Keynote Speakers

Doug Nguyen, Regional Communications Director, Social Security Administration, Great Lakes Region Lead – White House Initiative on WHIAANHPI

Doug M. Nguyen is the Regional Communications Director who oversees the public affairs program for the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) six-state Chicago Region. Doug is a frequent speaker on the National State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIP) Virtual Medicare and co-presenter on CMS’ 2020-21 National Training Programs.

Doug currently serves as the SSA’s Regional Lead for the White House Initiatives on AANHPIs (WHIAANHPI) and American Indians and Alaska Natives (AIAN), the Rural Partners Network (RPN), and Unsheltered Homelessness (All In). Doug is an alumnus of SSA’s Advanced (ALP) and Operations Leadership Programs (OLDP) in which he held assignments in the Office of Legislation and Congressional Affairs and the Office of the Chicago Regional Chief Administrative Law Judge. He is a recipient of the White House’s Outstanding Voluntary Service Award and recently received the Chicago Federal Executive Board’s Award for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

Geri Sanchez Aglipay, Great Lakes Regional, Administrator U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)

Ms. Aglipay was appointed by President Joe Biden to be the Region V Administrator, Geri Sanchez Aglipay oversees SBA programs, offices, and operations in the SBA’s Great Lakes region, serving Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. She is a second-generation American and a daughter of a veteran with over 20 years of experience in entrepreneurship, economic development, and workforce development and is a former self- employed entrepreneur. Ms. Aglipay is the first Filipino American to receive a presidential appointment as a regional administrator at SBA.

Prior to SBA, she served as Director of the Midwest Region and National Director of Women’s Entrepreneurship for Small Business Majority. Regional Administrator Aglipay has experience in crafting equity-focused legislative and administrative policies that affect small businesses such as banking, health care, workplace benefits and taxes especially for owners of color, women, individuals from historically social and economic disadvantaged populations and those in underrepresented areas, in order to equitably advance economic mobility opportunities that strengthen financial security, wellness and expand inclusive local economies. In addition to impactful outreach strategy and administration, Aglipay has also led advocacy and coalition efforts for small business interests on bank policies affecting underbanked communities, anti-predatory lending, Community Reinvestment Act rules, workforce development and benefits, and, she spearheaded the creation metrics toolkit to assess service impact for small businesses in underserved areas.

She lectures regularly at Northwestern Kellogg School of Business, serves on the Federal Reserve Board of Chicago Small Business Advisory Council; is a commissioner of the Cook County Commission for Social Innovation; and, a Steering Committee member of Financial Inclusion for All Illinois. Her various civic and volunteer activities also include civic engagement and civil rights serving on the boards on various non-profit organizations. She is a graduate of Bradley University and pursued graduate study in community development finance from the University of New Hampshire.