Francey Youngberg Joins the Roster of Presidential Appointees
The Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Program bids a fond farewell to our development consultant, Francey Lim Youngberg, as she assumes her new post as the Deputy Assistant Secretary on Intergovernmental Affairs at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Francey’s life and career have been marked with so many accomplishments and achievements that she has become not only a community leader in the Washington, DC area, but she is also a role model to many young women who want to carve a career in government and community relations.
Francey attended Wellesley College and proceeded to earn her law degree from Harvard Law School. She worked as a tax attorney in Philadelphia and DC, and was the founding executive director of APAICS (Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies). APAICS was founded by then Cong. Norman Y. Mineta. Francey dedicated her tenure to increasing the civic engagement of Asian Pacific Americans in public policy and legislative issues.
She left APAICS to become an independent consultant, helping the Smithsonian APA Program with their initial five-year strategic plan, and creating a program for the H Street Community Development Corporation which focuses on teaching underserved DC public high school students Chinese language and culture over two years culminating in a two-week educational tour of China. She also advised various federal agencies and the District of Columbia on how to provide better access to government services for limited English and underserved populations. She worked with non-profit agencies in political leadership training, media, and advocacy workshops, and conducting research into Asian Pacific American issues.
Francey was a board member of the Eugene and Agnes Meyer Foundation, on the advisory board of WRC-TV 4, the Asian Pacific American Bar Educational Fund, and the Korean American Coalition. She was recognized as one of the “25 Influential Minority Women in Business” by the Minority Business and Professional Network in 2000; one of the “25 Most Influential Asians in America” by A. Magazine: Inside Asian America in 1997; and one of 15 “Washingtonians of the Year” by Washington Magazine in 1996.
Impressed as we were of her many achievements, Francey first and foremost is a member of our big APA Program family. She was an engine that gets us cranking and taking up much of the time during staff meetings because a 10-minute update just won’t do. We will surely miss her; but hey, HUD is just a few blocks away. I hope they have a good cafeteria!
Congratulations Francey! I know you will do well in your new position. It has been my privilege to know and to work with you. You have worked from the grassroots level and have already identified so many issues and areas that truly makes you a remarkable person. You are not afraid to take on the tough problems and you have the people skills and know-how to get things done. I salute you and support you. Judy Moy
I knew Francey when she lead the APAICS. and was amazed of her leadership talents. I did not realize that we both hailed from the same Province of Iloilo in the Philippines.
The HUD is a huge agency and there is plenty of room to grow. I will not be surprised to see Francey lead this organization in the future.
Congratulations, Francey.
Ernie Gange
Bucks County, PA