Board Members

Chay Sok, a Khmer refugee, was born in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. At the age of two, he and his family fled to a refugee camp in southern Thailand, where they lived for nine years.

Cheryl Yin is an Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Carleton College, specializing in Khmer language and culture. A first-generation scholar, Cheryl earned her BA in Anthropology and Linguistics from Pitzer College before completing her MA and PhD in Anthropology at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Sophal Nhep was born in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and arrived in the United States as a refugee in 1975. After the Khmer Rouge regime, he helped his brothers, sisters, and friends immigrate to America, assisting them in finding jobs and housing.

Kimsure Proeung Lofton is a first-generation American whose parents fled the Khmer Rouge War on separate journeys and were later sponsored by a Minnesota family.

Putheawin Samphea, born and raised in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, has dedicated her career to environmental advocacy and improving the well-being of underserved communities. She has focused on raising awareness about environmental issues and creating positive change through innovative community engagement.

Veyovouth Lach was born in 1951 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. He attended Law University in Cambodia for two years before joining the Cambodian Navy, where he was stationed at the Ream Naval Base in Cambodia.

Lyda Morgan is a Legal Advocate Manager at Tubman. She immigrated to Minnesota in early 1997. She was born, in the city of Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Hao Huang Taing, born and raised in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, is a youth leader and marketer at the Minnesota Star Tribune. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, Hao founded Local4Local, an international non-profit organization that uplifts the livelihoods of cyclo drivers and combats food insecurity for informal workers in Cambodia.