To be clear, we have operated in 43 countries, built schools, medical clinics, and countless other activities serving thousands upon thousands of those most in need. That year the organization reported to the IRS that it had only one employee. It's not clear if Chang has such a clearance. View Mina Chang's profile on LinkedIn, the world's largest professional community. He founded Nuru International. 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. Mina Chang, the 35-year-old deputy assistant secretary in the State Department's Bureau of Conflict and Stability Operations, allegedly falsely claimed she was a Harvard Business School graduate . "To not file with the IRS for three years is really being a scofflaw," Eve Borenstein, a lawyer with Harmon Curran law firm and a prominent expert on nonprofit tax law, told NBC News. Chang's nomination to the USAID job, which would have required Senate confirmation, was withdrawn on Sept. 9 without public explanation, after the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations asked her for more documents and details about her nonprofit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. Our 2015, 990-tax filing indicated $10,000 of overseas spending. The Rise of Mina Chang, Ex-Singer, Trump Official With - Insider NBC has destroyed a good womans reputation, and an organization's good works. Chang has touted her small nonprofit online and in speeches as operating in dozens of countries, building schools and "impacting" thousands of people. She apparently is also a civilian graduate of the United States Army War College. She has correctly stated that she is an alumnus of the school, and that is an absolute right conferred from the Advanced Management Program she attended, that is categorically proven by the Harvard Business School here: (https://www.exed.hbs.edu/advanced-management-program/). The explosive growth of government regulation and oversight over the last decade demands that Linking the World thinks expansively and creatively when developing and implementing our strategies. "But you're part of the vetting process, you know? Our advocacy strategy is composed of creating awareness and promoting common-sense policies, laws, and regulations across the legislative and executive branches of the US government. 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. Im proud that we have achieved so much, with so little except the love and time of our volunteers and supporters around the world. In addition, Mina on the Common Humanitarian Civil-Military Coordination Standards Advisory[committee] instituted by UN OHCA. By first helping others recognize why a stable and strong America is vital for global security, we will be able to make the case for a proactive national security, defense policy, and foreign policy rather than the more traditional reactive approaches of the past. She is not the first White House official to put their face on a fake Time magazine cover. 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 She is based in Washington. Harvard Business School spokesperson Mark Cautela said the school grants "alumni status" to anyone who attends certain executive education programs, even without having earned a degree there. that she made up a [U.N.] panel, wasnt entitled to call herself an alumna of HBS, or actively brought a picture to an interview, then, perhaps, Ill consider participating in a fair process.". She did not end up going on the trip. In that document the organization was asked, "Did the organization maintain an office, employees or agents outside the United States?" By the time Rep. McCaul issued the recommendation letter, Chang's nomination was moving ahead thanks to her own contacts in the administration, said a spokesperson for the congressman, Kaylin Minton. (Video: The Washington Post) Article It is one of the more minor and yet more telling scandals of a scandal-plagued administration: NBC News reports that Mina Chang, the deputy assistant. The eldest of three daughters born to Salvation Army officers, Chang has Asian roots. Today, Chang's colleague Ian Dailey says the Dallas charity was spawned from a Korean international relief organization that worked in 40 countries and started in 1998. 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. Locally, she "became very visible, very quickly," said Susan Posnick, who knew her at the time and hired her for six months to be the face of Posnick's makeup company. She also befriended a key staffer on the House Homeland Security Committee, leading to a recommendation letter from McCaul, according to a former staffer and a congressional source. At no time has Mina claimed to have a degree from the War College. We as a people need to be better than this, we need to hold reporters, politicians and ourselves to account. 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. Show all faculty types. Mina Chang, a Trump . Her Instagram account shows international food donations featuring Linking the World logos. By also researching the history of various regions and what has not worked, has not countered, and has not built resilience against violent extremism in the past, we can create solutions with the greatest probability of success. But he added that Bulatao had no role in the organization. We create broad awareness of Americas unique role in the world. Anyone who reads her online articles would know that she has both supported and been critical of the current administration. We must continue to work together, sharing information and acting as leading voices to elevate diplomacy and development alongside defense to build a stronger, better, and safer world for all. Mina Malik | Harvard Law School 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. An old profile, published on the parenting website DFWChild,states that she has a degree in international development from the University of Hawaii. local news and culture, Stephen Young NBC said no record of her UN work was found. State Department Official Resigns After Allegedly Inflating - HuffPost Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon, was also in attendance. "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. The administration announced an intent to nominate her in late 2018. In its 2015 tax filing, Linking the World reported that it had no staff overseas and no expenditures abroad of more than $10,000, which one expert said was puzzling given the group's descriptions of its international work. 