[5], In January 2017, Chang spoke at the Asia Society Texas Center's Women's Leadership Series as a featured guest. Mina obtained her position at the State Department on her own merit, at no time was Brian Bulatao part of her nomination / recruitment / review process. ", In another speech in 2015 she told the story of a courageous woman in Myanmar, adding, "We hired her to set up a mobile library in Myanmar." local news and culture, Stephen Young Mina loves her position at State and decided to withdraw herself from the process to focus on stabilization operations. Unlike the path that other humanitarians typically follow, Chang pursued connections with military contractors. In addition, Mina on the Common Humanitarian Civil-Military Coordination Standards Advisory[committee] instituted by UN OHCA. At one of those events he bid on an auction item, which accounts for the donation in its totality," Dailey told NBC News. Heres a glimpse of her approach to solving the worlds most pressing issues." A senior State Department official in President Donald Trumps administration reportedly landed the role after falsifying numerous aspects of her professional and educational background, including creating a fake Time magazine cover with her face on it. Like Mina Chang , who made a fake cover of herself on time magazine. Details about Chang's nonprofit and how it operated remain unclear partly because at least three former contacts told NBC News they could not speak due to nondisclosure agreements they were required to sign. An old profile, published on the parenting website DFWChild,states that she has a degree in international development from the University of Hawaii. Spring 2023 Course. Mina Trinity Chang (born 1984) has deleted or switched to private her social profiles in the wake of the NBC News investigation. The U.S. Military Academy's public affairs office declined to comment. At a 2018 awards dinner of defense contractors in Washington, Chang made a point of introducing herself to an official who she eventually would succeed at the State Department as a deputy assistant secretary, said a source who attended the event said. We take real scenarios based on concrete data to address the root drivers of instability and to effectuate action. His bio states that he left the Marines and enrolled at Stanford. But when Harvard was asked if Chang had attended the university, a spokesperson told NBC News . An old friend who knew her in Dallas and did not want to be named said, "It's like Leonardo DiCaprio in that movie 'Catch Me If You Can,' I've been saying that for years," she said. Admission: 2017, New York. Graduating from the U.S. Army War College, National Security Seminar. However, no official record of this exists. Time magazine spokesperson Kristin Matzen said the cover is "not authentic.". She attended Harvard Business School's Advanced Management Program, which "has no formal education requirements" and charges applicants $82,000 for a seven-week course. A lot of people are guilty of embellishing a detail or two on their rsum, but a top Trump administration official reportedly took it to a whole other level. An NBC News investigation found that Mina Chang, the deputy assistant secretary in the State Department's Bureau of Conflict and Stability Operations, has inflated her educational achievements and exaggerated the scope of her nonprofit's work. But before her humanitarian and government career, she was a singer. Marocco declined to comment through a Pentagon spokesperson. We are proud and privileged for Akin's support on a pro-bono basis. By: Caroline John - Published: November 13, 2019 at 5:43 am | Last Updated: Her biography on the State Department website says she is a "graduate" of a program at the Army War College. Simply, LtW was first founded in South Korea, so that time period would not be covered by U.S. IRS reporting. But her focus soon shifted to presenting herself as a passionate humanitarian. Mina Chang, the U.S. State Department's deputy assistant secretary for the Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations, is learning this lesson the hard way. D.C.both by publications and peersthe public law and policy practice draws on the considerable governmental and bipartisan political experience of their lawyers and advocacy professionals, including former Members of Congress, congressional staff and other lawyers with considerable . For 2015, the organization listed spending just $44,645 on salaries but more than $60,000 on "advertising and promotion" and $50,298 on travel. Animals and Pets Anime Art Cars and Motor Vehicles Crafts and DIY Culture, Race, and Ethnicity Ethics and Philosophy Fashion Food and Drink History Hobbies Law Learning and Education Military Movies Music Place Podcasts and Streamers Politics Programming Reading, Writing, and Literature Religion and Spirituality Science Tabletop Games . Chang cultivated an active social media profile, presenting herself as a globe-trotting humanitarian, and appeared at