The Trump administration has faced criticism for its lax vetting, inadequate screening, and lack of thorough security clearance investigation of top officials. 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 . 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. A deputy assistant secretary usually has a top secret security clearance. He ignored that request. Research | Development | Advocacy Data-driven humanitarian initiatives in the context of national security. An international K-pop singer! Charlotte Greco, Program/Office Manager. Update your Profile ; Education & Credentials. 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. 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 . Tell me about this cover and how this came to be?" The State Department and its Diplomatic Security Service, which helps vet appointees, did not respond to requests for comment. The only educational institute NBC was able to find was not mentioned in Changs government biography, but was mentioned on her LinkedIn account. The organization recently removed Chang's bio from its website noting, "The content of this page has been deleted due to questions raised about its accuracy.". For those of you who are not familiar with me, I am not Mina. The Time cover is not the most serious fabrication of Changs accomplishments. According to a wild report from NBC News, State Department deputy assistant secretary in the Bureau of Conflict and Stability Operations Mina Chang, 35, lied about graduating from Harvard and severely embellished her work experience as the CEO of a nonprofit organization called Linking the World. If youre looking for what she included in her inflated rsum, our Mina Chang wiki has all the details and more. 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. Join the Observer community and help support Biography. 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.. Showing 115 results . Her information from the State Department mentions she is an "alumna" of Harvard Business School. IE 11 is not supported. In past administrations, White House staff carefully checked a potential appointee's education and work bona fides, as well as any court cases or criminal records that could be damaging, said Pfiffner of George Mason. It. The research efforts we employ consist of utilizing a resiliency index in combination with big data to identify vulnerable communities at risk for violent extremism. My superiors at the Department refused to defend me, stand up for the truth or allow me to answer the false charges against me. [13][18], On November 18, 2019, Chang resigned from her role at the United States Department of State. Mina Trinity Chang (born 1984) has deleted or switched to private her social profiles in the wake of the NBC News investigation. The committee staff "has been forced to dedicate a significant amount of time and resources on vetting this administration's nominees because of the White House's negligence or incompetence," Menendez said. 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. 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. A potential political appointee to a State Department post is vetted by the department, including an elaborate questionnaire, before the White House ever screens the candidate. The report highlights a 2017 video posted to Linking the Worlds website, which shows Chang being interviewed about the nonprofits work. NBC reported last week that Chang had misleadingly claimed in her official bio that she was an "alumna" of Harvard Business School when in fact she only attended a seven-week course there. Chang and her spokesman declined to comment on the role played by the McCaul staffer. "Linking the World provides hunger relief, medical aid," she said. On a personal note, I could not be more disgusted with the unwarranted attack on our organization or Minas tireless work to help those who arent able to help themselves. Dont Miss:Chasten Glezman Wiki,Facts About Pete Buttigiegs Husband. Our belief is that these factors cause nations to weaken all the way down to the community level, which subsequently increases their likelihood of conflict and security challenges. 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. In retrospect, she should have clarified the origins of the coverin that moment, instead, she answered the question she was posed, more broadly. Before she resigned last week and took it down, her Facebook account had 77,000 followers. In April 2019, she assumed office as the Deputy Assistant Secretary in the State Departments Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations. [8], She completed a seven-week program through Harvard Business School's Advanced Management Program (AMP). Pfiffner said. In that document the organization was asked, "Did the organization maintain an office, employees or agents outside the United States?" But the program she attended was a four-day seminar on national security, according to the college. independent local journalism in Dallas. Time magazine spokesperson Kristin Matzen said the cover is "not authentic.". In her State Department post, Chang, 35, from Dallas, helps oversee efforts to prevent conflicts from erupting in politically unstable countries. 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. Ambassador to the Philippines? Mina Chang (born October 29, 1984) is an American singer, activist, and former government official. We as a people need to be better than this, we need to hold reporters, politicians and ourselves to account. Mina has never claimed to have a degree from Harvard. [19][20], Chang displayed a fake cover of Time magazine to a videotaped January 2017 interview with journalist Mary Sit produced by Houston Community College's show, Global Outlook. 