Our Team
Erica Yew
Chief Executive Officer
Governor Gray Davis appointed Erica Yew, a native of San Jose, to the California Superior Court on October 2, 2001. She is the first Asian-American woman to serve on the Santa Clara County bench, holding this position until January 23, 2026. On February 1, 2026, she became the CEO of the American Leadership Forum Silicon Valley.
Yew is the only jurist in the history of California's judiciary to have served in several distinguished roles, including as President of the California Judges Association (CJA), Chair of the California Commission on Judicial Performance, and a member of the California Judicial Council, the California Supreme Court Committee on Judicial Ethics Opinions, and the California Access to Justice Commission. Additionally, she has been on the board of the National Center for State Courts.
Judge Yew earned her undergraduate degree with honors from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1982 and her law degree from the University of California College of Law, San Francisco, in 1985. Erica is an ALF Senior Fellow with Class XV.
Amy Nguyen
Chief Operating Officer
As an attorney, public servant, and strategic leader, Amy Nguyen has dedicated her career to expanding access, strengthening institutions, and delivering meaningful outcomes for vulnerable communities. With more than a decade of leadership experience spanning government, nonprofit management, and international human rights advocacy, Amy brings both operational rigor and mission-driven vision to her work.
Amy served as Budget and Policy Director and Senior Policy Analyst for Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez, leading complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives to support children and families services, health systems, behavioral health, and social services. She played a central role in establishing the Vietnamese American Service Center — a first-of-its-kind hub improving community access to health and human services — and led the County Inventory Budget process to direct millions of dollars in funding toward the highest community needs.
Amy holds a Juris Doctor from Santa Clara University School of Law, a Master of Arts in Economics from the University of South Carolina, and a Bachelor of Arts from UC San Diego. She also completed the Executive Program in Women’s Leadership at Stanford Graduate School of Business.
Allyson Paul
Senior Program Manager & Development Associate
Allyson began her career in administration at UCSC where she worked as an administrative assistant for the Dean of the Arts office. There, she experienced the benefits and challenges of accomplishing complex tasks with a great team. Allyson has transferred her enthusiasm for problem-solving to the nonprofit industry and is eager to assist ALF in its endeavors to create a more supportive, connected, and diverse community. She enjoys yoga, hiking, and reading epic fantasy or historical fiction novels.
Richard Ángel Vega
Chief Marketing Officer
Richard Ángel Vega is Chief Marketing Officer at American Leadership Forum Silicon Valley, where he leads the organization’s brand strategy, communications, and audience engagement systems to advance its regional leadership mission. He brings a systems-oriented approach to marketing—integrating storytelling, data, and stakeholder engagement to strengthen visibility, deepen relationships, and support organizational growth. His work focuses on aligning narrative, analytics, and outreach to drive meaningful participation and long-term impact across the Bay Area.
Prior to his current role, Richard held senior leadership positions at United Way Bay Area and United Way Silicon Valley, where he helped design and execute integrated marketing and fundraising strategies, led large-scale community engagement initiatives, and advanced data-driven decision-making across programs and partnerships. Earlier in his career, he managed major donor and grant portfolios at Volunteer Center of Silicon Valley and led regional 211 services and emergency communications efforts. His professional foundation includes deep experience in data integration and analysis, informing a career defined by connecting insights, strategy, and relationships to drive community impact.