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PAT S. CHARNVEJA
Pat S. Charnveja was born as Prapatip Sthapitanonda in Bangkok,
Thailand and came to the United States in October 1961. She is a
very active and respected civic leader in the Greater Houston
area, both in the mainstream and also in the Thai community.
Prior to her decision to retire in 1998, Ms. Charnveja worked in
the oil and gas industry from 1976-1998, working for several
medium-sized oil and gas exploration companies serving in several
capacities such as corporate secretary and land administration
manager. She was the first Asian-American woman in the United
States to hold a position of an offshore landman. Ms. Charnveja
was responsible for Gulf of Mexico areas located in the states of
Louisiana and Texas from 1990-1998. Since her retirement, she
has devoted her life to community volunteer work, promoting
equality and unity among the Asian Americans and Pacific
Islanders and other ethnicities through cultural education and
participation.
Ms. Charnveja is the founder and president of the Thai American
Chamber of Commerce (TACC). She is currently serving as
president of Thai Arts and Culture of Houston (TACH), a
non-profit cultural and educational organization. She was the
first president of the Thai Association of Greater Houston. Ms.
Charnveja also serves as a liaison between the Royal Thai
Embassy/Royal Thai Consulate General and the Thai community. She
served as a vice chair of the Organizing Committee for the
Demarcation Ceremony held on June 22-23, 2002, Public Affairs
Committee Chair of Queen Sirikit of Thailand's Welcoming
Committee to Houston during October 12-16, 2002, chaired the Loy
Krathong Festival at Wat Buddhavas of Houston (Thai Buddhist
temple) and has served on numerous committees. On February 21,
2002, she received a Letter of Commission from H.E. Adisai
Bodharamik, Minister of Commerce, appointing her as the Honorary
Trade Advisor (HTA) of the Ministry of Commerce in the State of
Texas.
Ms. Charnveja is a member of the board of directors of the
Asian/Pacific American Heritage Association (APAHA), a leading
cultural and education non-profit organization for the Asian
American and Pacific Islander communities, and served as its
president from July 2000-December 2001. She is a member of the
Focus Group for the Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics, Inc.
(LEAP) and a member of the Cultural Diversity Committee of the
Holocaust Museum Houston’s The Human Race. She is a member of
the executive committee of the Houston80-20 PAC, having served as
its assistant campaign treasurer and program committee chair.
She also served on the 80-20 Initiative's Endorsement Committee
for the 2000 Presidential Election. Ms. Charnveja was elected as
treasurer of the newly formed (2002) Asian American Voters'
Coalition (AAVC) and also serves as chairman of the Membership
Committee.
Ms. Charnveja is a member of the Texas Advisory Board of the Asia
Society-Texas Center, a member of the “Asia House” Planning
Committee and the Nominating Committee. She is currently
serving on the Mayoral Advisory Board for International Affairs
and Development-Asia (2000-present). Ms. Charnveja is a member
of the Patrons Committee for the Consular Ball 2002 and is a
member of the International Service Award Selection Committee of
the Houston Jaycees’ Consular Forum 2001 and 2002. She is a
graduate of Leadership Houston Class XX (2001-2002) and has also
been selected to serve as a grant review panelist (2002) for the
Cultural Arts Council of Houston and Harris County (CACHH). The
Metropolitan Transit Authority (METRO) named Ms. Charnveja as one
of the four Volunteers of the Year in 1998. She was also
profiled by Channel 39WB as an outstanding Asian American during
the Asian Pacific American Heritage Month in May 2000. She was
also named second runner-up in the Mrs. Houston International
Pageant 2000
Ms. Charnveja loves volunteer work. She is committed to promote
Thai arts, culture and business and also to bridge the gap
between the Thai community and other cultures in the Houston
area. Ms. Charnveja is also passionate about international
business, which led her to form PSC Marketing International, an
international business and marketing development company, in
2000. Currently, she is working with several ASEAN countries
developing business partnerships and strategies among the
countries and Houston area.
Ms. Charnveja is married to Mr. Kitipot Charnveja. They have
three sons, Pete, Paul and Perry. She attended West Texas A&M in
Canyon, Texas and the University of Houston-Downtown, majoring in
Petroleum Land Management and minoring in Accounting.
Contact address: Thai American Chamber of Commerce, P. O. Box
681277, Houston, TX 77268-1277 USA.E-mail:
prapatip@thaiamcc.org
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