 New Year, New Leadership
December 31, 2008
Dear Friend:
Happy New Year! After three years as the president of OCA-DC, I am stepping down effective today. It has been a distinct honor and privilege to be a torch bearer for an organization that stands for progress, unity and equality, and to have the opportunity to work with and learn from so many wonderful people in our community.
For the past three years, our chapter, one of OCA’s 81 chapters and affiliates nationwide, has been focusing on greater public awareness and education about Asian Americans, stronger partnerships with community organizations, and higher visibility in the local community, especially the immigrant Chinese community. There are many memorable moments and milestones. For example,
• We created the “OCA Forum”—a discussion forum about Asian American concerns that covered such topics as hate and bias crime awareness, workplace challenges, Asian American identity, and Chinese American history and contemporary issues.
• We helped make the Lunar New Year holiday a commemorative day in the State of Maryland in partnership with other Asian American organizations, and played an active role in such important advocacy initiatives as the Governor’s Asian American Summit, and the Montgomery County’s Asian American Leadership Summit.
• We received Winchester Homes’ 2007 Community Service Award and co-hosted the OCA 35th Anniversary National Convention “Voices for Progress” in Washington, DC in 2008 along with the OCA-Northern Virginia Chapter.
• We received frequent media coverage in the local Chinese media. Our annual awards gala, which is an important outreach and public education forum, has become a must-attend event for many community leaders and elected officials.
• We significantly increased the amount of CFC contributions from our members and friends and brought in new sponsors, which in turn enabled us to make several donations to the OCA Legacy Fund (for OCA’s building in DC) and the Internship Fund to invest in our community’s future.
• We have improved our communication with members, friends and partners through email listservs and a new Web site, www.ocadc.org, with new features such as blogs, online events registration, and real-time updates from OCA National’s press releases.
As I said in my swan song remarks at the OCA-DC 35th Anniversary Gala on December 7, OCA has given me the time of my life and transformed me from a new immigrant to a civic-minded American connected to the fabric of the local community. What I have done for OCA is nothing compared to what OCA has given me. Now, as Montgomery County Executive’s Liaison for the Asian and Middle Eastern Americans, I will continue to work on bringing our diverse communities together, raising awareness about Asian Americans’ needs and issues, and helping more Asian Americans integrate into the local civic life.
I am grateful to all the board members who served with me in different capacities over the past three years. Volunteer service takes a big heart and personal sacrifice. I am forever grateful for their friendship and commitment.
I am grateful to OCA’s founder KL Wang, National President Ginny Gong and National Executive Director Michael Lin for their exemplary public service and lifelong dedication to Asian American causes, as well as the past chapter presidents who continue to be involved and visible, especially where Asian Americans are still few and far between. I wish Michael and Ginny the best as today is also their official last day at the helm of OCA National.
I am grateful to Stan Lou and Stan Tsai, who will be carrying the torch as the incoming co-presidents of our chapter. The two Stans have each done a remarkable job as OCA-DC’s executive committee member and I am confident they will be a great team for OCA-DC. They will have my full support and I wish them great success as they strive to take our organization to new heights.
Finally, I am grateful to you, our member and friend, for your continued support of OCA, your civic involvement, and your contributions to our community and to our country. Thank you!
May the year of OX bring you peace, joy and prosperity!
Lily Qi
OCA-DC President ’06-‘08
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