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. He said, "I realized this is 100 percent bulls---. [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. Chang's State Department biography page described her as an "alumna of the Harvard Business School," though NBC reported she only took a seven-week course there in 2016. Mina Chang and Rep. Mike McCaul, R-Texas, on June 6, 2018. "She spent almost two decades building herself out of thin air.". MC . Mina Chang in State Department Embellished Education History Mina E. Khalil is a legal and social historian of the modern Middle East. Link copied Nov. 18, 2019, 10:50 PM UTC . Tell me about this cover and how it came to be?" I am currently working with the IRS to have our status reinstated. As some of you will have seen, on November 13, NBC News published an article that questioned our former CEOs character, background and education, alongside the work of Linking the World. Turner High School, Rep. 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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. She claimed to be an alumna of Harvard Business School, which the school verified as correct, through the completion of a non-degree certificate course. She says she "addressed" both the Democratic and Republican national conventions in 2016, but videos and documents show she instead spoke at separate events held in Philadelphia and Cleveland during the same time periods. However, her LinkedIn profile provides details of her inflated career history. Ian Dailey, former chief of staff of Linking the World, defended how the organization has presented itself publicly. Dallas' Mina Chang, a Trump official, used fake magazine cover to tout 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. So apparently if you want a job with the Trump administration you make Fake News literally. She didnt give up singing entirely. In a 2017 video posted on her nonprofit's website, Chang can be heard describing her work while a Time magazine cover with her face on it scrolls past. However, I am not so constrained, and when I communicated with the reporter, I raised this issue with him, and asked him to expand the questions being directed towards me. 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. Peter Chang # 245846 - Attorney Licensee Search - California Rest assured, we will not stop our work, whether that be at the State Department, Linking the World, or as individuals. In 2015, Chang partnered with the U.S. Military Academy at West Point to host cadets for internships at her nonprofit in Dallas. 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. Chang was previously married. 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. Chang had no apparent ties to President Donald Trump's political campaign, but Brian Bulatao, a former West Point classmate and business partner of Secretary of State Pompeo, was invited to fundraising events for her charity, according to Ian Dailey, the former chief of staff of her nonprofit. asks the interviewer, who hosts a YouTube show. Mina did not create or commission the Time Magazine cover. Mina Trinity Chang (born 1984) has deleted or switched to private her social profiles in the wake of the NBC News investigation. "If you take a look at it, the vetting process for the White House is very good," the president told reporters. Ten years ago, Chang was pursuing a career as a recording artist before she turned to humanitarian work. Lecturers. Dan De Luceis a reporter for the NBC News Investigative Unit. Writer Kimberly Chuck called Chang a "renowned humanitarian". [7] In her resignation letter, Chang claimed that "character assassination based solely on innuendo was launched against me attacking my credentials and character. Dont Miss:Ashley Biden Wiki,Facts About Joe Bidens Daughter. It turns out that Chang does not hold a degree from Harvard and only attended a seven-week course at the institution in 2016. 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. "We have operated schools, we have built schools in places like Afghanistan, Myanmar, Haiti, Kenya.". Our research efforts blend together traditional approaches of a think tank with modern and future-leaning tools of a high-tech business intelligence firm. Chang showed up with stuff to give out at a bunch of locations around . Update 11/14: I can imagine an independent person reading this and wondering who is telling the truth, how can these media organizations get it so wrong? Mina Chang - Attorney - Law offices of Mina Chang | LinkedIn At the time, Chang had multiple websites promoting her work. Mina Chang Wiki, Age, Husband & Facts About the State Department Prior to joining PLS, he was a Samuel I. Golieb Fellow in Legal History at NYU School of Law from 2019-2020. She stands 5 feet 8 Inch tall and weighs around 64KG. Spend a few minutes with her, and you, too will be infected with her zest for life and her determination to not only win her own battles, but more importantly, to turn hope into measurable action. Mina Chang at Ground Zero event on Sept. 11, 2017. Marocco declined to comment through a Pentagon spokesperson. Another Carrollton Fentanyl Arrest and an On-Campus Overdose at R.L. Posted by Sony Chang onSunday, June 16, 2019. But her focus soon shifted to presenting herself as a passionate humanitarian. Well, we started using drone technology in disaster response and so that was when the whole talk of how is technology being used to save lives in disaster response scenarios, I suppose I brought some attention to that, Chang responded. Simply, LtW was first founded in South Korea, so that time period would not be covered by U.S. IRS reporting. Chang has a daughter named Trinity from her previous marriage.[24]. Dailey said the organization did submit its tax forms but that the IRS could not locate them. Click here to read the latest CNN article. In addition to her event production company, she publicly claimed a connection to Vissero Partners LLC, a company that sought investments from wealthy foreign nationals who invest at least $250,000 in U.S.