LEADERSHIP

BOARD OF GOVERNORS

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Republicans Overseas has a Board of Governors, an Executive Team, and an Advisory Board.

BRUCE ASH

CHAIRMAN

Bruce Ash is a native of Tucson, Arizona and operates a real estate management and acquisition company there. Throughout his professional career, Mr. Ash has served on local, national and international levels in various health, philanthropic and care organizations. He brings his vast experience in business and fundraising to Republican political activism in Arizona. Mr. Ash was selected as Arizona’s Republican Committeeman in 2007 and was re-elected to four-year terms in 2008 and 2012. He was a member of the RNC Standing Committee on Resolutions (2009- 2010) and currently serves on the Standing Committee on Rules (2009 – Present). In 2010, Mr. Ash was elected Chairman of the Standing Committee on Rules (2010 – 2012), and he was re-elected to another four-year term in 2013. Mr. Ash has also served as a member of the RNC Executive Committee from 2010 -2020. Mr. Ash is a founding member of the Conservative Steering Committee and of Republicans Overseas. He was the Chairman of the RNC’s Republican National Conservative Caucus. Bruce Ash is married to Jane Ash, and they have two married sons.

LAURA NAKANELUA

SECRETARY

Laura Nakanelua was elected as the Republican National Committeewoman from Hawai’i in May of 2020. She currently serves on the RNC Standing Committee on Rules, and the Temporary Committees on Election Integrity and Faith Engagement. She also served two years on the Temporary Grassroots Advisory Committee. Mrs. Nakanelua has also been active in her home state of Hawaii where she has lived for the last 22 years. Early in her term as National Committeewoman, Laura led the launch of Hawaii’s first federated chapter of Hawaii Young Republicans! She currently serves on the HIYR Advisory Board. Mrs. Nakanelua is a founding member of the Honolulu Chapter of Moms for Liberty, Windward Club President of the Hawaii Federation of Republican Women, and is a life member of the Oahu League of Republican Women. She serves a member of the Hawaii Republican Party Rules Committee, and is a Precinct President. Mrs. Nakanelua is a corporate professional, nonprofit leader and trainer. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and has been in sales and marketing with a Fortune 50 company for the last 15 years. She serves as Vice President on the Board of the American Logistics Association, Hawai’i Chapter. Laura is married to Kelsey Nakanelua, a U.S.Naval Officer and they have an adult son, Kaleb.

SOLOMON YUE

VICE CHAIRMAN & CEO

Solomon Yue, Jr., co-founder of Republicans Overseas Inc., serves as Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. Yue, a legal immigrant born in Communist China, survived Mao’s Cultural Revolution and escaped to America on a Student Visa. He spoke only two English phrases: “thank you” and “Coca Cola” when he arrived in America. He worked two jobs to pay for his Management Sciences BA and International Trade MBA, and earned his U.S. citizenship under the Third Preference Category for highly skilled professionals as an International Trade Economist. Yue started a successful import/wholesale medical glove business. He has served on the Republican National Committee since 2000, with a current seniority ranking of 10 among the 168 RNC members. In 2008, Mr. Yue co-founded the RNC’s Republican National Conservative Caucus (RNCC), a brain trust of the national conservative movement dedicated to returning America to its founding roots. At the same time, he co-founded the Republican Conservative Steering Committee (RCSC), a member-driven political forum for public policy debates. From 2011-2018, Yue served as Vice Chairman for three PACs: the USA Super PAC, the Republican Super PAC, and the Grassroots Conservative Coalition. As President of Grassfire Strategic Planning and Management Group L.L.C., Yue managed political campaign projects throughout America. As a senior RNC leader, Yue has served as a member of the RNC Executive Committee, Deputy Permanent Co-Chairman of the Republican National Convention for 2012, member of the 2012 Republican National Convention Committee on Credentials, and Special Envoy of the RNC Chairman to the Republicans Abroad Worldwide. He is currently a member of the RNC Standing Committee on Rules and the Presidential Debates Committee. Yue successfully defended President Trump’s nomination at the Republican National Convention for 2016 by proposing Robert’s Rules of Order instead of House Rules to govern the Convention. He also proposed that RNC Rules changes not be effective until the conclusion of the Convention. Although that proposal wasn’t adopted, his efforts thwarted the plans of the “never Trumpers” and “vote your conscience” movements to steal the nomination.