well-heeled charity dinners in Dallas, including a "Women That Soar" dinner and a Dallas Opera event. Mina Chang sports a subtle smile on the cover of a Time magazine "Special Edition," with a swaggering headline that reads, "We change the world: Modern humanitarian in the digital age." The. Chang showed up with stuff to give out at a bunch of locations around . Chang's appointment is the latest administration hire to come under scrutiny since President Donald Trump entered office. Im proud that we have achieved so much, with so little except the love and time of our volunteers and supporters around the world. Farayi Chipungu, Scott Westfahl. ", As to Chang's job history, he said, "I would expect that they would check all of the claims made in the bio, most of which would be relatively easy to check.". On her path to Washington, Chang pushed some tenuous connections too far. She didnt stop she faked her education and career status. Our goal with research is simple: if we can identify those who are most at risk, we can share this expert knowledge and employ development and advocacy efforts to help win the hearts and minds of these communities before radical groups are formed. It claimed that she was an "alumna of the Harvard Business School" and held undergraduate degrees from Southern Methodist University and the University of the Nations, an unaccredited Christian school with volunteer teachers. Chang claimed that she is "an alumna of the Harvard Business School" who has "addressed . Needless to say, all of this is raising a lot of questions about how exactly the Trump administration goes about vetting job candidates. The University of the Nations school she attended is an unaccredited institution with volunteer teachers in its branches all over the world. Accordingly, Ms. Chang absolutely addressed convention attendees. She has spoken about her work at various events, including D Magazines D CEOs 2017 Womens Leadership Symposium. Harvard Law School Reunions Pound Hall 1563 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, MA 02138 617-384-9523 reunions@law.harvard.edu Register Today On this page On this page Up to date as of October 24, 2022 The names in this list are published by consent and, therefore, may not include all attendees Modal Gallery [10], On January 16, 2019, the Trump administration nominated Chang to be the Assistant Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development. [2][17][18] The NBC News report also states that she claimed to have spoken at both Democratic and Republican national conventions, and that her resume implies she had testified before Congress. Tax filings for her nonprofit show an organization with a budget of less than $300,000, and few staff, despite her statements about the vast scope of her group's work. Mina has never claimed to have a degree from Harvard. https://www.linkingtheworld.org/hill-briefings, Episode On 33voices, Inc. with Moe Abdou, Like all admired leaders, she anticipates that problems in the world will never cease, they will only change; and its how you respond to them that will determine your fate. U.S. State Department official and former, Become a member to support the independent voice of Dallas The gap between Chang's actual qualifications and her claims appears to be the latest example of lax vetting by the Trump administration, which has become known for its many job vacancies and appointments made without thorough screening. McCaul cited her experience as a "seasoned field practitioner" and her work in "academia." At no time has Mina claimed to have a degree from SMU. Her prior experience includes roles in university admissions, event coordination, office management, staffing, and non-profit . She earns a six-figure salary in a bureau with a $6 million budget. Mina Changs husband, Jake Harriman, is a graduate of the U.S. One year Bulatao bid on an auction item that resulted in a $5,500 donation to the group, Dailey said. At the time, Chang had multiple websites promoting her work. Chang and her spokesman declined to comment on the role played by the McCaul staffer. After this, an enthusiastic fan online took one step further and used an app to make a fake magazine cover with Minas actual image superimposed on the cover andit wassubsequentlycirculatedonline. In fact, Chang attended a short course at Harvard Business School that costs $82,000, although it does allow those who take it to call themselves alumni. Michelle Muscatello Leaving WPRI: Where Is the Rhode Island Meteorologist Going? Fifteen years ago Mina Chang lived in Dallas and went by her first name, Sharon, attending a flurry of charity events and making social connections with affluent Republicans and retired military officers working in the defense industry. The State Department vetting is supposed to examine tax returns, any unexplained wealth, social media accounts, the status of domestic staff, any inappropriate or worrisome track record in the workplace and any potential questions about integrity, said