EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: SARA MOORE
Sara Moore is the Executive Director for Dragon 5280, the umbrella organization that encompasses the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival, the Colorado Dragon Film Festival, and the Emerging Leaders Program. Sara brings over five years of non-profit executive management experience. Sara has managed large scale events and significant fundraising efforts as District Director for the Longs Peak Council Boy Scouts of America in Boulder, Colorado. Sara earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Allied Health Sciences with a Minor in Biology at Grand Valley State University in Michigan.
Sara’s passions include rock climbing, hiking, and learning about her Japanese heritage. Sara can talk on end about her grandfather, Masamichi (Mac) Suzuki. Mac was interned during WWII as a nisei at Tule Lake, California. He later served on the ABCC (Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission) in Hiroshima, Japan, as a OBGYN studying fertility in the victims of the atomic bombs, later retiring from U.S. Army as a Captain. Sara is excited to be a part of this amazing organization that helps promote and celebrate the diversity we have in the Asian Pacific American community.
OPERATIONS MANAGER: TESIA CHEN
Sara Moore is the Executive Director for Dragon 5280, the umbrella organization that encompasses the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival, the Colorado Dragon Film Festival, and the Emerging Leaders Program. Sara brings over five years of non-profit executive management experience. Sara has managed large scale events and significant fundraising efforts as District Director for the Longs Peak Council Boy Scouts of America in Boulder, Colorado. Sara earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Allied Health Sciences with a Minor in Biology at Grand Valley State University in Michigan.
Sara’s passions include rock climbing, hiking, and learning about her Japanese heritage. Sara can talk on end about her grandfather, Masamichi (Mac) Suzuki. Mac was interned during WWII as a nisei at Tule Lake, California. He later served on the ABCC (Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission) in Hiroshima, Japan, as a OBGYN studying fertility in the victims of the atomic bombs, later retiring from U.S. Army as a Captain. Sara is excited to be a part of this amazing organization that helps promote and celebrate the diversity we have in the Asian Pacific American community.
OPERATIONS MANAGER: TESIA CHEN
RACE MANAGEMENT: DING-WEN HSU
Ding-Wen Hsu is co-owner and President of Pacific Western Technologies Ltd. (PWT), a Colorado company established in 1987. PWT specializes in information management, and environmental management. Currently, PWT employs over 80 employees in Colorado. Ding-Wen, a native of Taiwan, has been very active in the Asian and Chinese American communities in Denver since she moved to Colorado in 1978. She is one of the founders of Colorado Dragon Boat Festival, the largest Asian American festival in the Rocky Mountain region. In addition, she also serves on the Boards of Chinese American Council of Colorado. Ding-Wen is a national fellow of Asian Pacific American Women’s Leadership Institute. She is also the co-founder of International Multi-Cultural Institute, a nonprofit organization that promotes understanding and interaction among various cultures.
2018 Race Committee
Bob Nelson
Bonnie Laws
Derrick Snyder
Kerry Chow
Lorraine Eloriaga
Sean Vu-Tran
Stephanie Padilla
Tosha Harry
Wei Zhao
White Eagle Perry
Will McCreary
PRODUCTIONS COORDINATOR: PAMELAH MARAGH
Pamelah has a BFA from the California Institute of the Arts, and is a multifaceted artist: she's a teacher, dancer, drummer, festival event planner, stage manager who manages CDBF's production logistic from stages and sound to duct tape and cord ties. She's also performed with her African drum troupe at the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival.
Productions Team
Trezie Digital - Sound
Maniac Productions - Generators / Electrical
Altitude Event Services - Tents / Furniture
Event Fencing - Fencing
Jose Hernandez - Grounds Maintenance
Marshall Austin - Stage
GTI - Golf Carts
VENDOR COORDINATOR: LORA KNOWLTON
As manager of Current Events, LLC, Lora provides event management consulting services specializing in association management, event operations and logistics. Clients include the Foothills Foundation, Summerset Festival, Colorado Irish Festival, Bandimere Speedway, Big Chili Cook-Off and the Academy of Model Aeronautics Annual Expo. Lora is a council member on the Colorado Meetings Industry Council and serves as Contest Director for Warbirds Over Denver, a nationally known event for radio-controlled airplanes. She is a founding member of the Columbine Memorial Foundation, Inc. Hobbies include flying radio-controlled airplanes and collecting antique glassware.
