PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

By Lisa M. Quan

Dear CBC members, friends and supporters,

Happy New Year to All!

I would like to take this opportunity as the new president of Citizens for Better Community (“CBC”) to express how excited I am to step into this role to further serve the community of Fremont. I would also like to thank David Sheen, the former president as well as dear friend and colleague for all his hard work and dedication during the past year. I am grateful that he will continue to provide us with support and guidance.

During my first CBC meeting nearly five years ago, I was asked by several board members, including Ivy Wu of the Fremont School Board, why I want to be part of this important community-service organization that has been around for more than twenty years. Without hesitation, I informed the board that while I am a native to the Bay Area, I had been traveling for several years both internationally and domestically and that I finally wanted to lay down roots in Fremont to live as part of the community. I want to continue to be held accountable to those words.

I have been very active in CBC since then and after thinking carefully about what I want to achieve in this new role, I felt myself gravitating towards the projects that I have been deeply involved with over the years, the CBC internship program, projects that encourage civic participation by all age groups and backgrounds, and increase membership so that our projects will survive for the next generation.

Firstly, CBC’s internship program was a natural fit for me to co-chair as I also participated in similar programs when I was in high school and college and certainly benefited from being exposed to civic awareness at an early stage. I also sit on the board of Vision New America (“VNA”) in Silicon Valley, which has extensive recruitment, training and placement programs for high school and college interns. When I first started co-chairing the internship program with David Sheen, we had well over a dozen interns but we have had a reduction in numbers the past two years. As part of my mission this year, I would like to see an increase in those numbers. I would also like to work with other organizations throughout the Bay Area to improve our program. Therefore, we have a plan to start the recruitment process earlier in 2009, have prompt contact with officials, especially newly elected officials, and work with other organizations such as VNA to improve our training program.

Secondly, CBC has ramped up its efforts to work with other organizations such as the Asian Pacific Islander Public Affairs Association (APAPA) in the areas of voter registration and education. Another organization CBC is deeply involved with this year is the U.S. Census Bureau. Currently, Vice-President Tim Tran is working with a liaison from the bureau to bring awareness to the community about the importance of active participation in order to be properly represented. This year, we will focus on supporting and working with other organizations to increase community participation in all stages of the civic processes.

Thirdly, I would like to re-energize our current board members, encourage higher attendance at our monthly meetings and recruit new members. My plan includes hosting a retreat to re-focus our current members and to encourage teamwork. I believe that good teamwork involves forming friendships and bonds outside the immediate scope of our mission. I would also like to see more participation in events like Relay for Life and Paddle for Life by our members and to have our members recruit friends and family for these events. Exposing the community to these events encourages more interest in CBC and will boost membership recruitment.

The goals I have set are attainable and as I have been directly involved in the above projects over the years, I intend to remain involved and will seek other members and non-members to focus on these tasks.

Finally, please reserve the evening of April 4, 2009 when CBC will host its 17th annual Spring Celebration. We have been very fortunate over the years to be able to provide great food and memorable entertainment for our guests. We will try to surpass ourselves again and our theme this year is “Hong Kong-Macau; One Night in Two Cities ”. We will offer casino games and entertainment that reflect the dynamics of these magical cities. CBC relies on the support of the entire community for this key fundraising event. Our important projects could not exist without the funding from our Spring Celebration. I hope we can count on everyone’s support and sponsorship.

In light of the current economic situation, this year poses significant challenges to all and that requires re-examination and adaptation. I see this as an opportunity to better understand and refine our mission and take proper steps to strengthen our organization from within.

Have a great year!

Respectfully Submitted

Lisa M. Quan
CBC President 2009