Roy Tongilava
Board President
Roy Tongilava is a first-generation queer, Tongan-American activist and advocate. Like many Pasifikas, Roy's parents immigrated from the villages of Holonga and Neiafu in the Kingdom of Tonga to the United States to pursue better economic opportunities. Born in Los Angeles and raised in the Bay Area, Roy believes in the inherent value 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 attended UC Riverside where he earned his BA in Public Policy 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 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!