Ding-Wen Hsu is co-owner and President of Pacific Western Technologies Ltd. (PWT), a Colorado company established in 1987. PWT specializes in information management, and environmental management. Currently, PWT employs over 80 employees in Colorado. Ding-Wen, a native of Taiwan, has been very active in the Asian and Chinese American communities in Denver since she moved to Colorado in 1978. She is one of the founders of Colorado Dragon Boat Festival, the largest Asian American festival in the Rocky Mountain region. In addition, she also serves on the Boards of Chinese American Council of Colorado. Ding-Wen is a national fellow of Asian Pacific American Women’s Leadership Institute. She is also the co-founder of International Multi-Cultural Institute, a nonprofit organization that promotes understanding and interaction among various cultures.
2018 Race Committee
Bob Nelson
Bonnie Laws
Derrick Snyder
Kerry Chow
Lorraine Eloriaga
Sean Vu-Tran
Stephanie Padilla
Tosha Harry
Wei Zhao
White Eagle Perry
Will McCreary
PRODUCTIONS COORDINATOR: PAMELAH MARAGH
Pamelah has a BFA from the California Institute of the Arts, and is a multifaceted artist: she's a teacher, dancer, drummer, festival event planner, stage manager who manages CDBF's production logistic from stages and sound to duct tape and cord ties. She's also performed with her African drum troupe at the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival.
Productions Team
Trezie Digital - Sound
Maniac Productions - Generators / Electrical
Altitude Event Services - Tents / Furniture
Event Fencing - Fencing
Jose Hernandez - Grounds Maintenance
Marshall Austin - Stage
GTI - Golf Carts
VENDOR COORDINATOR: LORA KNOWLTON
As manager of Current Events, LLC, Lora provides event management consulting services specializing in association management, event operations and logistics. Clients include the Foothills Foundation, Summerset Festival, Colorado Irish Festival, Bandimere Speedway, Big Chili Cook-Off and the Academy of Model Aeronautics Annual Expo. Lora is a council member on the Colorado Meetings Industry Council and serves as Contest Director for Warbirds Over Denver, a nationally known event for radio-controlled airplanes. She is a founding member of the Columbine Memorial Foundation, Inc. Hobbies include flying radio-controlled airplanes and collecting antique glassware.
DRAGONLAND: CHRISTOPHER PHAM
Christopher is a senior at Cherokee Trail High School and is involved in the humanitarian clubs such as UNICEF and Students Advocating Change (SAC) specializing in publicizing their agendas. As a new member of the Operations Committee, he hopes to educate on the global issues that are concurrent through this festival and be, one day, an advocate for the betterment of the world.
BAND STAGE: JAMES BIANCO
GATEWAY CULTURAL VILLAGE: PETER PHAM AND NGOC NGUYEN
Peter is a recent graduate of Regis University with a degree in Marketing and History. During his time at Regis, Peter created the Moon Festival with Father Hanh Pham S.J. The Moon Festival is now an annual event and upon graduation from Regis, he joined the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival. He looks to further enrich the Lion and Dragon Dances for the festival with the Lion Dance Extravaganza, which he started last year. Fun Facts: Peter is a lion dancer himself and has a Wing Chun martial arts background. He loves music, serving his community, graphic design and marketing. His ultimate goal is to one day be a part of a world Lion Dance Competition, as a competitor or organizer.
Ngoc Nguyen moved to the United States from Vietnam in 2007. She is a junior Biology student at Regis University. As an active member of a Vietnamese church and the President of Regis' Asian Student Alliance, she loves to keep in touch with the Asian culture and wishes to enrich the Asian community. It is her honor to serve the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival in the Operations Committee for the first time this year. She is excited to help bring together many different Asian cultures and share their special aspects to educate the community and maintain important traditions.
PERFORMING ARTS STAGE: JOANNE LIU AND ANDREW HO
Andrew is an attorney with the Downtown Denver law firm Recht Kornfeld and has over eight years of experience with the Colorado Public Defender’s Office. He is a current board member for Dragon 5280 and is always looking for ways to assist his community through his career or volunteer work. Andrew earned his Juris Doctor degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Law and his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Wisconsin – Madison.
VOLUNTEERS: IGNATIA CHEN AND MEHGAN YEN
Christopher is a senior at Cherokee Trail High School and is involved in the humanitarian clubs such as UNICEF and Students Advocating Change (SAC) specializing in publicizing their agendas. As a new member of the Operations Committee, he hopes to educate on the global issues that are concurrent through this festival and be, one day, an advocate for the betterment of the world.
