The Board of Directors, established in 2020, consists of up to four (4) individuals supervising the activities of UVSA Gulf Coast. The duration of a directorship position on the Board of Directors is a four (4) year term, renewable by a vote of the current Executive Board and/or remaining Board of Directors. The Board oversee the legal procedures of the organization in order to continue and maintain the organizations non-profit status, advise the Executive Board, and ensure the actions of the Executive Board and staff continue to follow the missions and goals of UVSA Gulf Coast. Generally speaking, the Board of Directors do not play a large role in the everyday operations of the organization.
Tina Nguyen
Tina Nguyen is a finance professional from Biloxi, Mississippi. She earned her degree in finance from the University of Southern Mississippi in 2022 and currently works as a trade analyst for a startup company. Tina is relocating to Dallas, Texas to continue her career development and plans to pursue a degree in accounting.
Tina has been an active member of the Vietnamese Student Association (VSA) since 2018, holding various roles including intern, secretary, and vice president. She is passionate about giving back to her community and plans to use her financial analysis and strategic planning skills to help VSA prosper and grow.
Kent Tong
Kent Tong (he/him) is the Manager of Programs at OCA - Asian Pacific American Advocates, a 501(c)(3) national membership-driven nonprofit based in Washington, D.C. dedicated to advancing the social, political, and economic well-being of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. In his role, Kent oversees OCA’s youth programs, including high school and college leadership and advocacy trainings, college scholarships, and internships.
Kent was born and raised in the Greater New Orleans Area to Vietnamese refugee parents. An alumnus from Loyola University New Orleans, majoring in Studio Art and minoring in Film Studies, Kent dedicated his time outside the classroom to various Vietnamese-interest organizations. It's through his experiences as President of the Loyola Asian Student Organization, Executive Director of Camp Delta, and President of the Union of Vietnamese Student Associations Gulf Coast where Kent developed a passion in youth development and programming.
Prior to joining OCA, Kent was an Office Admin at Hidrate, Inc., a startup tech company; volunteer staff member of The 2020 Project, a voter engagement nonprofit; Fellow at the Jubilee Project (now Jubilee Media), creating short documentaries; and Disney College Program Cast Member. In his free time he enjoys watching movies in theatres, usually one or two every weekend, and writing reviews on his blog.
Laura Trinh
This UNOVASA alumni has a degree in Accounting and currently works as a Tax Accountant. To Laura, VSA is not just an organization, it is a family. Even though her VSA journey has not been as long as others, she is very passionate about keeping VSA alive. Laura learned a lot through her many experiences and utilized those lessons to enhance her everyday life. When Laura is not working on VSA, she is binging Netflix and eating cup noodles. Although she is very awkward at times, she loves to say hello to people and socialize when she can. Don’t be afraid to come up and say hello to her! Laura will dedicate her time on board to make sure that she can do what she can for UVSAGC!