NOW Live from the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center

The Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Program bids farewell to Gale Awaya McCallum. As a passionate member of the office family, Gale worked hard to cultivate relations with the Pacific and Pacific Islander communities. (Above: Gale meets with key APA leaders during a recent joint East-West Center-University of Hawai‘i reception. Left to right: Dr. Shankar Sharma, Ambassador to the U.S. from Nepal; Dr. Franklin Odo, Founding director of the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Program; Gale Awaya McCallum; Dr. Anny Wong, East-West Center Association/DC Chapter President.) Gale is now the Executive Director of the National Japanese American Memorial Foundation.

A message from Gale:

Many thanks to the SI APAP Team for providing me with a wonderfully enriching and educational experience! I was most fortunate to have worked alongside dedicated staff, consultants, and interns to help develop programs to highlight the contributions and achievements of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Highlights include helping to increase the participation of and visibility of Pacific Islanders in Smithsonian activities and the Folklife Festival, and learning more about the diverse APIA communities.

Also enjoyed discovering the after hour talents and skills of the staff — in cheesecake baking, spam musubi making, karaoke singing, marathon biking, devoted parenting (birds, dogs, humans), voracious reading, traveling the world, and so much more.

I’ll miss the APAP family but am looking forward to continuing our collaborations as I start my new job as Executive Director of the National Japanese American Memorial Foundation. So no good byes but Aloha and Mahalo Nui Loa!

–Gale Awaya McCallum