Mark Young named to the Arkansas Association of Asian Businesses Board

by Talk Business & Politics staff ([email protected]) 488 views 

The Arkansas Association of Asian Businesses (AAAB) announced Monday (May 6) its two newest board members, Mark Young and William “Goose” Changose. Young currently serves as the president and CEO of Jonesboro Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Jonesboro Unlimited. Changose, a retired United States Air Force Colonel and aviator, is a founding partner of the Natural State Law firm of Little Rock.

“Jonesboro is the fastest growing metro area in east Arkansas and the addition of Mr. Young to the AAAB board will help the organization build its presence in that part of the state. We also believe Jonesboro will be a great community to work with, as we know it values a recent direct investment from China, the Risever Machinery LLC, along with the other sizable Asian-owned businesses in the region,” Dr. Yang Luo-Branch, the founder and president of the AAAB said.

“We are hoping that having Mr. Changose on the AAAB board will help us develop more business rigor, which is vital to the mission of the organization. In addition, we know that Mr. Changose has been married to his wife from the Philippines for many years, and we’d like to think that he must have the familiarity with Asian cultures and the interests in bridging Arkansas and Asia,” Luo-Branch added.

Both Mark Young and William Changose expressed excitement about joining the AAAB board. Young commented that “I appreciate the opportunity to serve on the board. The work of the AAAB is important to the economic development of the state.”

Changose said, “It is an honor to be on this board. I spent a quarter of my military career in various parts of Asia, so it feels like home. I like the energy and love the diligent work the AAAB does to bring business to Arkansas.”

The AAAB, a 501(c)(6) organization founded in 2017, currently has a board of seven, who are located across the state. Besides Young, Changose, and Luo-Branch, who recently transitioned to northwest Arkansas, the other board members are: Boon Tan, an immigrant from Malaysia, of the World Trade Center Arkansas; Wendy Wang, a Chinese native, of the Arkansas Department of Workforce Services; Young Chun, a Korean-Arkansan, of the Michele Phillips & Company; and Rett Hatcher, an Arkansas native, of the Gilmore Strategy Group.