Viengkeo Kay Bounkeua

Kay is a first-generation immigrant born to Lao-Chinese parents. She is from Albuquerque, New Mexico and received her Master of Public Health degree from the University of Michigan’s School of Public Health. She is the previous Executive Director for the New Mexico Asian Family Center; a board member of Bold Futures NM and the inaugural Chair for ABQ's Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs; and is an alumna of the Asian Pacific American Women’s Leadership Institute and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation Community Leadership Network fellowship.

In her current role as New Mexico Deputy State Director for The Wilderness Society, Kay has been using her policy, advocacy, public health, program development and movement building experience to advance their work to make public lands a solution to the climate crisis and ensure that all New Mexican’s equitably benefit from them.

Kay was recently appointed as the State Representative for House District 19, one of the most diverse districts per capita in the state of New Mexico encompassing Albuquerque's International District. As a freshman legislator, she was able to champion the passage of a language access bill that was recently signed into state law.

In her personal time, she can be found running with her two dogs and exploring the mountains with her husband and three-year-old daughter.