National Leadership

Since its inception in 1977, OCAW has been led by a succession of enterprising national presidents, who brought their vision, energy and commitment to the national office. Each of the past presidents had left her own individual imprint on the organization while staying focused on its vision and mission.

OCAW National Presidents:

Ms. Christina K Chang

Dr. Faith Lee Breen

Ms. Rosetta Lai Hon. Ruby G. Moy Ms. Jeanie F. Jew Hon. Katherine Chang Dress Hon. Nancy Linn Patton Dr. Faith Lee Breen Dr. Lily K. Lai Hon. Lily Lee Chen Ambassador Julia Chang Bloch Ms. Pauline W. Tsui

Dr. Faith Lee Breen OCAW Chair 2008-2009

Dr. Breen is a professor of Business and Management at a Community College and an adjunct Professor at the Graduate of Management & Technology at The University of Maryland University College.  She is a lifetime member of OCAW and she is a past member of OCAW’s Advisory Board. She was the Deputy Executive Director of the Gates Millennium Scholars Program, and the Founder and President of Systems Resource Management, Inc.;  Dr. Breen received her Ph.D.  from the University of Maryland and completed a post-doctorate M.P.A. at the Kennedy school of Government, Harvard University. She also has an MA in Economics from the University of Pittsburgh.  She served as the staff economist on a White House Commission, with The National Governors’ Association, and The Deputy  Under Secretary of Management at the U.S. Department of Education where she received a Secretarial Award for Excellence.  She holds the Cathy S. Bernard Chair.

Ms. Rosetta Lai OCAW National President 2003-2008

Rosetta Lai is the President of MRL International, a leadership and organization effectiveness consultancy.  Until April 2003, Rosetta was the Director of Leadership and Organization Development at Motorola. From 1997 to 2001, she was the Director of Organization Development for Motorola in the Asia Pacific Region headquartered in Singapore and Beijing. During her tenure in Asia Pacific, Rosetta was instrumental in succession planning for all executive positions in the region, helping to ease the transition of local control of the corporation to Asian managers. At the end of her assignment in 2001, all except two senior leaders in the region were Asian. Rosetta has been involved in OCA (Organization of Chinese American) and OCAW (Organization of Chinese American Women) since the early 1980s. She was the President of the Chicago Chapter of OCA in the mid 1980s and the National Vice President for OCAW in late 80s. In 1987, she was part of the 20 Women Leader Delegation under OCAW’s Women to Women Program to visit The People’s Republic of China, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

Hon. Ruby G. Moy OCAW National President 2001-2002

Ms. Moy is presently Commissioner on the D.C. Commission for Women, D.C. Commission for National and Community Service, Board member of the D.C. Police Standards and Training Board, Member of the House Administrative Assistants Alumni Association. Ms. Moy was appointed by the President as Director of U.S. Commission on Civil Rights in 1997. Ms. Moy served from 1992 to 1997 as the Executive Assistant to the Director of the White House Office of Public Liaison. From 1973 to 1992, she served as Chief of Staff to senior Congressman Frank Horton (R-NY). Prior to that, Ms. Moy served as Chairperson of the Congressional Staff Delegations to various Asian countries, a co-founding member of the New York State Republican Administrative Assistants Association and as Executive Director of the New York State Congressional Delegation. She was a recipient of OCAW Leadership Award in 1996.

Ms. Jeanie F. Jew OCAW National President 1997-2001

Presently Chair of OCAW’s Board of Director, Ms. Jew is a nationally known speaker and consultant whose expertise are associated with programs and projects which help to focus upon or to improve the economic, social, political or educational opportunities of groups and communities. She is the Creator of Asian Pacific American Heritage Week/Month legislation which she wrote for adoption by Congress and the month of May was established to focus national attention on Asian Pacific Americans. She is former Vice Chair/Founder and Organizing Director of a Savings Bank, past member of the Board of Directors of the National Conference of Christians and Jews, and currently a distinguished member of the Board of Directors of Central Virginia Public Television. Ms. Jew has hosted and participated in numerous TV programs. She has been consistently recognized for her leadership and community service. Ms. Jew was a recipient of the OCAW Leadership Award in 1996.

Hon. Katherine Chang Dress OCAW National President 1993-1997

A member of OCAW’s Advisory Board, Ms. Dress was Manager, Outreach Environmental Justice, Dallas Area Rapid Transit, a Principal of UNIDUS Corporation. Before that, Ms. Dress was a journalist for Radio/Daily Newspaper/CBS News, an entrepreneur, a refugee resettlement expert, and a Deputy Director of a US national political organization. Ms. Dress was the Deputy Assistant Secretary for International and Territorial Affairs U.S. DOI and an appointee to the Minority Business Development Agency, DOC; the Peace Corps and the U.S. Merit System Protection Board. She received numerous awards for excellence in her many capacities and community service including a Certificate of Appreciation from the US Commission of Minority Business Development and a Point Of Light Award from the US Government. As Manager of Minority-and Women-Owned Business Program at Fannie Mae, she earned several awards for the corporation and a national personal award from the magazine, Minority Business Week USA. She served for several years on the DOC/SBA MED Week Planning Committee and as its Vice Chairman in 1994.

