2018 AANHPI Roundtable Series: Ahnna Smith

Speaker

Ahnna Smith serves as the Interim Deputy Mayor for Education. In this role, Ahnna is focused on preparing every student in Washington, DC for college, career, and life by: providing great schools; ensuring students can get to and from school safely every day; and providing opportunities for students to learn, grow, and thrive during and beyond the regular school day. 

Most recently, Ahnna was the Chief of Staff in the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education, leading a variety of projects, including Mayor Bowser’s commitment to increasing the number of infant and toddler child care seats by 1,000. Ahnna previously served in the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education from 2009 to 2012, leading work on school facilities, public charter school support and interagency collaboration.

Ahnna has spent her entire career in education. Prior to joining the Bowser Administration, Ahnna served in the Obama Administration as the Chief of Staff for Innovation and Improvement in the U.S. Department of Education, where she provided strategic leadership in policy and operations, personnel, and external communications, for the more than 25 programs and initiatives within the office. Ahnna also served as the Executive Director of Teach For America in the Washington, DC region, where she managed the staff and operations that trained and supported more than 250 teachers in DC and Prince George’s County, Maryland.

Ahnna also worked in teacher recruitment, preparation and development in the United States and the United Kingdom. She began her career as an elementary school teacher in Miami-Dade County Public Schools after earning a degree in government and politics, magna cum laude, from the University of Maryland, College Park.

Moderator

Janet Namkung is the Director of Membership and Programs at the Council of Korean Americans (CKA). She spearheads membership engagement initiatives, manages the CKA-KALCA 2018 Public Service Internship Program, and engages CKA membership and the Board of Directors. She previously held the role of Membership and Development Manager.

Outside of CKA, Janet serves on numerous local organizations. Janet serves as a Commissioner on the DC Mayor’s Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander Community Development. She also is the Chapter Chair for AmeriCorps Alums DC Board. Previously, she has served on the Board of Directors for the Conference of Asian Pacific American Leadership (CAPAL).

Before joining CKA, Janet worked with OCA – Asian Pacific American Advocates — as the Senior Civic Engagement Associate and Chapter and Membership Associate. She also served as a Team Leader for AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps in the Southwest Region.

Born and raised in New York City, Janet is a second-generation Korean American. She is a graduate of Ramapo College of New Jersey with a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology. Janet was the first to attend and graduate from college in her family. In her spare time, Janet enjoys going on food vacations, craft beers, exploring new cities, and attending live shows. She currently lives in Washington, DC.

Support for this Roundtable session is sponsored by Teach for America

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More About CAPAL’s AANHPI Roundtable Series

The AANHPI Roundtable Series provides an opportunity for students and young professionals in Washington, DC to learn from public service leaders in our community in an intimate and conversational setting. Each roundtable features one public service leader and accommodates at most 25 attendees. Every roundtable session is free and open to the public, however, due to a limited seating we encourage attendees to register in order to ensure a seat. Lunch will be provided.

The Conference on Asian Pacific American Leadership (CAPAL) seeks to empower Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) youth by increasing access to public service opportunities and building a strong AANHPI public service pipeline. We envisions a future with equitable AANHPI representation throughout all levels of government and public service.