FRED - Filipino Renaissance in Education and Development
Please join us in "TED" style presentations covering women in the arts and public policy. There will be refreshments and Filipino food served and audience members will be able to have an informal question and answer period with the presenters.
Presenters:
Marlina Gonzalez Topic: My Life as a Female Asian American Artist (12-15 minutes)
Sia Her Topic: Asian American Civic Engagement (12-15 minutes)
More Information on the Presenters:
MARLINA GONZALEZ is a seasoned arts curator and media arts producer with over two decades of experience using art as a tool for social change. She has conceived and produced numerous international film festivals, multidisciplinary art exhibits and performances for Walker Art Center, Intermedia Arts, The Minneapolis Foundation, and Asian CineVision, among others. During the Republican National Convention in 2008, she was Program Director for The UnConvention, a series of participatory media, art and educational events which gained national press attention, including The New York Times. She was Festival Director of New York’s prestigious Asian American International Film Festival, working actively to introduce Asian and Asian American cinema to American and European audiences. At the Walker Art Center, she pioneered Women In the Director’s Chair (later called Women With Vision), initiated a Pan Asian Film Showcase, presented prominent filmmakers including Yoko Ono, Tom Hanks, and Spike Lee. In 2009, The Filipina Women’s Network (FWN) named Marlina Gonzalez as one of the 100 Most Influential Filipina Women in the U.S.
SIA HER was appointed executive director of the Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans in early 2013. The Council, a non-partisan government agency, is charged with bridging the gap that often exists between state government and the Asian Pacific community. The Council's role and responsibilities are spelled out in Minnesota Statute 15.0145. In summary, the Council advises the Legislature and Governor on issues of importance to Asian Pacific Minnesotans and in doing so, advocates on behalf of this community within state government. Since the 2014 legislative session, the Council has played a leading role in the passage of unprecedented legislation on the issue of gender-based violence in the Asian Pacific Minnesotan community. Ms. Her came to the United States with her family when she was four years old, twelve years after Laos, her native country, fell to Communism. She credits her personal, familial, educational, and community based experiences as the main motivators for her work at the Council. These experiences have shaped Ms. Her’s understanding of advocacy and policy development, but more importantly they have shaped her understanding about the importance of politics in people’s day to day lives. Ms. Her’s work at the Council reflects this understanding, and her belief that there is a place for government to assist Americans in improving their lives. Ms. Her holds a master’s degree in public policy from the Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Macalester College.