Linda Thomas-Greenfield, former director general of the foreign service and director of personnel at the State Department. HLS Professors. She is not the first White House official to put their face on a fake Time magazine cover. Mina Chang, the deputy assistant secretary in the State Department's Bureau of Conflict and Stability Operations, falsely claims to be a Harvard grad, and exaggerated the scope of her. Pfiffner said. ", In a statement, Chang colleague Dailey said: "Throughout this process I have provided honest answers that have only partially been utilized, or ignored entirely. Our unique research efforts provide the accurate and tested knowledge necessary to then engage local, state, federal, and international stakeholders to promote our mission and to advocate for policies that will not only make our country safer, but will help lift up vulnerable communities abroad. Why only to 2015? [2][11][12], On April 29, 2019, Chang was appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary in the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations,[13] and stepped down from her president and CEO positions at Linking the World. The now infamous Time magazine cover. According to the university, Chang attended a seven-week course in 2016, and does not hold a degree from the institution. Or to keep it anonymous, click here. Linking the World has never usedeither pieceandthey werenever part ofanymedia packageusedfor Mina. Pierre-Yves Daygot, an artist whose work depicts paintings of individuals superimposed on popular magazine covers, created a piece with her on a Time Magazine cover and sent it to her, and was commissioned, unknowingly, by a friend Olivier Chavy. A government contractor, AlliedBarton Security Services, sponsored a fundraising dinner in 2016 for her nonprofit in Dallas, and the keynote speaker was John Melkon, director of civil-military operations at West Point. But wait, theres more: Chang was originally being considered for an even more senior government post in which she would have overseen the U.S. Agency for International Developments work in Asia. Naval Academy and served in the Marine Corps. She was appointed to the State Department post in the interim. Briefings on the Hill are not verifiable. She took the material down when requested. independent local journalism in Dallas. The IRS revoked the organization's tax exempt status in May this year for failing to file its annual filings for the past three years, according to the agency's website. At first glance, Changs body of work appears impressive. Several policies we are currently focused on promoting are the following: - Winning the hearts and minds of those around the world most at risk to becoming victims of violent extremism. Mina Chang Global Business Strategy, Senior Manager at CJ corporation South Korea CJ corporation, +5 more Yonsei University, +2 more Mina Chang Assistant United States Attorney at United States. Chang says in her official biography that she is as an "alumna" of Harvard Business School. She stands 5 feet 8 Inch tall and weighs around 64KG. A former West Point faculty member and a source familiar with the matter said the program was quickly scrapped, after it became apparent the nonprofit was not doing much work and the interns were sitting in a mostly empty office. In a 2014 video she described her charity to a room full of Texas college students. Linking the World CEO, Mina Chang, was invited as the keynote speaker for the Women's Leadership Series at the Brown Foundation Performing Arts Theatre. Simply, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee has been rather busy with other activities and all nominees were subject to extensive delays. [9], Prior to 2010, Chang performed as a pop singer, touring internationally and recording albums in both English and Korean. The eldest of three daughters born to Salvation Army officers, Chang has Asian roots. For example, Changs biography states that Mina is an alumna of the Harvard Business School, and a a graduate of the United States Army War College National Security Seminar. However, Chang actually only attended a seven-week course at Harvard in 2016 that does not offer a degree. The Womens Leadership Steering Committee is chaired by Dr Anne Chaoand Paula W Hinton. In public remarks in 2015 she said her group worked in 40 countries: "We have in-house K9 search and rescue teams, we have testified in front of hearing committees on Capitol Hill, we've done things like lectured at West Point, brief chiefs of staff at the Pentagon.". After hearing concerns from a cadet working as an intern at the nonprofit, the faculty member, who did not want to be identified, looked up the organization's website and concluded the charity was not worthy of a West Point association. We have never inferred this was a real magazine cover, nor that we were the creator of it. WASHINGTON Mina Chang figured out how to work the levers in Dallas and in the nation's capital, making connections with key figures and