Pacific Asia Museum Announces New Trustees

Pacific Asia Museum announces the addition of four members to the Board of Trustees: Mi Ryu Ahn, Joseph Klauzar, Sangphil Nam and Kalika Yap.

“This is an extremely accomplished group, and we’re pleased to have their broad expertise at Pacific Asia Museum,” said Katherine Murray-Morse, Chair of the Board of Trustees. “Their leadership will be invaluable as the museum continues to further intercultural understanding through the arts of Asia and the Pacific Islands.”

Mrs. Mi Ryu Ahn attended Mt. Holyoke College and graduated from UCLA with a B.S. in Public Administration. She also attended USC in the MBA program. She resides in both Beverly Hills and Dallas where the medical practices of her husband, Sam S Ahn, are located. After working in her family business for many years, she now enjoys traveling and is also a avid student of chado (the Japanese tea ceremony) and ikebana.

Mr. Joseph Klauzar is a Portfolio Manager and Financial Advisor at MorganStanley SmithBarney in Los Angeles, and holds degrees from the University of California-Berkley, the University of Southern California, the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, and Northwestern University. Throughout his career, he has lived and worked in Asia both for the private sector and the White House. He is fluent in Japanese and Mandarin Chinese and instituted the Chinese and Japanese language programs at the University of Redlands.

Mrs. Sangphil Nam is a jewelry designer who lives and operates her own jewelry business in Los Angeles. Before coming to the United States in 1977, she was a swimmer on the Korean national team. She has been an avid collector of Korean art for decades, and has loaned several objects from her personal collection to Pacific Asia Museum exhibitions.

Ms. Kalika Yap is a Santa Monica-based serial entrepreneur, inventor, wife and mother of two young children. She has founded several successful companies, including Citrus Studios, Inc., an award-winning interactive design and consulting agency; Luxe Link, which produces purse accessories patented by Ms. Yap herself; and The Waxing Company, the first high-end waxing company in Honolulu. A Hawaii native, Ms. Yap attended NYU and holds a degree in journalism. She has been honored by the National Association of Women Business Owners, the Asian Business Association, and the Anti-Defamation League, among others.

Mrs. Ahn and Mrs. Nam have already begun lending their efforts as Honorary Co-Chairs of Pacific Asia Museum’s annual Festival of the Autumn Moon. This year’s event, celebrating the “Spirit of Korea,” will be held on September 28, 2013 at the California Club in downtown Los Angeles, and will feature dining, entertainment and the museum’s signature Live and Silent Auctions.

About Pacific Asia Museum

Pacific Asia Museum is among the few institutions in the United States dedicated exclusively to the arts and culture of Asia and the Pacific Islands. The museum’s mission is to further intercultural understanding through the arts of Asia and the Pacific Islands. Since 1971, Pacific Asia Museum has served a broad audience of students, families, adults, and scholars through its exhibitions and programs.

Pacific Asia Museum is located at 46 North Los Robles Avenue, Pasadena, California 91101. The museum is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is $10 general, $7 students/seniors, and free for museum members and children under 12. Admission is free every 4th Friday of the month. For more information visit www.pacificasiamuseum.org or call (626) 449-2742.