INTERGENERATIONAL INSIGHTS & LESSONS

MODERATOR

Fran, current President and CEO of the Asian Chamber of Commerce, was born and raised in Denver, a daughter of Filipino immigrants. She started her career as a Pediatric LPN, then 17 years as Sr. Clinical Support at Jefferson Center for Mental Health and a certified Mental Health First Aid Instructor.  Concurrently, since she was a teenager, Fran worked for and eventually became Operating Co-Manager of Simsiman Family Enterprises, a minority, family-owned small business in Denver.  She moved to the position of President/CEO of the Asian Chamber of Commerce Colorado in 2019.

Fran served 14 years as a Denver Commissioner for both the Asian American Pacific Islander Commission and the Immigrant & Refugee Commission.  As a DAAPIC Commissioner, she helped initiate the door-to-door discussions with business owners on South Federal, starting a dialogue with the Denver Urban Renewal Authority and the Denver Economic Development & Opportunity office with the purpose of revitalizing this commercial retail area.

She has been an active leader in the Denver AANHPI community throughout her life.  She was an elected Officer of the Filipino-American Community of Colorado; and she served on Governor Hickenlooper’s Asian Advisory Council.  Fran is currently on the Cultural Advisory Board of Heritage Camps for Adoptive Families.

In 2020-2021 during COVID19, Fran was appointed by Mayor Hancock as Committee Co-Chair on the Denver Economic Relief and Recovery Council, ensuring equitable outreach of all recommendations and initiatives.   Additionally, Fran was appointed by Governor Polis as the only AANHPI representative on the Colorado Minority Business Advisory Board and today serves on the OEDIT External Advisory Council.

PANELIST

Derek Okubo is a Colorado native and was raised in Littleton, Colorado, graduating from Arapahoe High School and the University of Northern Colorado. He received a bachelor’s degree in psychology with double minors in communication and sociology.

Derek has worked for Big Brothers of Metropolitan Denver as the services coordinator for Denver County; the State of Colorado as a community liaison for Governor Roy Romer; and the National Civic League as the Senior Vice President. During his time with the National Civic League, Derek helped design and facilitate over 70+ planning efforts across the United States. He also published numerous articles on topics such as race and governance, sustainability, community engagement, and Civic Infrastructure (a term coined by NCL in the late 1980’s).

In July 2011, Derek was appointed Executive Director of the Agency for Human Rights and Community Partnerships (HRCP) by Mayor Michael B. Hancock. HRCP was founded within Denver city government in 1947 to address race and equity conditions of that time. In his role as Executive Director, Derek oversaw eight city offices and 10 advisory commissions. Due to term limits and as an appointee of Mayor Hancock, Derek completed his service with the City and County of Denver in July 2023 and is currently working on contracts through his LLC.

Derek serves on the boards of the Japan America Society of Colorado, Sakura Foundation (Treasurer), Museum of Denver, the Amache Alliance Advisory Board, and the Sand Creek Foundation Advisory Board.

PANELIST

Born in Hong Kong and living in Denver since 1969, Stella Yu has degrees in Fine Arts and Arts Education. Appointed by Mayor Webb for Arts Education, Yu founded Arts Street, an award-winning youth job-training program. She retired in 2016 from careers in education, graphics, non-profit management.

Yu has served on numerous boards including the Denver Foundation, Nonprofit Finance Fund, La Alma Neighborhood, Colorado HS Charter, Beanstalk, and the Denver Democratic Party. Yu was VP of the Asian Cultural Center and founding president of the Asian Roundtable of Colorado. She spearheaded the statewide 2020 Census AANHPI outreach, the Action Against Hate initiative, and currently serves as Commissioner on the America 250-Colorado 150 Sesquisemiquincentennial Commemoration.

PANELIST

Professor Wei teaches various courses in modern Chinese history, including "Modern China: Collapse and Brilliance, 1644-1949" and "Contemporary China: Radicalism and Reform, 1949 to Present."

Professor Wei earned his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, in 1978. He received the Asian American Hero of Colorado Award from the Colorado Asian Culture and Education Network in 2022. He is the 2024-2025 Colorado State Historian.

His first book, Counter-Revolution in China: The Nationalists in Jiangxi during the Soviet Period*, Michigan Studies on China Series (University of Michigan Press, 1985), was awarded the University of Colorado's Eugene M. Kayden Faculty Book Manuscript Prize. His book, *Asians in Colorado: A History of Persecution and Perseverance in the Centennial State*, Scott and Laurie Oki Series in Asian American Studies (University of Washington Press, 2016), was a finalist for the 2017 Colorado Authors’ League Award for General Non-Fiction. His most recent book is Becoming Colorado: The Centennial State in 100 Objects (University Press of Colorado, 2021). He is currently engaged in a book-length study titled “Hong Kong Since the Handover: A History of Protests.”