-based projects in exchange for visas through the federal EB-5 program. The interviewer in the video told NBC News that Chang brought the fake cover to the interview to illustrate the significance of her work. Mina Chang, who served as the deputy assistant secretary in the State Department 's Bureau of Conflict and Stability Operations, came under scrutiny last week after NBC News reported that she had misrepresented her academic credentials and created a fake Time magazine cover with her face on it. An auction bid from 2015, is a despicable example of correlation with no foundation. Mina Chang - Assistant United States Attorney - United States Attorneys So, shame on you Mr. De Luce. "It's just insane she got as far as she did. Her information from the State Department mentions she is an "alumna" of Harvard Business School. at 12:23 pm, Mina Chang attends 2017 Women's Entrepreneurship Day at The United Nations on November 17, 2017 in New York City. We save a lot of money that way.". 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. She didnt stop she faked her education and career status. Biography. Again, anyone who reviewed her recent past, with work in Iraq, Afghanistan, Nigeria and Somalia, would know that this decision makes absolute sense. The cover is "not authentic," said a spokesperson for the magazine. Heres a glimpse of her approach to solving the worlds most pressing issues. Chang, the State Department and the White House did not respond to requests for comment. The questions were not seeking to profile Mina or the organization, as any objective reporter would have done. Similarly, the program at the . (Photo by Chance Yeh/WireImage). By 2014, she had set up Linking the World under the umbrella of a local foundation in Dallas, according to the foundation. I said, 'Pull the interns.'". The fake Time cover is attributed to her job as the CEO of the nonprofit Linking the World, which seems to be relevant to her job in the State Department. 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 . She was raised in inner-city Atlanta, which shaped her beliefs about the importance of education. Lax vetting, Mina has undergone 4 independent agency reviews, including the FBI, and ultimately garnered both Top Secret and Sensitive Compartmented Information clearances. Just before lunch, NBC News posted a triple-bylined investigative piece outlining how Chang. This White House appointee has an extremely creative resume Mina Chang. "[7] However, she did attend a university in Hawaii called the University of the Nations, an unaccredited Christian educational institution that specializes in International Development or cross-cultural missions. As an example of the support Akin Gump provides to Linking the World, the firm petitioned the FAA for our Section 333 Exemption, which qualifies us to fly UAVs in domestic airspace in support of disaster operations. But when Harvard was asked if Chang had attended the university, a spokesperson told NBC News . No Reviews. She is based in Washington. independent local journalism in Dallas. Shame on you every outlet that picked up this story without doing your own research and merely surmised the erroneous positions of the original. She earns a six-figure salary in a bureau with a $6 million budget. . At no time has Mina claimed to have a degree from SMU. I will no longer participate in this grievous misrepresentation, where the truth is discarded for spin. "They want to see talented people with integrity appointed to senior positions. This . 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. Attending SMU, we will be following up with that institution, as we have pictures of Mina receiving her certificate of completion from the Center of Non Profit Management. Those included a former intern and a former senior development adviser for Linking the World, Michael Baker. Chang and her spokesman declined to comment on the role played by the McCaul staffer. 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. 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. ", 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.". "I'm someone who gives someone the benefit of the doubt but everyone around me was questioning it," Posnick said. Her website conveyed dynamic activity and on-the-ground aid operations, even though the reality often had Chang traveling to a location on trips paid for by defense contractors, former colleagues said. Even a cursory online search would provide evidence of our activities since 2001, and I have summarized 2001 2015 here: https://www.linkingtheworld.org/ltw-brief-history-2001-2015. She lived in an affluent neighborhood in Dallas in a high-end apartment building, former colleagues and acquaintances said. "Brian was one of approximately 400 to 500 individuals regularly invited to our fundraising events. We have at least one geotagged photograph of Linking the Worlds participation on that Panel, along with its working documents. Each body has verified each and every one of her stated achievements. Chang claimed that she is "an alumna of the Harvard Business School" who has "addressed . 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. SHARON BURKE Senior Advisor and Director, Resource Security Program, New AmericaMINA CHANG CEO, Linking the World, International Security Fellow, New AmericaJAKE HARRIMAN Founder and CEO, Nuru InternationalREBECCA J. WOLFE Director of Peace and Conflict, Mercy CorpsThe Future of War Conference 2017 commenced on March 21 in Washington, D.C. Chang's trips to conflict areas in Afghanistan and Iraq were paid for by the defense contractor AMS. So happy to be with Mina Trinity Chang and Trinity. But before her humanitarian and government career, she was a singer. [13][18], On November 18, 2019, Chang resigned from her role at the United States Department of State. [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. When asked about her comments, her former chief of staff, Ian Dailey, said the charity had one dog "onboarded" but the dog was "diagnosed with seizures" and "retired." Senior Trump official embellished rsum, had face on fake Time cover That same year she told another group, "We've responded to major disasters, the typhoon in the Philippines, earthquake in Nepal, Ebola in West Africa, we did all these things", But according to the IRS, Chang's charity only submitted one tax filing and that was in 2015.