Our Team

Ms. Thao is a co-founder and executive director of the Brown Womyn Power Coalition, Inc., a statewide coalition whose mission is to build the capacities of Black and Brown advocates and their communities to end violence against women, queer and trans folx and young people.

 

Thao is a community organizer and an advocate for Hmong womyn and girls. She is deeply involved in the movement to end violence against womyn and children through her work with the international Building Our Future Campaign and her leadership at the Black & Brown Womyn Power Coalition, Inc. Thao is an experienced nonprofit professional with expertise in capacity building, program development, nonprofit management, and fundraising.

 

From Eau Claire, WI, she serves on local non-profit boards such as the Chippewa Valley Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union and is an active community advocate.  In 2020, Thao created the fiscal project, Power Up Eau Claire, which is a community power building program aimed at amplifying the voices and experiences of the local Hmong, other API, and marginalized communities.  Through this program, she has been able to advocate on issues that are important to the local Eau Claire community.  Thao’s advocacies spanned across Wisconsin as she also serves on the Budget Committee of the Wisconsin Governor's Council on Domestic Violence and the Attorney General Sexual Assault Response Team.

 

She is the recipient of the 2021 United Bridges Award, the 2019 Volume One Vanguard Award, and the 2016 Eau Claire Children's Legacy Outstanding Award.  In 2021, Thao was recognized by members of the Wisconsin Senate with a Citation by the Senate for her courage, resilience, and outstanding champion for all.

 

Thao graduated from Calvin College in Grand Rapids, MI with a Bachelor of Social Work and completed her Master of Social Work at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2016. She is a proud mother of 5 children and outside of her advocacy work, spends her time running her family’s farm and her consulting business.

 

Thao can be reached via email at pa@bbwpcoalition.org.

Growing up Vang was always surrounded by Hmoob womyn who were breaking gender norms. Over the years her passion to fight for justice has grown due to the amazing womyn of color in her life. They’ve shown her that this is something we must do, to survive and to thrive in a society that is against us.

 

She’s an ambitious Hmoob womyn, who’s invested in empowering her community and fighting for liberation.

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Vang can be reached via email at ciasiab@bbwpcoalition.org.

Ka Vue was born and raised in Eau Claire, WI. 

 

Ms. Vue graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire with her Bachelor's in Organizational Communication and an LGBTQ+ Certificate where she was an activist in battling systemic injustice on campus; aiding in the creation of the Critical Hmong Studies Program. She then graduated from the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse with her Master's in Student Affairs Administration in 2021. She served as a Sexual Assault Victim Advocate at Family Support Center prior to transitioning to this role and currently serves as a Military Victim Advocate for the Wisconsin Army National Guard. 

 

She believes in harnessing the power of collective and radical hope to bring forth change. 

 

She is a homebody and enjoys spending time with her brothers, traveling with loved ones, and writing/performing spoken word poetry. 

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Vue can be reached via email at ka@bbwpcoalition.org.

A strong, resilient Hmong woman, Ms. Vang lives in Eau Claire with her children and thrives on her strong connections to extended friends and families. 

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Vang's professional background includes tax preparation, customer service, and management.

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Vang can be reach at youa@bbwpcoalition.org.

Tammie Xiong currently serves as the executive director for the Hmong American Women’s Association (HAWA) in Milwaukee. HAWA continues to be one of the very few advocacy organizations in the country dedicating all of their resources to support Hmong women and girls, especially those impacted by gender-based violence.

 

She also serves as the current chair for the Viv Ncaus: Hmong Women Giving Circle. It is the first Hmong women giving circle in Wisconsin that has also been nationally recognized by the Asian American Pacific Islander in Philanthropy for their commitment to community-based social justice work. Tammie also has experience in working with Asian refugee/immigrant communities in Milwaukee and developing their capacity through teacher professional development, parent training, literacy development, and social justice advocacy. She holds an M.S. in adult education and program planning.

 

Tammie can be reached via email at tammie@hawamke.org.

Markasa Tucker-Harris is the Executive Director of the African American Roundtable (AART), a project of Hmong American Women's Association, a nonprofit that advocates for social justice. She joined the AART in 2014 as a member while joining the grassroots efforts of Dontre Hamilton's family. Hamilton was murdered in April 2014 by a Milwaukee police officer.  Her grassroots organizing experience aligned her with more deeply engaging with the community and became the co-chair of the African American Roundtable in 2016.  After helping to develop an initial platform of work for AART and funding opportunities, she was promoted to director and in 2021 promoted again to executive director. 

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Her love and passion for people and justice grounds her as she helps to lead the coalition of community leaders and organizations that works to improve civic engagement, with a focus on organizing people to build power. In 2019 she helped co-found the LiberateMKE campaign, asking for investment into communities and an equitable city budget. 

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Tucker also has a background in media relations that included working on the assignment desk at WISN and CBS 58 along with her time at 620 WTMJ as a radio producer.  She is a former member of the National Association of Black Journalists and served as secretary and president of the Wisconsin Black Media Association. Tucker has her bachelor or arts degree in mass communications from Grambling State University where she graduated Cum Laude and is the president of the GSU Alumni Milwaukee Chapter. She is also the founder of The Alternative, Inc a Christian arts and community engagement organization. 

 

Tucker resides in Milwaukee with her supportive husband Terrell Harris and talented daughter Zoe Isabella.

 

Markasa can be reached at markasa1109@gmail.com.

Lina Juarbe Botella is a social and human rights activist with more than 20 years experience working to end violence against all women and girls. Lina currently serves as Director of Community Engagement for A Call to Men. She is responsible for community partnerships and outreach, and works closely with schools and organizations to implement A Call to Men’s Live Respect Coaching Healthy, Respectful Manhood curriculum, of which she is a co-author.

 

Juarbe Botella has a diverse and rich background, and describes herself as a community organizer and builder. She received the Living Legend Award for community organizing and her work against racism. She also received the Voices of Courage Award for her advocacy and leadership working alongside clergy sexual assault survivors. She received the Unsung Heroes award for her commitment, service, and leadership in the Latino community. She is the proud mother of eight beautiful children.

 

Juarbe Botella was born and raised in Puerto Rico, and is located in the Midwest. 

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She can be reacheded via email at linajuarbebotella@gmail.com.