Team

Dean Nakanishi was named Chief Executive Officer of the Asian American Drug Abuse Program (AADAP) in 2021, previously serving as Administrative Director at AADAP for over 20 years under Mike Watanabe, former AADAP President and CEO. AADAP is one of the largest, longest serving substance use disorder prevention and treatment programs in the Second District in the Crenshaw District of Los Angeles, having provided services during the crack epidemic, the Northridge earthquake, and the Civil Unrest following the Rodney King injustice. Dean is passionate about addressing the economic, social, and emotional well-being of vulnerable populations who suffer from substance use disorder, especially in light of the gentrification he has observed in neighborhoods and how it affects the economic, social, and emotional well-being of its residents. He has overseen all aspects of AADAP’s business planning, fundraising, and operational design, and is proud to have been involved in expanding the organization’s services, including employment services, HIV/AIDS outreach, and sober living homes. Dean has a Bachelor’s in Business Management and an MBA from Pepperdine Graziadio School of Business. He has been happily married since 1998 and is an avid fisherman who enjoys traveling and spending time in his home garden. He has joined the NAPAFASA Board to support the legacy of Ford and Frances Kuramoto in establishing NAPAFASA and hopes to bring his life experience and knowledge to benefit the staff team of the agency and the community for future generations.

Princess Mae Visconde manages a network of over 170 community-based organizations, manages health-related programs, and advocates for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities. Born and raised in Ewa Beach, Hawaiʻi, she earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in chemistry from Saint Mary’s College, and Master of Public Health, Health Policy, and Management, and a Certificate in Public Administration, Nonprofit Management from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Princess Mae has extensive experience working for nonprofit and government organizations including the Hawaiʻi Children’s Action Network (HCAN) as a Public Health Research Fellow, the Lili’uokalani Trust (LT) as a Community Change Initiatives intern, and the Hawaiʻi State Department of Health (DOH) as a disease investigator. Most recently, she was a project coordinator for the DOH-UH Contact Tracing Training Program and a Public Health Advisor contracted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Her education and experiences developed her passion for service, diversity, and healthcare justice leading her to a career in serving others. Princess Mae is committed to leading with empathy, dedication, integrity, and humility while creating space for diverse communities to feel connected, supported, and heard. During her time as a NAPAFASA board member, she hopes to be an ambassador for the organization and think innovatively and strategically about the impact NAPAFASA can have on AA & NH/PI communities.

Myron Dean Quon is a highly accomplished attorney and nonprofit leader, known for his work in civil rights, community advocacy, and mental health services. He has served as Executive Director of several organizations, including Pacific Asian Counseling Services and The Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center, and has successfully litigated cases related to student rights, asylum, and disability discrimination. Mr. Quon has been recognized for his work with numerous awards and has been featured in national media outlets. He holds a JD from Boston University School of Law, an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, and a BA from the University of California, Berkeley. He is most passionate about the need to increase language access and cultural accessibility for our community members who are unable to access behavioral health services due to the privileging of Western models of mental health and well being.

Carol Almeda has over three decades of experience in union and community organizing, policy advocacy, and research in both the Philippines and the United States. Her extensive background includes roles as a community organizer, union organizer, instructor, and leader in various non-profit organizations. Carol’s passion for social change has driven her to lead campaigns for job security, wage standardization, and environmental protection. With a deep commitment to education, she has organized public school teachers and played a significant role in critiquing and improving the Philippine educational system. Carol’s leadership and dedication to her work have left a lasting impact on the communities she has served, making her a respected figure in the field of advocacy and social justice.

At PEERS, a mental health nonprofit in Alameda County, Maileen Mamaradlo integrates H.O.P.E (Healing from Our Pasts and Expectations) to identify the root causes of Asian American stigma towards mental health. Her lived mental health experiences as a child of Asian immigrants shaped her into the person she is today. Before working at PEERS, Maileen was highly involved at San Jose State University, where she obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Health and a Minor in Atypical Child Studies. Her favorite jobs and leadership experiences as a student were in nonprofits like Braven, San Jose State Associated Students In Solidarity Network, and Asian Pacific American Leadership Institute (APALI). Her exceptional involvement in college during the pandemic sparked her passions in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), social justice, behavioral health, and mental health outreach for underrepresented populations. Those values and previous work experiences led her to NAPAFASA. As a Board Member, she hopes to use her values and experiences as meaningful guides to improving mental health disparities that our communities face. As a relatively young Board Member, she also wishes to grow as a leader in the nonprofit industry. Outside of work, you can find Maileen going to concerts and making playlists on Spotify: she listens to thousands of different artists every year. She likes going to small business markets and collecting earrings from women of color businesses. If anyone asks her to get boba, she will usually say yes!