Staff

Channapha Khamvongsa, Executive Director

Channapha Khamvongsa is executive director of Legacies of War, an organization which seeks to address the problem of unexploded cluster bombs in Laos, to provide space for healing the wounds of war and to create greater hope for a future of peace. The organization uses art, culture, education, and community organizing to bring people together and create healing and transformation out of the wreckage of war. Previously, she worked at the Ford Foundation and Public Interest Projects, focusing on immigrant and refugee rights, global civil society, civic engagement, capacity building and transformational leadership. She was previously appointed to the Seattle Women’s Commission and served on the boards of the Refugee Women’s Alliance and Conference on Asian Pacific American Leadership (CAPAL). She is currently Interim-Board Chair of the Mines Advisory Group (MAG) – USA.

Channapha’s father is from Luang Prabang and her mother is from Thakhek. She was born in Vientiane and came to the U.S. at the age of seven. Ms. Khamvongsa has studied at George Mason University and Oxford University. She received her Master’s Degree in Public Policy from Georgetown University.

Heather Hammel, Advocacy Intern

Heather Hammel is an intern at Legacies of War and a rising junior in the politics department at Princeton University, pursuing a certificate in French language. She was born and raised in San Francisco, California, before moving out to the East Coast for college, where she is on the senior layout team of the Daily Princetonian. She has previously worked as a research assistant in the Anthropology Department at the University of California at Berkeley, focusing on international legal response to the war crimes committed in Rwanda and Sierra Leone.

William Waller, Intern

William Waller is an intern at Legacies of War for Summer 2010. A rising Fourth Year at the University of Virginia, William’s primary major is Foreign Affairs, with a specialization in the International Relations of the Middle East. He is pursuing a second degree in Sociology, studying gender stratification. William previously worked at Every Child Matters Education Fund, an organization devoted to the increased awareness of children’s issues nationwide through smart policy adoption.

Leila Pree, Intern

Leila Chynna Pree is an intern at Legacies of War and a rising junior at Northwestern University, working towards her bachelor’s degree in Philosophy with a minor in Asian American Studies. She serves as a Student Advisory Board representative for the Asian American Studies Department. She previously worked with the Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC), Grassroots Campaign, and Share Group, Inc. She is Executive Producer of the African American Theater Ensemble (AATE) and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated, Fusion Dance Company, Soul4real A Capella group.

Michelle Mixay, Intern, Youth Outreach

Michelle Mixay is an intern at Legacies of War and a rising junior at Scripps Ranch High School in San Diego, CA. She regularly volunteers at community events and is working hard on her academics to be accepted to college. As a young Lao American, she has always been interested in learning more about Lao history and culture. She believes it is necessary for the youth to learn about their culture and to try to preserve years and years of traditions. Her curiosity has led to Legacies, where she will help with various projects to reach out to young people and raise their awareness and to encourage them to be engaged.