cultivating an online image, until her overblown credentials and claims crumbled under scrutiny. In 2015, Chang partnered with the U.S. Military Academy at West Point to host cadets for internships at her nonprofit in Dallas. Chang was originally being considered for an even more senior government post in which she would have overseen the U.S. Agency for International Development's work in Asia. "While Congressman McCaul offered a recommendation letter based on her previous work and advocacy on issues like global fragility and countering violent extremism, it is clear now she was not entirely forthcoming with the State Department and others," said Kaylin Minton, spokesperson for McCaul. After publication of this article, Linking the World removed the "Donate" button and the video with the TIME cover from its website. She was being considered for an even bigger government job, one with a budget of more than $1 billion, until Congress started asking questions about her rsum. There, Chang only listed the University of the Nations, an unaccredited Christian school born out of their Youth With a Mission movement that, according to its website, was founded to train students in ministering the love of Christ and teaching others according to the command of Christ to make disciples of all nations.. So, shame on you Mr. De Luce. Somewhere between 2012 and 2014, she purportedly became the president and CEO of the nonprofit, consolidating and relocating its offices to Dallas. Changs nomination to the USAID job, which would have required Senate confirmation, was withdrawn on Sept. 9 without public explanation, after the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations asked her for more documents and details about her nonprofit organization and her work experience. Join the Observer community and help support Dailey said the organization did submit its tax forms but that the IRS could not locate them. She attended a seven-week course there in 2016, according to the university. It reflects, and has always reflected, that Linking the World operates an in-country volunteer and donation model, that requires minimal U.S. staff and no local offices or employees. Minas nomination was not withdrawn by the Administration, or anyone other than herself. She did not end up going on the trip. Mina Chang at Ground Zero event on Sept. 11, 2017. So, in advance, I apologize for the length of what follows, but I want to address each point that has been raised, to the best of my ability. official government biography were refuted. Chang also paid to be a member of Ellevate, a women's networking group, which helped Chang place articles promoting herself and her charity in Forbes and the Huffington Post, according to its marketing coordinator, Nazli Tamer. [5] In a May 2014 interview, Chang claimed to hold a degree in international development from the University of Hawaii, concentrating on mission work and aid practices. While Chang was listed in public records as a "managing member" of another company called "Concinnity Management," she failed to disclose that on a financial disclosure form filed in 2018 to the U.S. Office of Government Ethics. Chang did not respond to a request for comment. Without any university degrees or work in the policy world, Chang sought out seminars and organizations that would allow her to associate herself with prestigious institutions and convey an aura of credibility and expertise. "I signed an NDA regarding all conversations," she told NBC News. He founded Nuru International. "They could be partnering with another organization, but then they should say that and not claim those accomplishments as their own.". Harvard University Affiliated Professors. But if you are not very qualified then it's a great chance to get in there.". "How are they accomplishing so much without spending at least $10,000 in those countries? Like all admired leaders, she anticipates that problems in the world will never cease, they will only change; and its how you respond to them that will determine your fate. Brian Bulatao, a top figure in the State Department and longtime friend of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, attended a fundraiser for her nonprofit in Dallas and once donated $5,500 to her charity, according to a former colleague of Chang's. Mina Chang, 35, was appointed the deputy assistant secretary in the State Department's Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations in April. Year of First Admission: 2017. My hope is that youll re-read that article now, and see it for what it is, a classic hit-job.I received some of that reporters questions, and it was clear from the outset, that he had already made up his mind. [8], She completed a seven-week program through Harvard Business School's Advanced Management Program (AMP). [15][16], On November 12, 2019, NBC News reported that Chang had "embellished her rsum with misleading claims about her professional background" prior to joining the United States Department of State.