Organizational Structure
Governance built for institutional rigor
CLI combines Board leadership with specialized committees that organize standards, publications, systems, and community engagement.
01 Board of Directors
02 Standing Committees
03 Committee Service
Leadership
Board of Directors
CLI is led by a three-member Board of Directors responsible for strategy, financial oversight, legal compliance, and fidelity to mission.
Natra Chau
President/CEO and Director
Natra is the Founder and President of CLI, where he leads the organization's institutional strategy and operations. He brings marketing and business development leadership from large U.S. financial-services firms, including as a senior marketing leader at WIS, where he led the marketing function. He holds a B.A. in Philosophy from the University of California, Berkeley, and is a member of the Cham diaspora committed to building lasting institutions for the Cham people.
Ariya Chau, MD
Secretary and Director
Ariya is Secretary and Director of CLI, where she supports the organization's governance and oversight of institutional rigor. As a Clinical Assistant Professor at Stanford Medicine and a member of the Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, she brings the perspective of one of the world's foremost research institutions to CLI's governance. Her leadership strengthens CLI's commitment to careful judgment, credible scholarship, and high-quality resources for the Cham language.
Michael Tai
Treasurer/CFO and Director
Michael is Treasurer and Director of CLI, where he supports the organization's financial governance and internal controls. He holds a B.A. in Accounting from California State University, Long Beach, and brings more than a decade of experience at Ernst & Young, a global accounting and advisory firm. Michael is also a respected leader in the U.S. Cham community, with longstanding service and leadership through the annual Champa Youth Camp. His background strengthens CLI's ability to operate with financial discipline and responsible oversight.
Specialized working bodies
Standing Committees
CLI is organized into distinct working bodies that enable focus across its linguistic outputs. The committee structure allows specialized work to move forward across key areas while remaining aligned with the Institute's broader standards and mission.
01
Standards Committee
Reviews evidence and issues recommendations on Cham standardization, orthography, grammar, and usage.
02
Lexicon and Terminology Committee
Organizes lexical research and develops vocabulary and terminology for modern domains.
03
Publications Committee
Sets editorial standards and oversees dictionaries, reference guides, journals, and other CLI publications.
04
Systems and Tools Committee
Develops the digital infrastructure, translation systems, datasets, and language tools that extend the reach and utility of CLI's work.
05
Advisory Committee
Provides subject-matter insight and external perspective relating to the Cham language and the Cham community at large.
Institutional participation
Contribute through a defined role
Committee service connects qualified contributors to the specialized bodies that organize CLI's linguistic and institutional work.