Board of Directors:

• Benny Lee - President Benny Lee is CEO of Lee Research Institute. Lee Research Institute has engaged a team of experienced professionals they have been conducting clinical research studies over 20 years. They are experienced, and able to serve the pharmaceutical industry in a relative wide range of needs. Benny’s entrepreneurial success goes more than 30 years back.  He was recently owner/CEO of Top Innovations that sell high quality household products such as clothing steamer, steam cleaner, and others at affordable price.  He created companies such as Trans World & Mitco, Co. as well. Benny is active in the Greater Kansas City community.  He sits on the boards of Park University, the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, Greater Kansas City United Way, International Relations Council, World Trade Center Investor, the Southtown Council and Trustee of Truman Medical Center.      Suresh Kumar - Treasurer, Kumar Consulting.Tel: 913-385-7873 Suresh Kumar CPA, MBA is CEO of Kumar Consulting, PA, a CPA firm specializing in accounting, tax, and small business solutions. He has served as the President and Trustee of India Association of KC, and in various positions with other regional organizations.
  Fang Shen, Secretary Fang Shen is an attorney with Husch Blackwell Sanders, LLP, a leading law firm with more than 300 attorneys. Fang focuses on mergers and acquisitions, China-related transactions, and general corporate law. Fang graduated from one of the top law schools in China-People's University of China School of Law. Fang also earned a J.D. degree from the University of Missouri Kansas City, School of Law as the Edgar Snow Scholar, where she graduated with distinction. She currently serves on the board of the Greater Kansas City International Trade Council, where she works to promote international trade, and the board of the Society for Friendship with China, where she works to promote the culture and trade exchange between the region and China.
  Pat Cassady - Board Member & Membership Chair,  UMB Bank Pat Cassady is Senior Vice President, Talent Acquisition & Careers, at UMB where she directs proactive sourcing and recruitment across the various lines of business in support of the business needs and goals along with leading the company’s onboarding and career progression activities.  She is also a key contributor to UMB’s Diversity & Inclusion task force.  Pat earned a Bachelor of Science in Marketing and Foreign Languages from Minnesota State University at Moorhead.  She also serves on the Board of 2020 Leadership, a bi-state youth education and development program.
  Yijing Brentano, Board member & Finance Chair, Sprint Nextel Corporation Yijing Brentano is Vice President, Investor Relations, Sprint Nextel Corporation. Brentano joined Sprint in 1997, serving in a variety of positions. She spent several years with Ernst & Young LLP’s cash management consulting practice before joining Sprint. Brentano is a certified treasury professional. She was a winner of 2000 Women of Color Technology Award, a national award that recognizes successful minority women in technology. Brentano serves on the board of Kansas City Asian Chamber of Commerce and is the vice president for the Kansas City Chinese Network Association.
  Sanjay Kohli, Board Member & Web Chair,  913-738-4057 Sanjay Kohli is Senior Software Engineer. He has years of experience in system analysis, design, development and implementation for the airlines, automobiles, staffing, recruiting, engineering and furnishing industries. Has worked in USA, England, India and Saudi Arabia. Sanjay received his Electronics Engineering from India. He is active in the Indian community. He was Past president of Indian Association of Kansas City and is Trustee of Hindu Temple & Cultural Center of Kansas City and India Association of Kansas City.
  Young Sexton, Founder & Board member, WingGate Travel. 913-451-9200 Young Sexton is CEO of WingGate Travel, representative of American Express. Young has over 24 years of combined travel and business management experience. She is directly involved in every aspect of the agency's daily operation. WingGate Travel/American Express is currently ranked in the Kansas City area as the sixth largest travel agency, fifth largest minority owned firm and the fourth largest woman owned company. It is listed as one of the areas top 25 fastest growing businesses by the Kansas City Business Journal and one of the top 10 fastest growing companies in Ingram's. Young is the founder and past president of the AACC. She serves on the Board of Trustees of Rockhurst University and is a board member of the MidAmerica Minority Business Deveopment Council and the Korean-American Chamber of Commerce. She is also a member of the Kansas City Plaza Rotary Club.
