Chair

Praveen Meyyan is a Northern Virginia based Economist and AAPI Community Leader. Originally an immigrant from India, Praveen moved from India to the United States over 30 years ago, as his parents pursued the American Dream. Praveen has spent a decade in Virginia working to empower those within the AAPI community, make their voices heard and to help train a new generation of leaders. He currently serves as Chair of the Democratic Asians Americans of Virginia, is a Governor's appointee to the Virginia Asian Advisory Board and is a graduate of the Sorensen Institute at the University of Virginia.

@PraveenMeyyan

First Vice Chair

Shyamali Roy Hauth is the 1st Vice Chair of DAAV, the Chair of the Fairfax County Democrat's Veterans & Military Families Standing Committee, and Vice-Chair of Outreach for the Hunter Mill Democratic Committee. She is the EVP of Outreach for the Virginia Equal Rights Coalition and is Vice Chair on the Board of Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions. Shyamali is the Legislative Director for Multi-modal Transportation, Public Safety and the Arts for the Hunter Mill District Supervisor.

@ShyamaliHauth

Second Vice Chair

Anika Rahman was a Co-Chair for VA AAPI Biden-Harris Leadership Council. She was also the Deputy Director for Bangladeshis for Biden National Council. In 2019, DAAV awarded her with the Unsung-Hero award, making her the first to receive this award. Anika is fluent in 5 languages, experienced in Policy and Governance, managing campaigns, and grassroots organizing. She enjoys working with legislators on state policies. Anika Rahman believes in creating change through empathy. She currently works in the VA General Assembly.

Secretary

Sharon Kwon's involvement with DAAV began 4 years ago when she became the first Joe Montano fellow working as the political director for AAPI outreach on the Northam for Governor campaign.

She started working in politics on the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign in 2016, serving as the Joe Montano fellow allowed her to engage with and served the Asian American community in new and exciting ways. Since then Sharon has worked on a highly competitive congressional race with 16 candidates in Pennsylvania and volunteered on the Biden presidential campaign in 2020 as a translator.

Treasurer

Rose Chu is Treasurer of DAAV, the 8th Congressional District Democratic Committee, and the Mason District Democratic Committee. She is a health care analyst and a member of the Fairfax County Health Care Advisory Board. Rose is also a volunteer AARP tax counselor and certified application counselor for Marketplace insurance and Medicaid.

Political Director

Manisha Singh was born in Mumbai, Delhi, the largest democracy in the world, and moved to this country in 1997. She has a BA in Economic Theory and Statistics from Bombay University and MA in Applied Economics from Eastern Michigan University. Manisha is currently the Vice President of Women Empowerment Foundation. She is a member of the Fairfax Democrats' 11th Congressional District Committee and a member of the DPVA's Central Committee.

Chair Emeritus

Dewita Soeharjono was the DAAV Chair from 2014-2019. She was the architect behind the Democratic Asian Americans digital ecosystem. Under her leadership, the caucus has grown from a lesser known organization to be the go-to for politicos and aspiring candidates. During the 2020 campaign cycles, Dewita was one of the Co-Chairs of the VA AAPI Biden-Harris Leadership Council and the Women Council. In her free time, she's been testing different spices of the world and experimenting with used coffee grinds.

@ecotwist