our board and staff

Robert Dawe is a Graduate of the University of Alberta 1978 Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Anthropology program. He has worked at the Royal Alberta Museum as an Archaeologist for 42 years. Bob also has more than 30 years board experience in the following organizations: Global Visions Film Festival, Rock and Roll Society of Edmonton and the Center for Arts and Music, Road King Travel Centers, and the Plains Anthropological Society. An avid Entrepreneur, Bob has been the owner/co-owner of a number of businesses including Designer Consigner, Mammoth Truck Wash, Mammoth Productions, Mammoth Properties and Bison Developments. He has also owned and rehabilitated a rooming house in the Boyle community, a walk-up apartment in Little Italy and rehabilitated and currently owns the Hull Block in Chinatown. His rehabilitation of the Hull Block included its successful designation as a Municipal and Provincial Historic Resource. Having owned the Hull Block for the past 23 years he has seen the ups and downs of Chinatown. On a personal note, Bob is an Elks and Oilers fan and enjoys golf, skiing, gardening, dragon boat racing and travel with his partner Sharon.

Sharon Johnson received her CPA, CGA designation in 2001 and further achieved a PCP designation in 2006. Sharon has 30 years of experience working in private sector, public practice, public companies, and a Crown Corporation in various senior management and executive positions. She has been a Partner in an accounting practice, had ownership in a property management firm and investment management firm. Sharon’s areas of specialization are as follows: financial accounting and reporting, management accounting, budgeting, HR management, business, and estate planning, investing, financing, real estate development, IPOs, NPO, property management and construction.

Patty Ko is an associate with Bishop & McKenzie and practices in the areas of Estate and Commercial Litigation, as well as Collections, Security Enforcement and Mortgage Foreclosures. With her undergrad degree in commerce and accounting, Patty brings an understanding of business practices and operating challenges to her work. Along with experience in arbitration proceedings, administrative tribunals and professional regulatory bodies, Patty has appeared before all levels of Courts in Alberta. A devoted animal lover, Patty supports various animal welfare organizations. Patty is fluent in Cantonese, plays classical piano, and loves travelling, delicious food and paper crafting. In her spare time, she enjoys good TV with her fur children. 

Quentin Lau is currently a Policy Analyst with Alberta Liquor, Gaming, & Cannabis working on developing operational and regulatory policy for Alberta's gaming industry. He brings extensive experience in preparing recommendations for decision-makers by leading and managing projects that involve policy research, analysis, implementation, and evaluation. Quentin's various policy roles in different policy environments have enabled him to think strategically and tailor communications effectively to meet organizational objectives. He looks forward to bringing this experience to the CTC's advocacy efforts. As a born and raised Edmontonian, Quentin has strong roots in the city's Chinatown. As a child, his family would attend Sunday mass every week at the Chinese Catholic Parish in Chinatown and eat lunch and run errands afterward. During these Sundays, he especially remembers summer days when the former grocery store on the corner of 97 street and 106 ave would spill out on the street and create a lively atmosphere. While Quentin's connection to Chinatown has waned in recent years, he hopes his involvement as a Board Member with CTC will connect him back to his heritage and allow him the opportunity to give back to the community.

Nothing makes William Lau happier than working with compassionate people that choose to commit their time to do what’s right rather than what’s easy. Having been on the City of Edmonton’s Chinatown Economic Development Task Force as well as the executive committees of the Edmonton Chinese Young Leaders’ Council, ASSIST Community Services Centre, National Congress of Chinese Canadians (Edmonton Chapter) and the CTC, William is always passionate about building the capacity of our community while creating opportunities for other young Chinese Canadians to better connect with the community. To William, Chinatown is not only where he lives and serves, but it is a classroom for a variety of topics, from business and politics to reconciliation and public health.

Jackie Liu spends his days as the Director of Operations at the Boyle McCauley Health Centre, a non-profit community health centre serving Edmonton's most vulnerable individuals. He is passionate about addressing the impacts of systemic barriers of marginalization, and taking an evidence-based and trauma-informed approach to both his day job and his service to the community. As one of the relatively few Asian-Canadians actively working in the non-profit social sector, Jackie hopes to provide a unique perspective and foster relationships between modern-day Chinatown and all who share the traditional lands within Treaty Six Territory.

Sang Nguyen is the General Manager of his family-run business, Lucky Supermarket, in Chinatown.  His parents, Ba and Diep, were one of the first Vietnamese boat people to arrive in Edmonton. The Nguyen family’s first 500 square foot store opened in 1982 and became the first Vietnamese grocery in the city.  Today, Sang and his siblings own and operate seven stores ranging from 25,000 to 52,000 square feet all over Canada. When he was young, Sang saw Chinatown as a very prosperous place, and holds onto fond memories of large crowds waiting to get a table at Dim Sum, and the feeling that Chinatown was clean and a safe place to be. However, today he sees a place that is very different, with less and less people coming to Chinatown businesses at all. This is what motivates Sang to be on the CTC Board. He wants to help bring back his fond memories into reality, and help make it a destination that draws people back to visit, shop, eat and just hangout. He firmly believes in CTC’s mission and is ready to help in any way possible.

Sandy Pon is a Realtor and Entrepreneur with over 30 years of experience in real estate sales and development. Sandy is a community leader who has served on many City of Edmonton led initiatives and on boards of major non-profit organizations such as the United Way, Alberta Landlords Association, Realtors Community Foundation, Alberta Diabetes Foundation, Chinese Garden, CGAA and the Chinese Benevolent Association. Like many first generation immigrants, Sandy grew up around Chinatown. She is a co-founder of the CTC, and was instrumental in developing the Chinatown Strategy with the Chinatown Economic Development Task Force.

Jingjing Zheng is the Founder and Chief Strategist of Hexie Digital; Alberta's first Chinese-English bilingual marketing agency that focuses on the Asian Canadian communities. She has extensive experience in branding, marketing, PR and strategic communications, including her most recent position as Account Director at one of Alberta's largest advertising agencies, and as a Project Manager working for the Government of Alberta. She is passionate about Chinatown’s development and has a profound understanding of issues and opportunities that Edmonton’s Chinatown faces. She is also an avid community volunteer and has served on the Boards of ACCT, IABC Edmonton, Infill Development Edmonton, and UAlberta's Community Learning Centre.