Meet Our Passionate Team
At Marshallese Youth of Orange County (MYOC), our dedicated staff members are the heart and soul of our mission. Committed to empowering and uplifting young people, our team brings together a diverse range of talents, experiences, and perspectives.
Executive Director
Neritha Kelani Silk
Co-Founder & Executive Director - Marshallese Youth of Orange County, Co-Founder & Executive Director – National Marshallese Community Coalition, Reliability Engineer, Certified Crisis Counselor, Entrepreneur
Kelani has worked with community-based organizations in Southern California for over 20 years, mostly focused on assisting with higher education, cultural education and preservation, health advocacy and data collection. She represented the Marshallese community at: The National Council of Asian Pacific Americans Policy Summit to shape and integrate Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) community voices and priorities, Washington DC; NHPI National Convening meeting with policymakers, Washington DC; The Stakeholder’s Convening, Mainlanders for Education, Las Vegas, NV; NHPI National Census 2020; National NHPI Civic Engagement; WHOPE & WHIAANHPI AA and NHPI Stakeholder Briefing, Washington DC; WHIAANPI Briefing – 2022 Hunga Tonga Eruption and Tsunami, Washington DC; Asian Pacific Islander Moving Forward Food distribution/Resourcing Programs; SoCal NHPI COVID Response Team; Evening Talk Speaker, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles; Tapa/Jaki Blessing, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles; UCLA Youth Health Fair; PIFA and HBPIF and co-author for Language Policy Brief – UCLA.
In addition, Kelani has taught traditional weaving and dance workshops at the Pacific Island Ethnic Art Museum; is the current COVID-19 point of contact for RMI citizens residing in the Americas - US west coast; California Department of Human Services - COFA population, Medi-Cal and in language scribe; partnered in policy summit for language justice. Kelani is Co-Founder and Executive Director of Marshallese Youth of Orange County (MYOC), Co-Founder and Executive Director of National Marshallese Communities Coalition (NMCC), Board of Directors of Pacific Islanders Health Partnership (PIHP) and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Alliance (NHPIA) and a member of the California Language Task Force.
Kelani is an entrepreneur working to continue the Marshallese crafts through her business, Ja’Nei Island Goods and Services. Kelani was born in Chicago, Illinois and is the daughter of Deaconess Neibaj and Deacon Jack Silk. Ms. Silk was brought up with a traditional Marshallese upbringing, descends from Ribit Clan with islands of origin: Ebon, RMI; Namdrik, RMI and Tarawa, Kiribati.
Suki Smiggs
Finance Director
Sokhoeun Ya "Suki" Smiggs was born in Khao-I-Dang, a refugee camp located north of Thailand. She was born to parents who survived the Cambodian Genocide between 1974-1979. Sokhoeun came to the United States in 1985. Through many successes and failures, she graduated from the California State University of Fullerton with a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration and Accounting. She is also a Founder of VirtualBooks Direct, an accounting and
bookkeeping services LLC.
Sokhoeun is a CPA candidate with over five years of experience in accounting. In addition, she is a QuickBooks Pro-Advisor and a business consultant. She specializes in book clean-up, system migration, bank reconciliations, and non-profit.
Speaking of non-profits, Sokhoeun has volunteered for numerous organizations. For four years, Sokhoeun volunteered for Davis Magnet Elementary School, serving on the board as a financial secretary and treasurer. In 2020, she created a Parent Teacher Organization (PTO), a non-profit organization, to bridge the gap between the NMUSD Cloud Campus, students, and parents.
Sokhoeun is a mother of two boys. She is very involved in her children's after-school activities and curriculum. In her spare time, Sokhoeun likes hiking with friends and participating in the Spartan Race. On the creative side, she likes to draw black and white pictures using the charcoal technique.
Jessica Amsa
Program Manager
Jessica Amsa, a native of the Marshall Islands, was raised in Oregon and pursued her education at Lane Community College. Her ancestral roots trace back to the islands of Kili, Ebon, and Namdrik in the Marshall Islands. In 2013, Jessica relocated to Orange County, where she has devoted her efforts to empowering the local Marshallese community.
Upon settling in Orange County, Jessica became involved with the Marshallese Youth of Orange County (MYOC) as a volunteer. Her exceptional work ethic, compassion, and dedication quickly propelled her to leadership roles within the organization. Fluent in the Marshallese language, Jessica holds a unique ability to bridge generational divides and communicate effectively with community members who may no longer speak their native language.
In her role as Programs Manager, Jessica has spearheaded initiatives to track migration patterns, preserve the stories of community elders, offer direct and referral services, empower youth, and gather valuable data. Committed to community engagement, Jessica prioritizes team capacity building to ensure sustainability through regular training sessions.
Beyond her work with MYOC, Jessica serves on the Equity in OC task force, focusing on addressing social determinants within Orange County communities. She also works as a Crisis Counselor for the Marshallese Community under the Pacific Islander Health Partnership (PIHP) and holds the position of AmeriCorps Vista Site Supervisor.
Jessica's volunteer efforts extend to the Salvation Army, where she has overseen children's bible camps and coordinated annual Christmas donations for families in need. She has also managed volunteers at various community events, including vaccination sites, test sites, toy drives, and outreach projects through collaborations with local, national, and international organizations.
MaiLani Silk
Accounting Clerk
MaiLani Silk is a dedicated professional with a passion for community service and a strong legacy in the non-profit sector. As a third-generation member of a family deeply involved in charitable work since the 1970s, MaiLani has been immersed in the values of giving back and making a difference from a young age.
Her journey in community service began as a youth member of MYOC in 2008, where she developed a deep understanding of the importance of youth empowerment and community engagement. Over the years, MaiLani has honed her skills and expertise, starting as an administrative assistant in 2020 and progressing to her current role as an accounting clerk for MYOC.
MaiLani's contributions to various programs within MYOC have been invaluable. She has been part of the design team for initiatives focusing on substance abuse, toy drives, backpack drives, youth empowerment, and kids' crafts. In addition to her program involvement, MaiLani has also played a key role in fundraising efforts, mobilizing youth, and engaging with the community.
Her work in community outreach has been extensive, encompassing tasks such as appointment setting, phone banking, wellness checks, form completion, and ensuring food security for those in need. MaiLani's creative talents shine through in her graphic design and content creation efforts, which have helped amplify MYOC's message and impact.
Proud of her heritage, MaiLani hails from the islands of Ebon, Namdrik, and Tarawa, with roots in the Ribit Clan. Her diverse background and deep connection to her culture have enriched her perspective and fueled her commitment to serving her community with compassion and dedication.
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714-602-0812