ROGER VILLERE

MEMBER

Roger F. Villere, Jr. currently serves as RNC National Committeeman, Louisiana and is a member of the RNC Site Selection Committee, The RNC Grassroots Special Committee and Chairman of the RNCC, Republican National Conservative Caucus of the RNC. Roger Villere was first elected State Chairman of the Republican Party of Louisiana in March of 2004 and reelected in 06,08,10,12,14 and 2016. Roger is the longest serving chairman on both the RNC and the LAGOP. Currently, Roger serves as Republican National Committeeman, elected to a 4-year term in August 2020. When Roger was elected Chairman of the LAGOP there was only one statewide elected Republican, today there is only one statewide elected Democrat! Under his leadership the LAGOP has added 200 thousand new Republicans to the Voter Rolls and has gained majorities in both houses of the state legislature, the state supreme court, the BESE board, the Public Service commission and elected 5 out of 6 Congressman! Formerly, he served as the Chairman of the Republican Party of East Jefferson and Jefferson Parish as well as RNC National Committeeman. Roger has also served on the Republican Parish Executive Committee and the Republican State Central Committee of Louisiana and is currently a member of the LAGOP executive committee. In the academic arena, he was a fellow for the LSU Academy of Politics and Loyola Institute of Politics in 1989 and 1990, respectively. Roger was also active in the Chamber of New Orleans and River Region, serving as Chairman of both the East Jefferson and Small Business Councils. Roger is a prominent florist in Louisiana (Villere’s Florist) with locations in both Covington and Metairie. Roger served as the President of the Louisiana State Florist Association, of which he is a life member. Roger is a member of the Society of American Florists and was inducted into The Academy of Florist, their National Honor Society. In 2008, Roger served as Chairman of the Electoral College for Louisiana. Since joining the RNC, Roger has served on the Rules and Resolutions Committees and currently is a member of the RNC serving a Louisiana National Committeeman and a past Executive Committee Member serving as a Vice Chairman of the RNC for 2 terms. He remains President of the Villere Corporation and owner of Villere’s Florist. He was an Officer and Board Member of the Loyola Institute of Politics, WYES-TV and the Knights of Columbus Council 4663 3rd Degree, currently serving as Grand Knight and Knights Greco Council 4th Degree. Roger served as an officer and board member of Women’s New Life Center, and Roger served as President of the East Jefferson Hospital Foundation, the Metairie and Louisiana Jaycees and the Lafreniere Kiwanis. Roger served the Boy Scouts as Scoutmaster and member of Order of the Arrow and is a life member of the National Rifle Association as well as a JCI Senator. Roger is also founder and charter member of the Jefferson Chamber and Pelican State Pachyderms. Roger is a past member of the Louisiana Bicentennial Commission and the Bicentennial Commission for the War of 1812. Roger is the Past President of the Louisiana Chapter of the Society of the War of 1812, an executive committee member and officer of the Society of the War of 1812 also a member of the Founders of the City of New Orleans and serves as a member and officer (VP) of the Sons of the American Revolution (George Washington Chapter) and assistant Secretary of the Louisiana Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. Roger studied horticulture at Delgado and attended the University of New Orleans and currently lives in Metairie Louisiana with his wife, Donna. They have three sons and four granddaughters and two great grandsons.

