WHO WE ARE
WHO
MDA Board
Y’Thong Hmok, Chairman
Y’Suai Mlo, Vice Chairman
TBA, Co-Vice Chairwoman
H'Lila Nie Miles, Secretary/Treasurer
Y’Suing Nie, Secretary / Treasurer
H’Lat Mlo, Co-Secretary / Treasurer
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MDA Staff
Y’ Siu Hlong, Executive Director
Liana Adrong, Administration Coordinator & Vocational instructor
Stephanie Cheston, Senior Employment Specialist
Ha Layla Tong, Community Liaison
Andrew Young, Program Coordinator & Grant Writer
Saif Al-Amin, Program Reporter & Researcher
Joana Mendez, UNCG Social Work Intern 2020-2021
Kiana Hutcherson, NCA&T Social Work Intern 2020-2021
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Montagnard American Organization (MAO)
TBA, Education
Karpuih Moyum, Cultural Preservation
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Community Advisory Council (CAC)
Voting Members
Lek Siu, Co-Chair
Siera Nie, Co-Chair
Elisabeth Thinh, Vice Chair
Hyiu Ksor, Co-Secretary
Gelly Long, Co-Secretary
Non-voting Members
Sharon Morrison, Associate Member / Academic Liaison
Andrew Young, Associate Member / Technical Adviser
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Montagnard / Southeast Asian Community Disparities Research Network
click to see the full list of Network Members and contact information
WHAT
Legal description
The Montagnard Dega Association (MDA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization formed in 1987 by the first Montagnard elders to arrive in North Carolina.
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611 Summit Avenue, Suite 10
Greensboro, NC 27405
Telephone: 336-373-1812
Email: montagnardda@gmail.com
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GET IN TOUCH WIth us
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MDA Mission and History MDA originally was organized in 1987 to “Unite and strengthen fraternal ties of all persons of Montagnard heritage and create an environment conducive for them to have opportunities to meet, understand and mutually help each other.” Since then the Board voted to expand the mission and scope of the organization to include assistance to other refugee populations while encouraging community empowerment and family self-sufficiency. Montagnard American Organization (MAO) is the youth branch of MDA that represents next-generation leadership.
Who are the Montagnard people? We are the indigenous peoples of the Central Highlands of Vietnam. The term Montagnard is French for “mountain people” or perhaps more accurately, "highlanders", and is often used to refer to us, the indigenous people of the region. There are over 30 different Montagnard tribes. Montagnards were some of the frontline fighters during the Vietnam War, alongside with the Americans. Today, North Carolina holds the largest population of Montagnards outside of Southeast Asia (more on Culture and History).