Fresno senator appoints California’s first Hmong chief of staff at the state Capitol

A California state senator has appointed the first Hmong chief of staff at the Capitol.

Shery Yang, a first-generation American, has joined the office of state Sen. Melissa Hurtado, who represents the 14th Senate District covering cities in Fresno, Kern, Kings and Tulare counties. According to a news release, Yang will be in charge of directing, coordinating and supervising operations of the senator’s office, both daily and long term.

Fresno, Tulare and Kern are among the counties with higher poverty rates across California. With nearly 25,000 residents, Fresno is home to the nation’s second-largest Hmong population, trailing only the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.

Yang said her appointment shows that Hurtado, D-Sanger, wants to give a voice to underrepresented communities.

“That’s why joining Sen. Hurtado’s team as the first Hmong chief of staff in the State Capitol is not only an opportunity to provide a fresh perspective but also to demonstrate that further diverse representation is needed in California,” Yang said.

Hurtado noted the frequently overlooked yet ongoing needs of the communities in her district of nearly 1 million residents.

“The challenges we face and the solutions we need often don’t align with the rest of California — making us a very unique region,” she said.

But Hurtado said Yang understands not only the challenges of the Valley, but its people as well.

Yang and her family fled the Secret War in Laos as refugees, later settling in California in the 1980s, the release states. Raised in Yuba and Fresno counties, Yang is the first in her family to graduate from a four-year college. She received her bachelor’s in government from Sacramento State University and has since gained 13 years of experience in politics, policy and communications.

She managed outreach and community relations strategies for companies and non-profit organizations, namely the National Wildlife Federation, California Air Resources Board and the California Trucking Association, among others.

Hurtado’s office also named Jacob Villagomez as district director. The Sanger native will act as a liaison between Hurtado and constituents, district organizations, local governments and state agencies, according to the release.

This story was originally published January 8, 2020 at 2:17 PM.