RANDY PULLEN

TREASURER

Mr. Pullen serves as the President and CEO of WageWatch Inc., a Scottsdale, Arizona based software technology and Internet ASP with a national and Fortune 500 customer base. WageWatch is recognized nationally as a leading provider of Internet-based wage, salary and benefits surveys for the hospitality, gaming, and healthcare industries. Mr. Pullen founded WageWatch in 2000. Prior to founding WageWatch, Mr. Pullen served as an audit and consulting partner with Deloitte and Touche, where he was recognized nationally as a firm expert on financial institutions, real estate and hotel financial issues. He also served as the President and a Director of ILX Resorts, a publicly traded Phoenix based resort developer and operator, and President and CEO of eStreet Capital, Inc., a successful Phoenix based venture capital fund. He served on the Board and as Treasurer of the Arizona Housing Finance Authority from 2010 to 2016. He is also the Chairman of the Board of American National Radio Corporation, a national radio network focused on communicating American values to all Americans. Mr. Pullen served as the Chairman of the Arizona Republican Party from 2007 to 2011 and was Treasurer of the Republican National Committee from 2009 to 2011. He serves or has served on the board of several non-profit organizations including Phoenix Art Museum Men’s Arts Council, Phoenix Rotary 100, and Rosie’s House, a nationally recognized music school for disadvantaged children. Mr. Pullen earned a Bachelor’s degree with a major in mathematics and an MBA from Arizona State University. Mr. Pullen is a CPA in Arizona and California. He is also a real estate broker in Arizona. Mr. Pullen is an Audit Committee Financial Expert under the provisions of Sarbanes Oxley Section 401 H of Regulation S-K.

STEVE YATES

MEMBER

Stephen Yates is an accomplished chief executive and global strategist with more than 25 years of experience in politics, policy, media, and government. Mr. Yates possesses an extensive background in national security affairs, presidential campaigns, and global relations. Since 2006, he has been a senior advisor to presidential campaigns, a frequent media commentator, and the CEO of DC International Advisory. DC International Advisory is an analytical and advisory practice that assesses political risk and opportunity in key capitals and regions worldwide. From 2001 through 2005, Mr. Yates served in the White House as Deputy Assistant to the Vice President for National Security Affairs. During his tenure in government, he was deeply involved in the development and execution of U.S foreign policy priorities. Mr. Yates served as chairman of the Idaho Republican Party from August 2014 through April 2017, continuing his long commitment to politics, policy, and the party. He was an active member of the Republican National Committee and served as co-chair of the 2016 Republican Platform Subcommittee on National Security. Mr. Yates previously served as Senior Policy Analyst at the Heritage Foundation and as an analyst at the National Security Agency. He is Fluent in Mandarin Chinese, and he received a Master’s degree in China Studies from Johns Hopkins University.

JOHN YING

MEMBER

Mr. Ying is the founder of a private investment firm headquartered in Hong Kong and has served as a director of several publicly listed companies in industries ranging from luxury branded products, wood fiber and paperboard, specialty cellulose to online fashion, health, and beauty retailing. He was one of the founding partners of Carlyle Asia and Managing Director—Asia of The Carlyle Group, Managing Director and North Asia investment head for Arctic Capital, and Director and head of Thailand Investment Banking for Merrill Lynch & Co. Mr. Ying was an Alternate Delegate from Nevada to the 2020 Republican Convention, an Underwriter of the 58th Presidential Inaugural Committee in 2017, and Asia Finance Chairman and RNC Finance Committee Member in 2012. He has focused on supporting promising candidates in Nevada, including Congressman Mark Amodei, Senator Dean Heller, Attorney General Adam Laxalt, and the 2024 Senate campaign of Sam Brown. Mr. Ying was the founder and Chairman of the Asian Republican Coalition. He serves as Chairman Emeritus of The Hong Kong Ballet and as Director Emeritus of the Graduate Executive Board of The Wharton School. Mr. Ying graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with an MBA from The Wharton School and an MA from the Lauder Institute, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a BS in electrical engineering, and the Phillips Exeter Academy. He is married to Lisa Ying and has two children.