Kirirath “AJ” Saing has been appointed by Mayor Judith Flanagan Kennedy to the Economic Development and Industrial Corporation of Lynn (EDIC/Lynn) board of directors.
“AJ has already done so much for the residents of Lynn – particularly the Cambodian community – and we are thrilled to have someone with his passion and drive on our board,” said EDIC/Lynn Executive Director James Cowdell.
“My attitude is one of service,” said Saing. “I want to work with EDIC to improve the city I call home.”
Saing, who also serves as the mayor’s Southeast Asian liaison, has been living in Lynn for 10 years.
“AJ introduced himself to me during the very first days of my administration,” said Kennedy. “He had an obvious love for helping people, a great sense of humor, and a passion for the City of Lynn. He has been an integral part of our team since day one.”
Born in Cambodia, Saing came to the U.S. in 1982 with his mother and six siblings. Former President Ronald Reagan sponsored Saing’s family, along with others who had assisted U.S. troops during the Vietnam War. They arrived in Bristol, Conn. and eventually settled in Lowell.
Saing said he was introduced to Lynn –which is home to the third largest Cambodian community in the country, behind Lowell and Long Beach, Calif. – while he was working in East Boston as a medical technician.
“I met a number of patients from this community who were going to East Boston for language services and that’s when I knew I needed to be in Lynn,” Saing said.
He was hired as Union Hospital’s manager of interpretive services and community outreach and in 2010 he joined Element Care (formerly Elder Service Plan of the North Shore) as the organization’s multicultural program specialist.
Saing is also currently enrolled at Salem State University, where he hopes to earn his bachelor’s degree in business administration, with a concentration in management. He earned his associate’s degree in business administration from North Shore Community College this past spring.
“A little engine inside of me said I needed to go back to school,” said Saing.
In his role as a liaison to the mayor, Saing provides oral translation services in Khmer and constituent services as needed. He is also working to coordinate a symposium for the Southeast Asian communities of Lynn and Lowell, which will take place Oct. 23-24.
“I’m really humbled to be able to bring the two cities and two mayors together in this way, and I hope to do even more to provide the best services to the residents of Lynn,” said Saing.
Kirirath “AJ” Saing
Saing and his wife, Sara, have two sons, Steven, a sophomore at Lynn Classical High School, and Kevin, a fifth-grader at Lynn Woods Elementary School.
“I appreciate my family’s support,” said Saing. “Without it, I wouldn’t be able to do what I do in the community on a daily basis.”