About Our Chapter

Francine is a certified court manager for the 134th District Court in Dallas County, Texas. She was born in Phenom Phen, Cambodia, and grew up in Dallas, Texas. She attended Woodrow Wilson High School her freshman year and then transferred to Skyline High School, a Career Development Center, where she took part in the administrative work-study program. She was placed in two work-study programs while a part of the Skyline High School Co-Operative Study Cluster; the first was with Dr. Brown, where she learned the ins-and-outs of how a general dental practitioner's office functions and the second was with Edwards and Tillery, where she learned the ins-and-outs of how a law office functions. In 1995, she obtained her associate degree and paralegal certificate from El Centro Community College. From 1995 to 2001, she worked as a district office legislative aide for Texas House District 105. From 2001 to 2010, she was the Legal Administrator for the law office of Tillery and Tillery. She obtained her bachelor's degree in Legal Studies from Kaplan University in 2007. She was then hired by Judge James Stanton of the 134th District Court as his Court Coordinator during his last month in elected office in order to get the court’s docket ready for the newly elected Judge, who took office on December 28, 2010. In her numerous leadership roles, she has served as the Treasurer for the Carrollton Youth Football League (a 501c3 non-profit organization) from 2007 to 2012, as Election Judge in various municipal/primary/general elections, she currently serves as a Scholarship Reader/Reviewer for AANAPISI and APIA Scholars (formerly the Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund), she is an appointee to the DART’s Citizens Advisory Committee since 2014, and much more. She is married and has four children.

Thompson was born in Taichung, Taiwan, but grew up in Dallas, Texas. He went to Creekview High School in Carrollton, Texas where he was part of the junior varsity wrestling and varsity track teams. He then went to the University of North Texas where he graduated Summa Cum Laude, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies and a Minor in English. After graduating, Thompson worked for a medical equipment company as well as a telemedicine company for a short while. Thereafter, he went to El Centro College and graduated with a 4.0 GPA from its paralegal program. Through this program, Thompson secured an internship with the Dallas County Public Defender’s Office and the Honorable Judge Dale Tillery of the 134th Civil District Court in Dallas, where he met Francine Ly. Currently, Thompson is a student at UNT Dallas College of Law where he serves as Class Representative-elect. He is expected to graduate in 2021.

Sinmin was born in Seoul, South Korea and immigrated to the United States with her family when she was ten years old. She moved back to Korea and lived there as an adult to take the opportunity to immerse, learn, and gain deeper understanding of her cultural heritage. She was an official interpreter for the 1988 Seoul Olympics and is currently a freelance interpreter. Sinmin currently serves as a council member of the National Unification Advisory Council of the Republic of Korea. She is also a board member of the Korean Society of Dallas and the Korean Women’s Association of Dallas, which promotes diversity, cultural exchanges, and civic involvement. With her full understanding of both cultures, she is pleased to contribute as a community liaison to build bridges and bring people together. She is a presenter and a passionate advocate for educating and raising awareness about “Comfort Women” in local, national, and global levels through the Unforgotten Butterflies movement. This movement speaks against human trafficking and helps survivors and past victims gain their justice. Sinmin is married with three children. Her hobbies include traveling, Minwha (Korean Folk Painting), Hanji art, felting, printmaking, pottery, natural dyes, and silver metal clay. She received B.A. in International Relations from University of Redlands in California and attended Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea.

Tanner was born in Saigon, Vietnam in 1980, and moved to the United States at the age of 11. Upon graduating high school, he was offered a naval ROTC scholarship to join the fighting Texas Aggie Corps of Cadets where he reached the rank of Unit Commanding Officer. During the course of his education at Texas A&M, he enjoyed volunteering and participating in numerous university activities. After graduating from College, Tanner went on to join the United States Army, serving with the 82nd Airborne Division. While serving, his leadership skills were tested multiple times under extreme conditions. Tanner has worked with elected officials and civil rights leaders on both Democratic and Republican parties as a staff member. Here he focused his work on the following: (1) The juvenile justice system through the Texas Governor’s Office, (2) armed services, veteran’s affairs, budget, environment, and public works through the U.S. Senate, (3) transportation, infrastructure, and economic development through the U.S. Congress, and (4) civil rights for the advancement of equality. As an Iraq War veteran, Tanner is a strong advocate for veteran services, a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity, a swim coach, an advocate for workforce advancement in the community, a graduate of Texas A&M, and a devout Catholic. He is an active member of his church as a Knight of Columbus, and a former member of Brother Under Christ fraternity.