  Joseph Melookaran, Founder & Board member, JMA Chartered Joseph Melookaran CPA is the President of JMA, a professional services firm specializing in information technology, network security solutions, and financial consulting.   JMA received several recognitions such as ‘Top Information Technology Outsourcing Firm” (Ranked #1)in Kansas City, finalist for Ingram’s “2010 Best Companies to Work For”, and “Top 100 Federal Contractors”. In 2008 he received national award from National Small Business Association as its “2008 Small Business Advocate of the Year”. He joined Young Sexton in 2000 in a joint attempt to enhance the reach and the profile of AACC in the Kansas City  among mainstream businesses and community at large. He served AACC Board in the Kansas City area among mainstream businesses and the community at large several terms in various capacities.  From 2004-2008 he served as Commissioner on the White House Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. He was the lead author of the report to President “Enhancing Economic Opportunities of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders” in May 2007.  He has served many years in the Board of Minority Business Alliance of Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce.  Currently he serves as national board member of World Affairs Councils of America and Association of Americans for Civic Responsibilities.
  Ramesh Lokre, Board member, Saicon Consultants, Inc. 913-451-1178 Ramesh Lokre is CEO/President of Saicon Consultants, Inc. He has considerable expertise in growing large organizations, and putting in place the infrastructure to scale. He brings over 18 years of experience in consulting and managing large outsourcing deals for Fortune 500 companies. He began his professional career at iGate Global ,Pittsburgh, where he was involved in design, development, implementation and management of large software projects for Fortune 500 companies. Ramesh left iGate to join Wal-Mart in their Information System Division as the core member of Cash Office automation. He was responsible for the product implementation of point of sale (POS) system. Ramesh has received a Master’s Degree in Mathematics from Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai and holds a Master's degree in Finance Management from University of Pune.
  AP Singh, Board Member, Digital Printing/Digix, Inc. 913-492-1500 AP Singh is CEO/President of Digital Printing/Digix, Inc. He is a native of India who migrated to the US in 1975. He holds a masters degree in psychology from Punjab University, India . He worked in the psychology and social science field in the US for 8 years then changed the career to sales. Currently, he is owner of Digital Printing Services, an on line/ on demand printing Service Company that was started in 1995. He is also CEO and co owner of Digix Inc, an Authorized Xerox Sales Agency, responsible for providing document solutions to small and mid size companies in the greater Kansas City area.
  Jim Selle, Board Member, Stinson Morrison Hecker LLP Jim Selle is a partner with Stinson Morrison Hecker LLP, a large full-service law firm with offices in Kansas City, Missouri, as well as Jefferson City, Omaha, Phoenix, St. Louis, Topeka, and Washington, D.C. Jim is a corporate attorney with a focus on commercial transactions, contracts, and structuring companies. He received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (majoring in Economics), and also his law degree, from the University of Missouri – Columbia. He has been active in, served on the boards and councils of, and acted as an advisor to , many local business and nonprofit organizations, both large and small. He has been active in and supported the AACC for many years.
  Suresh Ramamurthi, Board Member, BC Capital Suresh Ramamurthi is a principal at BC Capital, a venture capital firm focused on early stage growth companies and emerging markets. Prior to BC Capital, he was at Google and was responsible for mobile applications. Previous to Google, he founded, grew, and managed a technology services and transaction processing services firm that grew to over 500 employees. Earlier, he founded a technology firm that developed and manufactured narrowband and wireless hardware and software. Suresh has a Bachelor's degree in Electronics and Communication Engineering, a Master's degree in Computer Science and a Master's degree in Business Administration    Cong Do - KCPL Cong Do is Senior Performance Engineer for Kansas City Power & Light where he is responsible for providing technical support to improve equipment reliability, performance, efficiency and safety for the power plants. He also serves as a member on the technical advisory committee of Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). Prior to KCP&L, Cong worked for Black & Veatch as mechanical engineer and project estimator. Cong holds a bachelor degree in Mechanical Engineering from Missouri University of Science and Technology formerly known as University of Missouri – Rolla. He also holds a MBA degree from Rockhurst University. Currently, he is a registered professional engineer in the states of Kansas and Missouri.
  Sue Drakeford, Board Member, Hillcrest Bank. 816-876-6845 Drakeford is a Vice President, Commercial Loan Officer, & Community Reinvestment Officer at Hillcrest Bank in Gladstone, Missouri. She has been in banking since 2001 and enjoys helping business owners meet their objectives. Sue is Miss Nebraska USA 2001 and was the first African American to represent Nebraska at the annual televised Miss USA Pageant on the CBS television network. Sue received MBA from Bellevue University and a BS in Business Management. She serves on the Board of the Blue Hill Community Services and is Director of Singles Ministry at St. James United Methodist Church.