Candidate for Director:
Alyssa V. Daatio
My name is Alyssa V. Daatio and I am running for Director of Community Outreach for the 2021-2022 year. I am currently an Associate at Aaron, Riechert, Carpol and Riffle, APC and I practice in the areas of Estate Planning, Trusts, Estates, and Conservatorships. As an attorney I believe my role is to support and advocate for communities, especially Filipino communities, that have been overlooked and historically lack protection and visibility.
My experiences in the legal field taught me the impact of collaboration between legal professionals and community/grassroots organizations. Through my involvement with the Asian Law Alliance, Public Advocates, the San Francisco Human Rights Commission, and the ACLU of Northern California, I learned litigation is not always a viable solution for various grassroots organizations. I witnessed many communities of color hesitating when dealing with legal professionals. Through those experiences, I quickly discovered the significance of building trust with community organizations and partners. Through building trust, legal professionals and community organizations can actively work on creative solutions to support each other, in conjunction with the law.
I hope to strengthen FBANC’s relationships with current community partners by surveying their needs and requesting direct feedback on our services. This will provide FBANC’s community partners with an opportunity to evaluate our effectiveness. Ultimately, these surveys will be a useful resource to FBANC and will provide us with necessary information for efficient collaborations. It will also give our organization a chance to refine our outreach methods and provide better support.
Leveraging my connections with nonprofits in the Bay Area, I plan to expand our network of community partners. During this global pandemic, Filipinos were disproportionately impacted because of their roles in the medical field. Since many Filipinos are either First Responders or Essential Workers, I would like to contact new organizations, such as the Philippines Nurses Association of California and establish new partnerships.
I would like to feature our current community partners on the FBANC website and newsletters in a “Spotlight.” This “Spotlight” is meant to amplify these organizations and spread awareness of the services they provide to the Filipino community. I plan to interview our community partners and discuss their areas of service and overall goals.
As one of the Chairs of the Education Subcommittee for the San Mateo County Bar Association’s Race and Social Justice Task Force Committee, my main responsibility is to create Know Your Rights toolkits for the general public in the areas of First Amendment Rights and Protesting, Immigration Rights, Housing Rights, Voting Rights, and Criminal Justice. While I am engaged in supporting and educating communities through my work with the San Mateo County Bar Association, I want to prioritize and expand my areas of service to the Filipino community. My commitment and history of public service will make me an asset to the FBANC Board of Directors and the organization as a whole. Thank you!