Erika Ninoyu

Erika Ninoyu is Deputy Director at the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. In this role, she supports the coordination and implementation of federal programs and initiatives to advance equity, justice, and opportunity for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AA and NHPI) communities. She also serves as a Designated Federal Officer for the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders.

Erika transitioned from a 10-year career of teaching in public schools in Anchorage to serving powerful appropriators in Congress. Previously serving as Congresswoman Barbara Lee's Senior Legislative Assistant, Erika advised the Congresswoman in her roles as subcommittee member of LHHSED and Agriculture appropriations, chair of the Democratic Caucus Poverty Task Force, co-chair of the CAPAC Health Task Force, co-chair of the HIV/AIDS Caucus, and co-chair of the Sickle Cell Caucus. A former Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies fellow under Congresswoman Grace Meng during the peak of COVID-19, Erika worked to address anti-Asian hate, language access, education, and civil rights issues. Erika earned her M. Ed. in Education Policy and Management from Harvard, M.A.T. and Bachelor of Music at the University of Alaska. A musician at heart, you will find Erika performing taiko drumming with MHTX throughout the DMV area.