DALLAS, TX – OCA, a national organization dedicated to advancing the social, political and economic wellbeing of Asian Pacific Americans (APAs) in the United States , held the prestigious National Asian Pacific American Corporate Achievement Awards on Friday, October 20, 2006 at the Dallas/Plano Marriott at Legacy Town Center in Plano , TX . The event was hosted by the local OCA-Dallas/Fort Worth Chapter.

The National Asian Pacific American Corporate Achievement Awards is the only national program of its kind to recognize corporate achievement and service to the community among APA corporate employees.  Honorees must first be nominated by their respective employers and then selected by a panel of judges.  This year, 10 honorees were chosen to receive the award. The Institutional Excellence Award is an additional one-time only special award in recognition of the Dallas community’s commitment to education and the education institutions in their area:

Yuen-Kwok Steve Chin, General Motors Corporation – Dr. Chin is Principle Researcher/Lab Group Manager of Vehicle Control and Prognosis, and has served the company and the community with passion and dedication since 1982.  The company and the industry have recognized his accomplishments and leadership with distinctions and awards.  He has received two Chairman’s Honors Awards (GM’s corporate award for organizational/teamwork excellence), three “Boss” Kettering Awards (GM’s corporate award for technical excellence), and three Charles McCuen Special Achievement Awards (GM R&D’s technical excellence award).

John Coons, McDonald’s – Mr. Coons is Operations Manager of the company-owned and operated McDonald’s restaurants in Colorado Springs , Colorado . He has been employed with McDonald’s for 19 years and has held positions as Restaurant Manager, Area Supervisor, and Business Consultant in different markets and regions during his tenure with McDonald’s. Mr. Coons has also been a member of the McDonald’s Asian Network since his start as a McDonald’s employee. 

Christie Kennett, State Farm – As Director of Government Affairs, Ms. Kennett helps maintain State Farm’s relationships with federal and state governments through grassroots education and advocacy programs.  She oversees the Corporate and Federal Affairs teams charged with helping government officials, opinion leaders and State Farm associates understand public policy issues impacting their customers, company, employees and communities.

Judy Li, Verizon – Ms. Li is Executive Director, Finance Support for Sales and Marketing. She is responsible for setting sales objectives for the sales organization, overseeing the data warehouse function, and centralized planning and reporting for the Sales and Marketing groups. Ms. Li graduated from University of Massachusetts in 1980 with a degree in M.S.B.A. - Accountancy

Charlotte Lin, The Boeing Company – Dr. Lin is the Director of Strategic Planning & Technology Development for ASWISR (Airborne AntiSubmarine Warfare, Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance), responsible for engineering product and technology development in a $9 billion business division that includes E-3 AWACS, P-8A MMA, and international AEW&C.

Tom Lopez, Kraft Foods, Inc. – As Senior Brand Manager, Mr. Lopez is responsible for profit delivery, positioning and marketing plans for the #1 brand of refrigerated meal combinations with a market share of over 85% and revenue above $600 million. Mr. Lopez joined Kraft in 1999 and worked in various manager-level positions within the Oscar Meyer division. Prior to that, he served in the military, from 1995 to 1999, starting as the Executive Officer with the 555th Engineer Group in Ft. Lewis , WA and ending as the Joint Operations Strategic Planning Officer with the 8th United States Army, Ft. Leonard Wood, MO.

Paul Odanaka, Brinker International – Mr. Odanaka is Director of Diversity for Chili’s Grill & Bar. He leads a team responsible for the development, implementation and communication of diversity and inclusion strategies throughout the Chili’s 1,200 restaurant system. He joined Chili’s in 1985 as a manager. With extensive operational experience, Mr. Odanaka continues to lead Chili’s to value diversity in people and perspectives and to be the employer of choice in the global casual dining market segment.

Seong Ohm, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. – Ms. Ohm is Vice President/Divisional Merchandise Manager for SAM’S CLUB, and manages close to $4 billion annual budget and a staff of 28. She has over 19 years professional experience from electronics and semi-conductor industry. As an active advocate for Asian Pacific American community within SAM”S CLUB, she has participated in various diversity events and served as panelists for leadership seminars, sharing her personal and professional stories and success with minority and women audience. 

Gloria Rodriguez, UPS – Ms. Rodriguez is Security Manager for UPS Corporate, and has represented UPS at sponsored events hosted by different organizations, such as OCA, National Association of Chinese Americans (NACA), National Association of Asian American Professionals-Atlanta (NAAAP-Atlanta), Association of Chinese Professionals (ACP) and Chopstix for Charity (CFC). She obtained her bachelor’s degree in Business Management while working full-time at UPS, graduating Magna Cum Laude from Park University , Missouri .

Jaci Woody, DaimlerChrysler Corporation – Ms.Woody chose Chrysler when she began her career in engineering 36 years ago. She has steadily moved up the corporate ladder to her current role as Senior Manager for Jeep Special Program Engineering. Ms. Woody received a scholarship to attend Oakland University in Rochester , Michigan where she completed a Bachelor Science/Engineering “Electrical” degree.  The MBA AMP (Advanced Management Program) from Michigan State University accentuated her credentials and opened the door to more opportunities.

Julia Wai-Yin So, Dallas County Community College District – Ms. So is the recipient of the 2006 OCA Institutional Excellence Award. She is Director of Community Development and is responsible for promoting DCCCD in the Asian community, facilitating Asian support for DCCCD projects and programs, and identifying and meeting community needs with respect to educational opportunities and workforce development. A statistical sociologist by training, Ms. So taught at Richland College , UT Arlington , and UT Dallas before joining the college district in 1997. Three years later, she joined the Office of Educational Affairs in the district office as Director of the Rising Star Program to help launch the $30-million scholarship program county wide.

OCA also recognized Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. as the 2006 OCA Outstanding Corporate Partner.  The Corporate Partner Award is the highest honor that OCA bestows upon its corporate partners.  David L. Kim, Director of Asian Marketing & Community Relations for Anheuser-Busch Inc., accepted the award on behalf of Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. Mr. Kim is also the Chair of the OCA-Business Advisory Council.

“OCA is proud to present this prestigious award to highlight Asian Pacific Americans who serve as shining examples of corporate excellence and community involvement,” said OCA National President Ginny Gong.

“OCA Dallas/Fort Worth was especially proud that our National organization is holding this annual event in Plano, Texas because of the growing number of APAs who now reside in this part of the country, “ said William Tong, OCA-Dallas/Forth Worth President. “The presence of this event in Texas gave our local chapter more visibility.”

The recipient of the Community Service Award is selected from among the recipients of the Corporate Achievement Award for his or her outstanding commitment to volunteerism within the community. The recipient was Christie Kennett of State Farm.