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. 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. 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. During the interview, the screen cuts to a shot of the magazine cover with Changs face on it as the interviewer asks her how [the cover] came to be.. "These jobs aren't a joke there are billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars and the lives of U.S. citizens on the line here.". [5], In January 2017, Chang spoke at the Asia Society Texas Center's Women's Leadership Series as a featured guest. Her prior experience includes roles in university admissions, event coordination, office management, staffing, and non-profit . Mina Chang, US State Department deputy assistant secretary for the Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations, has extensive experience in conflict areas such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia. 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. Another NDA was signed by a freelance journalist who was planning to accompany Chang on a 2015 trip to Afghanistan that was sponsored by the defense contractor AMS. Our research efforts blend together traditional approaches of a think tank with modern and future-leaning tools of a high-tech business intelligence firm. Mina has 1 job listed on their profile. University Attended: Harvard Law School. McCaul cited her experience as a "seasoned field practitioner" and her work in "academia." Dailey said the organization did submit its tax forms but that the IRS could not locate them. Graduating from the U.S. Army War College, National Security Seminar. There are certain people who are just called to contribute, disproportionately to the wellbeing of society, and Mina certainly tops that list. The nature of our work requires that our analytical and planning processes must encompass a careful evaluation of how governmentlocal, state, federal or internationalcan, should and will impact our desired objectives. Mina Chang, the State Department's deputy assistant secretary to the Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations, has made misleading claims about her education at Harvard Business. She showed up at international conferences, including a 2015 event in the German city of Stuttgart with defense contractors that carry out work in Africa. According to a wild report from NBC News,State Department deputy assistant secretary in the Bureau of Conflict and Stability Operations Mina Chang, 35, lied about graduating from Harvard and severely embellished her work experience as the CEO of a nonprofit organization called Linking the World. As terrifying as that was, working with her nonprofit served as a distraction and it appears that she has overcome the disease. U.S. State Department official and former Dallas media darling Mina Chang had a bad day Monday. ", 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.". After the cadet program collapsed, West Point asked Chang's charity to stop using West Point's logo and the logo of the academy's Center on Civil and Military Operations in her materials. She was raised in inner-city Atlanta, which shaped her beliefs about the importance of education. But it was discovered that Chang doesnt have an actual degree from Harvard, though she claims to be an alumna. But it's unclear precisely what contributions her organization made to relief efforts. Upon notification, donations were not able to be submitted through any of our channels. Dan De Luceis a reporter for the NBC News Investigative Unit. 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. 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. Our aim is to ensure lessons are being learned, innovation is prioritized, and the true reality of violent extremist situations is being reported rather than political rhetoric and individual agendas. Mina Chang proved anyone can come to the U.S. and create an "American" identity by simply putting a bunch of shit on social media that's sent to a new generation of reporters and government officials who think shit on social media people create about themselves is real. Why only to 2015? 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. But in Chang's numerous public speeches she did not mention the Korean organization, saying instead that she was CEO of an "international relief organization" based out of Dallas that works in 40 countries. She is not the first White House official to put their face on a fake Time magazine cover. 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. "We have operated schools, we have built schools in places like Afghanistan, Myanmar, Haiti, Kenya.". However, why would a low expenditure be a negative? Several key claims in Changs official government biography were refuted. Naval Academy and served in the Marine Corps. 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. Chang lists just $12,000 in income before she took the State Department job and listed no salary from her charity. Featured in the issue are notable community leaders such as Police Chief David Brown, NHL athlete Jamie Benn, and Historian Bonnie Jacobs. https://www.exed.hbs.edu/advanced-management-program/. Before receiving the letter of recommendation, Chang was spotted at numerous events, including the 2018 Aspen Security Forum, with McCaul's staffer. 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. "She must accept the full consequences of her actions.". Chang, however, had links to businesses outside of her NGO, according to her charity's website and Texas public records.