Sandy Close, EMS Executive Director, started her career covering China and Vietnam as an editor of the Far Eastern Economic Review in the mid-1960s. She became editor of Pacific News Service in 1974 and was a pioneer in developing youth media. In 1996, she founded New America Media, the first and largest collaboration of ethnic news organizations. Her work has received several awards, including a MacArthur Foundation “Genius Award” and the 2011 Polk Award for Career Achievement. In 1996, a film she co-produced, Breathing Lessons, won an Academy Award for best short documentary. She founded Ethnic Media Services in 2017 to continue her work amplifying and elevating the voices of ethnic media.

Julian Do is co-director at EMS where he focuses on media business development. He has 16 years of experience in the media industry and another 15 years in semiconductor manufacturing, fund management, and international NGO development.

Nakia Cooper works at EMS as Communications Director for Houston Ethnic Media (HEM). She is a multimedia professional who’s worn many hats from the TV newsrooms, radio stations, print publications to government agencies. She is also the current president of the Houston Association of Black Journalists (HABJ).

Jongwon Lee is an attorney and journalist. Prior to law practice, he was a journalist for Kyunghyang Daily News in South Korea, and the managing editor of the Korea Daily Atlanta. His awards include MetLife Foundation Journalists in Aging Fellowship, Wells Fargo Small Business Reporting Fellowship, and National Conference on Citizenship Algorithmic Transparency Fellowship. He received B. A from Korea University and J.D from Georgia State University College of Law. He actively do volunteer for Asian communities in Atlanta, Georgia.

Jessica Martin works for Ethnic Media Services as the Communications Director. She manages briefings, projects, by working closely with clients, media, and interpreters. Jessica, an SF native received her bachelor’s of Arts in psychology from San Jose State University and her MBA from Cal State East Bay University.

Sunita Sohrabji joined Ethnic Media Services at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, and has organized and moderated several briefings on the health crisis and related issues. Sohrabji is a veteran reporter, most recently covering the Indian American community for India-West newspaper. She has received 15 local and national awards for excellence in journalism.

Alexis Duenas works for Ethnic Media Services in Administration. She manages invoicing and works closely with clients, media, and interpreters on other ongoing projects. Alexis, a California native, received her Bachelor of Arts in Recreation Administration with an emphasis in Youth and Community Services from Humboldt State University.

Yesenia Razo serves as the Latin Outreach Coordinator and Social Media Manager for Houston Ethnic Media, helping to amplify the voices of Latino communities and ensure they have access to vital resources. She holds an associate degree in Business Management and is the owner of “Yes JJ Media.” Razo is also actively involved with various nonprofits in the Houston area, assisting veterans to enroll in educational programs and organizing community-focused initiatives such as food drives for ethnically diverse communities.

Dana Levine manages social marketing campaigns for EMS. She handles media planning and ad placement. She is also the marketing event planner. She coordinates media outreach, media tracking and monitoring, as well as the production of post-event reports. Since November 2007, Dana has contributed her organizational talents on several major marketing campaigns for clients including Flex Your Power, California Teacher’s Association, Leadership Conference of Civil Rights, Bureau of Automotive Repair, Haas Jr. Fund, Census 2010 and 2020.​

Patricia Johnson worked with EMS-predecessor Pacific News Service/New America Media from 2001-2014 on finance, development, and youth communications programs. In addition to supporting EMS newsletters and grant management, Patricia works as a financial planner for families and operates a nonprofit financial education program in Oakland, Ca. She holds an MBA from Yale and a BA in Political Science from UC Berkeley.

Nguyen Lee works for Ethnic Media Services as the Houston Ethnic Media coordinator. She assists in event planning and administration. She is Vietnamese American and has a background in community work and organizing. She is also jointly part of the OCA – Greater Houston team as a Programs and Advocacy Lead where she manages their citizenship work and a diversity, equity and inclusion workshop series. Outside of her professional work, she is a huge BTS fan and is involved in organizing fan events and projects in the Houston BTSxARMY community.

Vansh Gupta works for Ethnic Media Services as a Marketing and Technology consultant. Vansh is the Managing Editor of Siliconeer, a Gen-Z South Asian-focused magazine based in the Silicon Valley. He also serves as the Chief Marketing Officer of Siliconeer Ventures Inc.

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