Rose Olea
Chairperson & President
As the President of NAAAP Chicago, Rose is responsible for overseeing the execution of the overall mission and vision of the Chicago chapter. An active member since 2001, Rose continues to use her leadership experiences to guide the organization in all capacities.
Rose’s leadership has led to the establishment of a “Women in Leadership” program, now nationally known as Women in NAAAP, an initiative geared toward the development of professional and leadership skills of Asian American women in the workforce. Additionally, Rose co-founded the Midwest Asian American Business Network, now known as Asian American Group Leaders and consists of over 30 corporate employee resource groups and Asian affinity groups; and co-chaired the 2005 NAAAP Convention hosted in Chicago. It was the first convention to have three C-level executive keynote speakers - Indra Nooyi (COO, Pepsico), Sanjiv Anand (CTO, Hewitt), and Rohini Anand, (CDO, Sodexo).
Professionally, Rose is the Director of Information Technology for the American Orthopedic Food & Ankle Society, a non-profit medical society dedicated to developing educational programs for foot and ankle surgeons. She is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Chicago where she received her Bachelor of Science in Management with a minor in Human Relations and Workforce Development. She has one daughter, Jocelyn, who is attending college at Loyola University of Chicago.
Mike Valdez
Treasurer
Mike Valdez serves as the Treasurer as well as the Director of Affinity Groups. In this role, Mike brings together Asian Affinity Groups in Chicagoland as one network, allowing participants to share best practices and discuss the value or contributions they add to their organizations. Mike also serves as an asset to companies looking to implement Asian Affinity Groups as a way to retain talented leaders while accomplishing corporate diversity.
Mike’s initial involvement with NAAAP Chicago began in 2004 as a member in the Midwest Asian Affinity Business Network (MAABN) program. Through this involvement, he began to understand first-hand how NAAAP Chicago focuses on creating an open forum for Asian American corporate leaders throughout Chicago and the surrounding areas. Having served on NAAAP Chicago’s Board as Director of Corporate Relations from 2005 to 2007, Mike assumed the role of Director of Affinity Groups in 2008.
Mike is a Vice President with the Northern Trust Company in Chicago. With over 20 years of dedication to the company, Mike also serves as President of the Asian Leadership Council within the company. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Business Management from Elmhurst College and a Masters in Business Administration from Keller Graduate School of Management. He resides in Crystal Lake with his wife Karen and two sons, Ethan and Harrison.
A strong advocate for diversity and a believer in giving back to the community, Mike serves as a leader in providing NAAAP as a forum for the important discussions Affinity Groups hold, while providing NAAAP as an attractive resource for group members.
