In September, TAP-OC obtained provisional chapter status to serve the wonderful TAs in Orange County in Southern California. Please give a big welcome to our newest family member! TACL conducted a short interview with Vincent Su, TAP-OC’s Founding President to learn a little more about him and TAP-OC. Here is what we found out.

TAP-OC held a “social” TAPpy Hour.

TACL: Tell us about yourself! It can be about anything – where you grew up, your professional background, how long you’ve been involved in the TA community, your hobbies, etc.

VS: I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. I went to school in San Diego to study political science, and I currently work in politics.  I’ve been a part of the TAP-LA Board for the past 2 years.

TACL: What is the history of TAP-OC – when did it become a Provisional Chapter and why did you decide to start a provisional chapter in the Orange County?

VS: I’ve heard that there were many attempts to create a chapter in Orange County (OC) by numerous individuals from both the LA and OC region in the past.  TAP-LA has always been aware that there was a void in the market for OC residents.  When there were cool TAP-LA events, the distance and inevitable struggle in LA traffic hindered those from the OC from participating.  In 2014, Deborah Lin, the OC Social Chair for the TAP-LA board, restarted the effort to create a chapter in Orange County and in 2015, Deborah and then President Jeannette Low recruited me to join the LA board and continue Deborah’s efforts.  From that point onward, we continued to host events in the OC and build up a presence in the region.  As the interest for a TAP-OC continued to grow and my awesome Board came together, I became more comfortable with applying for provisional status.  During the 2017 Fall TACL Convention in Austin, my team and I presented to the National Board and our provisional status was unanimously approved.  I know it is a long road ahead, building a new chapter, but I am very excited to continue fostering the TA community here in the OC.

TACL: How has being a part of TAP-OC, TACL, etc. affected or changed your life?

VS: Being a part of TACL/TAP has affected me in numerous ways – mostly the opportunity to grow as an individual and to make a difference in my community.

TACL: What has been your favorite TAP-OC event so far?

VS: My favorite TAP-OC event would have to be the Summer Kick-Off BBQ Potluck we hosted in July. It was great to see board members from three different chapters (LA, OC & SD) hang out and have a good time. It was also a great way to kick off the summer and build momentum to becoming a provisional chapter.

TAP-OC’s BBQ Potluck – great weather with great company.

TACL: What is one piece of advice you would give someone looking to start a provisional TAP chapter?

VS: The one piece of advice I would give someone is to make sure to build a strong, cohesive and family-like team to help you get started.

TACL: If you could sit down with one person (deceased or alive or fictional or not famous) for an hour and talk to them about anything, who would that be and what would you want to talk to him/her about?

VS: The one person I would like to sit down with would be my grandfather whom I’ve never met. I would like to know who he is and hear his life stories. Apparently I have a lot of similarities with my grandfather.