Hon. Nancy Linn Patton OCAW National President 1991-1993

Ms. Patton was the director of Marketing, Pearson Corp Transportation group. Formerly the Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Economic Policy for East Asia and the Pacific in International trade Administration at the U.S. Department of Commerce and is a member of OCAW Advisory Board. Previously, she was an IBM program manager for External and Community Affairs for the Washington Metropolitan Area. In 1989, Ms. Patton was selected by IBM as a Brookings Institute Congressional Fellow to serve in the Office of Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. Earlier, she was a manager in IBM public sector marketing programs for the mid-Atlantic region, and as an office systems product specialist, she earned three times consecutively the annual Golden Circle Award, which is IBM’s highest award for marketing achievement. Ms. Patton has service in Washington D.C. community affairs as Chairperson on the board of Studio Theater, board member of the National Conference of Christians and Jews, Project Northstar, and is a past director of Food & Friends and Food for All Seasons.

Dr. Faith Lee Breen OCAW Chair 1989-1993

Dr. Breen is a professor of Business and Management at a Community College and a member of OCAW Advisory Board. She was The Deputy Executive Director of the Gates Millennium Scholars Program, and the Founder & President of Systems Resource Management, Inc.;  Dr. Breen received her Ph.D. from the University of Maryland and completed a post-doctorate M.P.A. at the Kennedy school of Government, Harvard University. She also has her M.A. in economics from the University of Pittsburgh.  She served as the staff economist on a White House Commission, with The National Governors’ Association, American Enterprise Institute, and the Deputy Under  Secretary of Management at the U.S. Department of Education where she received a Secretarial Award for Excellence.

Dr. Lily K. Lai OCAW National President 1984-1990

Dr. Lai currently is President & CEO of both First American Development Corporation . She is an OCAW Advisory Board member. Dr. Lai has a distinguished career in the areas of telecommunications, finance, and marketing. She was the Executive Director of Pitney Bowes Corporation and served with US West International as Chief Financial and Planning Officer and VP for Asia/Pacific; she was also with AT&T in various capacities including Director of International Affairs, and Director of Corporate Strategy and Development; and was with Wisconsin Telephone Company as an Economist. Dr. Lai received the Asian American Award in 1985 and was elected by AT&T as an MIT Sloan Fellow in 1982.

Hon. Lily Lee Chen OCAW National President 1983-1984

Ms. Chen currently a member of the OCAW Advisory Board, she has a distinguished record of public service and a strong history of Democratic organizing and fundraising efforts, and held elected office as Mayor of Monterey Park, California. In addition to a career of administering community and human services programs for Los Angeles County, Ms. Chen has extensive experience in international business. She headed an international trade and investment company, and had led trade missions to many counties to promote U.S. exports. She was both a Presidential Appointed Member of the Defense Advisory Committee on Women In The Services, U.S. Department of Defense, and the Industry Policy Advisory Committee of the US Department of Commerce.

Ambassador Julia Chang Bloch OCAW Chair 1982-1989

Ambassador Bloch chairs the US-China Education Trust and was a Visiting Professor at both the Beijing and Shanghai Universities. She is currently a member of OCAW Advisory Board.

She was formerly the U.S. Ambassador to Nepal and then served as the President of United States-Japan Foundation, Executive Group Vice President for Bank of America Corporation, Assistant Administrator of the Agency for International Development, Fellow for the Institute of Politics of the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, Deputy Director of the Office of African Affairs of the International Communication Agency, and various positions with Senate Select Committees and the Peace Corps.

Ms Bloch is a co-founder and staunch supporter of OCAW and was awarded the Woman of the Year Award as well as the Pillar Award from OCAW. She was also awarded a Leader for Peace Award from the Peace Corps, and the Humanitarian Service Award from AID, Outstanding Woman of Color from National Institute for Women of Color, Hubert H. Humphrey Award for International Service and the Brotherhood/Sisterhood Award from the National Conference.

Ms. Pauline W. Tsui Founding President of OCAW 1977-1983

Treasurer and Acting Executive Director in 2009 and earlier years, Ms. Tsui is VP of Sino-American Cultural Society, and former Board member of Chinese American Retirement Enterprises, Board member of Coop Company, and Advisor to Chinese Women’s League, Metropolitan DC Chapter.

She served in various capacities on several D.C. Commissions including: Chairman of Asian & Pacific Islander Affairs, member of D.C. Advisory Committee to the U.S. Civil Rights Commission, and the DC Mayor’s Steering Committee on America 2000.

Ms. Tsui is also the Founding President of the Chinatown Service Center and a founding member and National Vice President of the Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA). She worked for many years as the Federal Women’s Program Manager at the Defense Mapping Agency, Hydrographic and Topographic center where she earned an award for outstanding performance. She also received several other awards from the Mayor of Washington, D.C., Adult & Community Education of D.C. Public Schools, Potomac Palisade Chapter of Federally Employed Women, National Association of Professional Asian American Women, Filipino American Women’s Network, Rho Psi Society, Excellence 2000, Chinese American Retirement Enterprises, Organization of Chinese Americans and from OCAW.