Hung Quoc Nguyen
Hung Quoc Nguyen, MLJ (Vietnamese Language: Nguyễn Quốc Hùng), born December 1971 in Da Nang, Vietnam, is an American politician and community activist. Mr. Nguyen fled Vietnam with his parents and younger brother in 1975 after the Fall of Saigon. His family came to the United States as refugees by way of Camp Pendelton and eventually resettled in Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California. His pregnant mother gave birth to his sister at the hospital on the Marine base.
In 2005, Mr. Nguyen was appointed by Governor Mark Warner to serve on the Virginia Asian Advisory Board. He was appointed by Governor Timothy Kaine as a Commissioner on the Governor's Commission for National and Community Service in 2006 and elected to the Board of Directors of the America's Service Commissions in 2009. In 2004, he was appointed by Chair of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Gerry Connolly to the Fairfax County Consumer Protection Commission, where he is responsible for protecting citizens from illegal, fraudulent or deceptive consumer practices.
Biography
Mr. Nguyen attended the Los Angeles Unified School District until high school. In 1989, he graduated class valedictorian from Our Lady Queen of Angels Seminary in the San Fernando Valley. He attended Saint John's Seminary College in Camarillo, California and graduated with a liberal arts degree, minoring in philosophy and psychology, in 1993. He completed three years of theological studies at St. John's Seminary (California) prior to leaving his priestly formation for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles in 1996. He currently resides in Fairfax, Virginia with his wife Jung and son Thomas.
Mr. Nguyen, a certified PMI Project Management Professional, has been an active Vietnamese American community organizer and leader for over 20 years. Throughout his career, he has been associated with various nonprofit organizations. From 2002 to 2007, he served as the President/CEO of the National Congress of Vietnamese Americans. During his tenure, he:
- Developed the Vietnamese American Youth Leadership Conference (VAYLC) to train young leaders to be more actively engaged in their local communities across the U.S.
- Initiated the Vietnamese American Heritage Project - "Exit Saigon, Enter Little Saigon" at the Smithsonian Institution.
- Produced a TV program entitled APA on the Hill that examines issues and policies affecting Asian Pacific Americans across the U.S.
- Hosted a forum educating legislators on issues impacting Asian Pacific Americans in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
- Partnered with Freddie Mac to develop CreditSmart Asian, a financial literacy program targeting Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese language speakers.
- Sounded the alarm bells on human trafficking in 2004 when three Vietnamese women were listed for sale on eBay.
Economic Development
Mr. Nguyen has worked with the small business community and underserved/disadvantaged communities by raising awareness of the barriers preventing them from opportunities to succeed.
- In 2006, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, he commissioned a study on the response provided to immigrant communities and submitted it to the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Housing Task Force, chaired by Congressman Mike Honda and Task Force subcommittee chair Congressman Al Green.
- In August 2009, as input into the development of the National Broadband Plan, he testified before the Federal Communications Commission on Opportunities for Small and Disadvantaged Businesses.
Mr. Nguyen has worked with Arlington Economic Development's BizLaunch, Business Development Assistance Group and the Fairfax County SkillSource Center, to host business, contracting, and networking opportunities. He assisted in organizing the Mega Job Fair and Entrepreneurship Expo and worked with business owners to create the CEO Club, an organization that fosters corporate partnerships to collaboratively pursue business opportunities. He has spoken at forums and conferences related to procurement opportunities, organizational development, and corporate partnerships.
Mr. Nguyen has worked with companies who became recipients of Chamber of Commerce Fantastic 50 Award, Washington Technology's Fast 50, and the Department of Homeland Security’s Small Business Achievement Award.
Politics
Mr. Nguyen has campaigned for elected officials in California, Massachusetts, Texas, and Virginia. He served as a member of the Steering Committee on the Obama AAPI National Leadership Council and worked on the Barack Obama presidential campaign, 2008. During the 2008 Democratic National Convention, he worked with ethnic media.
He has worked on community issues such as redistricting, political empowerment, immigration, housing, economic development, cultural identity, and health disparity.
Community service
Mr. Nguyen serves on the board of several 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations, including:
- America's Service Commissions
- Conference on Asian Pacific American Leadership
- International Leadership Foundation
- National Alliance of Vietnamese American Service Agencies
He is also a member of The Military and Hospitaller Order of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem, a philanthropy-based organization.
Awards
In recognition of Mr. Nguyen's service to the community, he received the Barbara Varon Volunteer Service Award from the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in 2008, the Who's Who in the Asian American Community Award in 2007, and the Nice People Award. He has also been recognized by the Conference on Asian Pacific American Leadership for his public service and work with interns, by the Federal Asian Pacific American Council for strengthening its organizational capabilities, and by Mayor Willie Brown for his work with the City/County of San Francisco's Commission on Immigrant Rights' Summit.