[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 17]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 22787]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 IN HONOR OF DR. SOPHIE C. WONG WHO WILL BE RETIRING AFTER 12 YEARS OF 
   SERVICE AS AN ELECTED BOARD MEMBER OF THE ALHAMBRA SCHOOL DISTRICT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ADAM B. SCHIFF

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 14, 2002

  Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Sophie C. Wong.
  Dr. Sophie C. Wong was the first Asian American to serve on the 
Alhambra School Board. Elected in 1990, Dr. Wong has held to her 
commitment to preserve and advance the quality of education for all 
students. Among her many achievements as a Board Member, Dr. Wong was 
the founder of the Alhambra School District Educational Foundation, co-
founder of the Human Relations Advisory Committee, and founder of the 
Asian American Association of the Alhambra School District.
  Immigrating to the United States in 1956, Dr. Wong has been a 
resident and homeowner in Monterey Park since 1961. Dr. Wong is married 
to Mr. Norman J. Wong and is the mother of two daughters, Cheryl and 
Debbi. Dr. Wong also has one granddaughter, Blythe.
  Since 1996, Dr. Wong has been the President and Chief Executive 
Officer of Chinese for Christ Calvin Chao Theological Seminary in 
Alhambra, California. The seminary is a professional graduate school 
for Christian leaders, pastors and missionaries. On August 7, 1985, the 
Seminary received authorization from the State of California to grant 
M.A., M.Div., D.Min., and Ph.D. degrees, making it the first Chinese 
seminary to be authorized by the State to grant a Ph.D. degree.
  In addition to being an active and important member of her community, 
Dr. Wong is a successful entrepreneur. She is the president of Sophie 
C. Wong & Associates, a business development, management, real estate, 
marketing and public relations firm, which matches people with business 
opportunities, She is also the co-founder, director, chief financial 
officer and past chairman of Golden Security Bank since 1982. Dr. Wong 
was named one of ``ten Important Power Brokers and Emerging Leaders in 
the San Gabriel Valley of Southern California'' in the December 1997 
issue of the Los Angeles Business Journal. In 1986 and again in 1996, 
Dr. Wong was elected to the White House Conference on Small Businesses.
  It is with pleasure that I ask all Members to join with me in 
congratulating the Honorable Sophie C. Wong for her accomplishments on 
behalf of the students and staff of the Alhambra School District as 
well as her leadership in numerous activities in the community.

                          ____________________