Phuong Truong

Born in South Vietnam, Phuong obtained his Baccalaureate Degree in Philosophy at the Adran College in Dalat and a Graduate Diploma in French Literature at the Saigon University. He also obtained his Post-graduate Diploma in Journalism at the School of Advanced Social Studies in Paris, France.

Phuong came to the United States in 1967 to pursue various professional endeavors, including serving as a Supervisory Instructor of Foreign Languages for the Crowell Collier Institute in Arlington, Virginia, while moonlighting as a Translator-Announcer for the Voice of America in Washington, DC; serving as an Associate-Professor of Foreign Languages, for the U.S. Department of Defense’s Language Institute in Washington D.C and Monterey, California.

In 1976, to address the critical unmet needs of the newly arrived Southeast Asian refugees, Phuong left the government service to establish the International Service Center, a non-profit social service agency in Harrisburg, PA, where he has been serving as its Executive Director since then.

Phuong’s civic and community services include the founding of community development initiatives such as the Spirit of Vietnam Radio Program, the Mutual Assistance Association Technical Assistance Consortium, the Asian-American Business & Professional Association, and the New Americans Leadership Council.

He also served on various Boards and Commissions, such as the Pennsylvania Heritage Affairs Commission, the Governor’s Commission on Children and Families, the Pennsylvania Department of Aging’s Cultural Diversity Council, the Governor’s Advisory Commission on Asian American Affairs, and the Attorney General’s Advisory Commission on Asian and Pacific Islanders Affairs.