Chief Transformation Officer & First Assistant Attorney General, Colorado Office of the Attorney General
Tell us about your background before law school.
I attended Stanford University and received my undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering and then received my MBA from the University of Michigan prior to obtaining my JD at Colorado Law. I feel fortunate to have started my career as a design engineer at Ford Motor Co., then working in product management for digital consumer products at Hewlett Packard Co., practicing IP litigation in private practice at two different firms, and working in-house in IP transactions at Hewlett Packard Enterprise before joining the Department of Law. My vast experience working in various roles and industries prepared me for my current role.
Tell us about your work at the Colorado AG鈥檚 Office.
As the chief transformation officer, I鈥檓 helping transform existing systems and processes to improve productivity and efficiency at the Department of Law. By embracing technology, we are equipped to quickly innovate and implement creative solutions to meet the Department of Law鈥檚 business needs.
Example projects include transitioning the entire department to remote work, implementing a new performance management program, establishing a hybrid work culture, implementing a new technology platform to become a more data-driven organization, and many other transformation projects. Additionally, as a first assistant attorney general, I lead the Data Privacy team on rulemaking for the recently enacted Colorado Privacy Act.
What do you enjoy most about working in government?
I was initially drawn to working at the Department of Law because I wanted to utilize my skills to serve Colorado, and help make a difference to ensure that Coloradans have access to justice and are able to continue to enjoy what makes Colorado such a great place to live.
What I enjoy the most is seeing how my work directly impacts Colorado and its people. I also really enjoy working with my colleagues at the Department of Law, who are exemplary public servants. I am privileged to have the opportunity to work under the tutelage of Attorney General Phil Weiser and Chief Deputy Attorney General Natalie Hanlon Leh, who have taught me how to become a better leader. I see firsthand their dedication to upholding the rule of law, protecting Colorado, and holding lawbreakers accountable.
Which law school experience(s) helped prepare you for your role and/or government work more generally?
While at Colorado Law, I was a member of the Dean鈥檚 Diversity Committee because representation matters. It is important that people are able to show up as their authentic selves and have a sense of belonging, whether at school or work. This inspired me to serve as the vice president of the Asian Pacific Law Student Association (APALSA) and join as a student member of the Asian Pacific American Bar Association (APABA). My early involvement in APALSA and APABA while in law school prepared me to later serve as the APABA president in 2020鈥�21 during the pandemic. I feel honored to have served as APABA president during a tumultuous year, which included the beginning of a pandemic, racial justice crisis, economic uncertainties, the 2020 election, the rise in hate crimes against the AAPI community, the senseless Georgia hate shooting, and the horrific shooting right here in my 麻豆影院 community.
Despite all these challenges, I saw our community rise and support one another. The APABA board, and especially APABA board member Deborah Yim, who led the Community Outreach Committee, worked together with other local organizations to sponsor a hate crimes webinar, launch the free virtual APABA Cares legal clinic, collect gift baskets and meals for seniors, assemble Go Vote resources and video, host an estate planning webinar and estate planning virtual clinic, collect Lunar New Year gift baskets for refugee families, sponsor the Addressing Asian Hate Town Hall, compile the AAPI anti-hate brochure, and many other activities.
I鈥檓 so proud of how much APABA accomplished during my term and what APABA continues to accomplish under the current president, Clark Yeh. I bring my APABA experiences to my current role as I continue to advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion in my day-to-day work, and in the programs I implement.
What advice would you give to law students interested in pursuing a career in government?
I highly encourage law students interested in pursuing a career in government to reach out to attorneys working in government to get a better understanding of the work they do, the path they took toward becoming a public servant, and why they pursued a career in government. Another way to learn more about government work is to apply for internships鈥攁t the Colorado Attorney General鈥檚 Office or elsewhere鈥攖o learn more about becoming a government attorney. For me, working in government has provided me with a sense of purpose and fulfillment that no other job has. I am thankful to Colorado Law for opening the door for me to become a public servant.