BAND STAGE: JAMES BIANCO
GATEWAY CULTURAL VILLAGE: PETER PHAM AND NGOC NGUYEN
Peter is a recent graduate of Regis University with a degree in Marketing and History. During his time at Regis, Peter created the Moon Festival with Father Hanh Pham S.J. The Moon Festival is now an annual event and upon graduation from Regis, he joined the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival. He looks to further enrich the Lion and Dragon Dances for the festival with the Lion Dance Extravaganza, which he started last year. Fun Facts: Peter is a lion dancer himself and has a Wing Chun martial arts background. He loves music, serving his community, graphic design and marketing. His ultimate goal is to one day be a part of a world Lion Dance Competition, as a competitor or organizer.
Ngoc Nguyen moved to the United States from Vietnam in 2007. She is a junior Biology student at Regis University. As an active member of a Vietnamese church and the President of Regis' Asian Student Alliance, she loves to keep in touch with the Asian culture and wishes to enrich the Asian community. It is her honor to serve the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival in the Operations Committee for the first time this year. She is excited to help bring together many different Asian cultures and share their special aspects to educate the community and maintain important traditions.
PERFORMING ARTS STAGE: JOANNE LIU AND ANDREW HO
Andrew is an attorney with the Downtown Denver law firm Recht Kornfeld and has over eight years of experience with the Colorado Public Defender’s Office. He is a current board member for Dragon 5280 and is always looking for ways to assist his community through his career or volunteer work. Andrew earned his Juris Doctor degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Law and his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Wisconsin – Madison.
VOLUNTEERS: IGNATIA CHEN AND MEHGAN YEN
PUBLIC SAFETY: TARIKA CEFKIN
A long-time Colorado resident, Tarika grew up very involved in Colorado’s Thai community performing with various Thai music and dance troupes around the Denver-Metro area. She’s been involved with CDBF since childhood as a performer, volunteer, Operations Committee member, and then as Operations Manager from 2012 to 2014. Tarika is the Executive Director of the Nathan Yip Foundation and a graduate of the University of Denver with an M.A. in International and Intercultural Communications.
PARKING AND TRANSPORTATION: BRYAN YEE
Bryan Yee, an engineering geoscience professional, holds a B.S. in Land Use with concentrations in the earth sciences. In the community, he volunteers with the National Association of Asian American Professionals (NAAAP), Society of Asian Scientists & Engineers (SASE), and as a professional resource for high school and college students in Colorado. He also served as a youth mentor and program coordinator for the Asian Pacific Development Center. New to the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival leadership team, he looks forward to working with an amazing group of leaders and the challenge the festival provides. As a Colorado native, Bryan loves the outdoors. Besides volunteering, his hobbies include camping, tennis, archery, chess, reading, and exploring new places.
NON-PROFIT VENDING PROGRAM: NATALIE TA AND PHI NGUYEN
Phi Nguyen was born and raised in Colorado. He is a Navy veteran and currently attending the University of Colorado-Boulder to study Aerospace Engineering. Phi volunteered for the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival last year (2016) and decided to join the Operations Committee this year! He appreciates everything it takes to run this festival and just wanted to be apart of the fun. Phi hikes with his German Shepard - Allie, fixes cars, and snowboards during his free time.
A long-time Colorado resident, Tarika grew up very involved in Colorado’s Thai community performing with various Thai music and dance troupes around the Denver-Metro area. She’s been involved with CDBF since childhood as a performer, volunteer, Operations Committee member, and then as Operations Manager from 2012 to 2014. Tarika is the Executive Director of the Nathan Yip Foundation and a graduate of the University of Denver with an M.A. in International and Intercultural Communications.
PARKING AND TRANSPORTATION: BRYAN YEE
Bryan Yee, an engineering geoscience professional, holds a B.S. in Land Use with concentrations in the earth sciences. In the community, he volunteers with the National Association of Asian American Professionals (NAAAP), Society of Asian Scientists & Engineers (SASE), and as a professional resource for high school and college students in Colorado. He also served as a youth mentor and program coordinator for the Asian Pacific Development Center. New to the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival leadership team, he looks forward to working with an amazing group of leaders and the challenge the festival provides. As a Colorado native, Bryan loves the outdoors. Besides volunteering, his hobbies include camping, tennis, archery, chess, reading, and exploring new places.
NON-PROFIT VENDING PROGRAM: NATALIE TA AND PHI NGUYEN
Phi Nguyen was born and raised in Colorado. He is a Navy veteran and currently attending the University of Colorado-Boulder to study Aerospace Engineering. Phi volunteered for the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival last year (2016) and decided to join the Operations Committee this year! He appreciates everything it takes to run this festival and just wanted to be apart of the fun. Phi hikes with his German Shepard - Allie, fixes cars, and snowboards during his free time.
