DELEGATE KATHY TRAN
Virginia’S 18th District
Service: City Year Staff Alum
Kathy Tran and her parents fled Vietnam as boat refugees when she was just seven months old. On the voyage, she grew so sick she almost died at sea. Although many other countries offered them asylum, they waited 13 months for the United States to accept their application. Kathy's family risked everything to come to America because this country has always represented hope, opportunity and freedom. Now, she's running for the Virginia House of Delegates to fight for the American values that brought her family here.
Kathy has devoted her career to ensuring that all working families have the opportunity to achieve the American Dream. During her 12 years of service at the U.S. Department of Labor, she served in numerous leadership positions, including as the Acting Administrator for the Office of Workforce Investment and the Director of the Division of Policy, Legislation, and Regulation. In these roles, she provided strategic national leadership and technical assistance to the public workforce system, implemented the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, and helped veterans acquire the job training and employment services they needed to transition into the civilian workforce.
Kathy went on to work at the National Immigration Forum, one of the nation’s leading immigration advocacy organizations. There, she advocated for policies that prepare immigrants in the workforce to reach their full career potential.
Kathy graduated from Duke University and earned her Master of Social Work from the University of Michigan. The president of her local PTA, she and her husband Matt live in West Springfield with their four children, Daven (8), Charlotte (6), Quinn (4), and baby Elise. They are avid Washington Nationals fans.