On Jan. 10, the board of KACF elected Suok Noh as its new president. Noh replaces the outgoing president, Sonny Whang, who has led KACF since its inception in late 2002. 

In announcing Noh’s selection, Whang stated, “Suok has been an enthusiastic supporter of KACF since its birth, and has been a tremendous advocate and ambassador for KACF since joining the board at the end of 2005. We are looking forward to his presidency and are confident that he will continue the successes of KACF during his term.”

Outlining his vision to the board, Noh said, “We are no longer a mom-and-pop organization trying to do good things for our community. We’ve grown far beyond that and have already built relationships with corporations and individuals who want to get involved. We need to continue this growth with transparency and organizational infrastructure.” Noh sees KACF as the “premier umbrella organization for leading the way on how to contribute to the Korean American community.” He added that KACF is the first name that comes to mind when corporations and individuals want to channel contributions to the Korean American community.

Noh reiterated to the board that the success of KACF will not rest on his shoulders alone, and that he will call upon KACF’s board members, staff and volunteers for assistance. “I always operate under the framework of shared vision,” he told the board. “With shared responsibility, we will have shared success.”

Volunteers celebrate KACF’s successes in 2006 at the home of board member Juju Chang. Seated in the front row from left to right are board members Kyung Yoon and Chang, Executive Director Bomsinae Kim and board member Karen Na.

When not serving KACF, Noh runs Goldman Sachs’ structured products analytics group in the fixed income, currency and commodities division. He joined Goldman Sachs as an analyst in 1988 and became managing director in 1999. Prior to joining Goldman Sachs, he worked as a software engineer for Allied-Signal Aerospace. He received an undergraduate and master’s degree from the Stevens Institute of Technology. He resides in New York City with his wife and three children.

The board also announced the appointment of Gina Chon and Philip Lee as chair and vice chair of KACF’s steering committee, respectively. Members of the steering committee play an integral role in organizing KACF’s various events and functions as well as screening potential grantee organizations. The Board also welcomed three individuals to its advisory board: Taeja Kim Lee, Kwang Suk Kim and Jayne Jun.

KACF, a nonprofit based in New York, raises funds to support local social service organizations, including those that serve the needs of disadvantaged Korean and Asian Americans.

 

 

The $25,000 Campaign

In late 2006, the Khym Foundation presented KACF with a $25,000 challenge grant. As a result, KACF engaged in a campaign to match the grant. For the past several months, KACF has raised nearly half its goal, but continues to urge its donors for continued support.

The funds raised will be directed to each of three of KACF’s grantee organizations: MilAl Missions, a nonprofit faith-based social service agency that serves mentally disabled Korean Americans and their families; the Rainbow Center, which offers bilingual support services to women of Korean and Asian descent; and the Asian Women’s Christian Association.