment Editor at KTVU-TV, a FOX affiliate in Bay Area. She also freelanced for Fox News Network and Fox Sports Network, and was a news producer for KTVN-TV in Reno, Nevada.
Miles has received several awards including the National Urban League’s 2013 Donald H. McGannon Award, the 100 Most Influential Filipina Women in the U.S. and the Pacific Asian American Women Bay Area Coalition’s Emerging Leaders Award. She holds a B.A. in Political Science with a minor in Journalism from San Jose State University.
Aimee Alado
Attorney-at-Law, Executive Committee Member at AUBF (ASEAN UK Business Forum)
London, United Kingdom
What's the best part of being a Filipina woman leader? The best part of being a Filipina woman leader is the ability and opportunity to inspire the group that you lead coming from different backgrounds to achieve a common goal. The challenge and the life transformation is not only for others but also a personal transformation for me. I always draw inspiration from the word synergy, one of my many favourites, whereby the interaction, cooperation amongst the members of my group has always a combined effect greater than the sum of our separate effects.
What do you think is the biggest challenge that faces the next generation of Filipina women? Someone has said that “the best way to predict the future is to create it”. And already, with the way things are, we are creating a future generation that is a lot more competitive; a world that is a lot more complex but with big challenges comes tremendous opportunities. I think the challenge really is how to equip this next generation of Filipina women to deal with these grand challenges and problems and come out as the most successful leaders from the lot instead of just being followers.
Filipina domestic worker and photographer Xyza Bacani earned a Magnum Fellowship in 2015. In her new solo exhibition "Modern Slavery", Bacani explores themes of resilience and tenacity of victims of human trafficking. "Modern Slavery" is now on view until June 10th at KONG Art Space in Central, Hong Kong. News story from South China Morning Post.
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts' New Filipino Cinema series is now in its fifth year! Each edition captures a diverse and compelling snapshot of the best films coming out of this unique nation of islands. Through continued investment in this series, YBCA helps amplify creative voices seldom heard outside the Philippines. New Filipino Cinema runs from June 9th to July 3rd. Check out the Filipino films on view here: http://ybca.org/new-filipino-cinema-2016
