Marpheen Chann is an award-winning author, writer, thinker, advocate, and speaker on intersectionality, inclusion, and belonging.

As a gay, first-generation Asian American born in California to a Cambodian refugee family and later adopted by an evangelical, white working-class family in Maine, Marpheen uses a mix of humor and storytelling to help people view topics such as racism, xenophobia, and homophobia through an intersectional lens. His memoir, Moon in Full, won the bronze IPPY Award for LGBTQ Nonfiction and was a finalist for the Maine Literary Awards and The Eric Hoffer Book Award. He became the first Cambodian American-elected official in Maine in 2021 when he was elected as an At-Large Charter Commissioner for the City of Portland, Maine.

Marpheen Chann lives in Portland, Maine. He works in the nonprofit and advocacy sector as Executive Director and Founder of Khmer Maine and a consultant. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Southern Maine, a law degree from the University of Maine School of Law, and a certificate from the Harvard Kennedy School.

Current Public and Community Service:

• Member, Planning Board for the City of Portland, Maine (March 2020 - Present)

• Board Member, Maine Conservation Voters

• Board Member, Quality Housing Coalition

Past Elected and Appointed Office:

• At-Large Charter Commissioner, City of Portland, Maine (Elected)(June 2021 - August 2022)

Past Public and Community Service:

• President and Founder, Khmer Maine

• Board Member, Equality Community Center in Portland, Maine

• Member, Maine Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights

• Board Member, Greater Portland Immigrant Welcome Center