Roy Tongilava
Board President
Roy Tongilava is a first-generation queer, Tongan American civil rights advocate and public policy professional. Like many Pasifikas in the diaspora, Roy's parents immigrated from the villages of Holonga and Neiafu in the Kingdom of Tonga to the United States to pursue economic opportunity. Roy believes in the inherent value and power of education for Pasifika youth and understands it as being crucial to one's personal development and more so to one's upward mobility. Inspired through his community's lived experiences, he was the first in his family to pursue higher education to better understand hegemonic systems of oppression, governance and domestic policy to provide ways to engage marginalized voices in policymaking and social change. His interests led him to work with local policy in Riverside, federal health policy in Washington DC and for legislators based in California's State Capitol. Often reflecting on his own family's struggle, Roy is passionate about uplifting Pasifika narratives and increasing our access to opportunity, all of which has led him to SPIO. In 2017, Roy was elected as the first Pacific Islander student representative in UC Riverside’s student government, the Associated Students of UCR.
Currently, he works as a Policy Analyst at The Education Trust-West advancing inclusive policies in California’s public education system, focusing on expanding opportunities for students of color, English learners, and students from low-income communities. He is currently an MPA candidate at the Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley and holds a BA in Public Policy from UC Riverside and a Graduate Certificate in Applied Policy and Government from CSU Sacramento. In his spare time, he enjoys preparing home-cooked meals, singing karaoke, watching sunsets on the beach and spending time with his loved ones. Let's connect!