Chau Nguyen, LMSW

Chau Nguyen is the Chief Public Strategies Officer for the Houston Area Women’s Center, tasked with managing and expanding key partnerships while positioning HAWC as thought leaders in order to drive broad awareness of domestic violence and sexual assault, with a goal of reducing interpersonal violence and changing cultural norms about how survivors are understood.

Prior to her leadership in the non-profit space, Nguyen spent 15 years as a television news journalist and last served as an anchor and reporter with KHOU TV. She is the first Vietnamese American journalist to receive an Emmy Award for her documentary series covering a medical mission in Vietnam, and the Houston Press has named her Reporter of the Year.

A native Houstonian, Nguyen is passionate about staying connected to her community, serving on numerous Boards. She currently sits on the Boards of Catapult and The University of Houston Friends of Women’s Studies, and she is on the advisory board of Houston Achievement Place.

Nguyen is a Licensed Master Social Worker and holds a Masters of Arts in Social Work from the University of Houston and a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the University of St. Thomas.  

She is frequently asked to emcee events, including Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner’s Inauguration in 2016. She is the proud mother of two young girls, Ryan and Myles, a Yorkie named Peanut, and she is an active member of Unity of Houston.