HELLO FROM SECRETARIAT UCLG ASPAC is glad to introduce two new colleagues who recently joined the Secretariat. Please welcome the Head of Bureau Secretary General and the Head of the Division of Communications and Member Services, who are now working with the team to strengthen our organization and support members and partners across the Asia-Pacific region. My name is Yooke Damopolii. I am from Indonesia. I graduated from the University of Gadjah Mada with a BA in International Relations in 1997 and from the University of Bradford with an MA in Peace Studies in 2003. I have more than 18 years experience working in development/humanitarian fields in Indonesia and have been working with various organizations and projects. Including: Pikul, ICMC, ChildFund Indonesia, EC Delegation in Indonesia, UNDP, PNDS Project in Timor Leste and KOMPAK Project. I love music and reading. Being in the development/humanitarian field, I always aspire to make impacts and leave positive legacies through the work that I do. Joining UCLG ASPAC, I hope to be able to realize that aspiration and vision. My name is Thanawan Klumklomchit (Bam) and I am from Thailand. I recently joined UCLG ASPAC Secretariat as the Head of the Division of Communications and Member Services and will be supporting the team in making sure that our members, partners and the wider public are well informed of UCLG ASPAC’s active work, so they can best capitalize on the services and collaborations we foster. Realizing how important local governments are in all aspects of development, I am glad to be part of UCLG ASPAC’s efforts to strengthen their roles, positions and capacities in key areas in order to achieve sustainable outcomes. I worked for four years with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), assisting ASEAN Member States in strengthening their criminal justice response to terrorism. I also worked for 11 years with the Delegation of the European Union (EU) in Thailand, responsible for political reporting, communications and media relations. My professional background includes my time as a
journalist for Asahi Shimbun newspaper (Asian General Bureau). I focused my education on political science, international relations and security. I obtained a Master’s Degree on European and International Security from the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP), Geneva, Switzerland. I love practicing yoga, reading and travelling. I look forward to discovering Jakarta and other cities that we work with. Thank you.