Dear Members,
Elections are 7 days away !
Below are the candidacy statements we have received (omitting one withdrawal of candidacy). Over the next few days, we will be providing you with more information about the candidates. Watch this space !
Candidate for President
Rebecca Woo (AB ‘89)
I, Rebecca Woo, have been the Vice President of HUAAS for the last two years, and with the current President KC Chew stepping down as President, I am putting my name up for the President’s post.
I feel that having been deeply involved with HUAAS since its inception and given my responsibilities as VP in the last two years, I have a thorough understanding of the mission of HUAAS and what it is aiming to achieve as well as its operational aspects.
Having been part of the transition committee that saw to its founding, I am deeply proud of what the HUAAS has become in its few short years.
We have a strong and growing membership base that is becoming increasingly dynamic and involved. Recent events have shown diverse and strong support, especially the recurrent Global Networking Nights which have successfully brought together 100+ alumni across all ages and faculties. We have organised events from Professor / faculty discussions to nature walks to art gallery tours, from dim sum lunches to wine tasting to social evenings. We have also increasingly collaborated with the other Ivy League University Alumni clubs in a variety of activities, the most significant being Singapore’s inaugural Ivy League Ball last fall. This all has served to broaden our reach to the community and recognition of HUAAS as the legitimate alumni association (along with the HBS Club) of Harvard University in Singapore.
I worked closely with the President KC and the rest of our committee last year to make our annual dinner a more significant event to draw our alumni together: and we featured the Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin as our Keynote guest which drew a very strong audience. I hope to continue to build on these efforts in the coming years as well.
HUAAS is growing, and I would to see it become not only a vibrant community for alumni but also be seen as a group in Singapore society where leadership and outreach and involvement are recognised. As such, I am happy to report the other initiative I have spearheaded – which is the HUAAS’ involvement in the HBS flagship mentorship program that is MoE sanctioned and we, as a group, mentor students at near 10 polytechnics and universities in Singapore. I am on the board of that sub-committee and HUAAS is involved for the second year with a larger group of mentor representatives. In terms of working with HAA in Cambridge, I have been one of the key liaisons which is important in making sure HUAAS remains aligned with HAA and has their close support. In addition, I am also on the board of another Harvard SIG – Global WE (Harvard for Global Women’s Empowerment); and will be working with them to establish more panel discussions on women’s and girls issues and hopefully cross-pollinate ideas with HUAAS.
My family and I have been in Singapore nearly ten years and it is our home. I hope the above is testament to my commitment to HUAAS and the Harvard alumni in Singapore.
Candidate for Secretary
Allen Chu (AB ‘92)
Singapore has been home for me and my family for the past 14 years. I have been involved with the Harvard community for most of that period and became more involved as a member of the transition team rebuilding the alumni club under HUAAS. I have wonderful memories of my college days at Harvard and had a great time a year ago when I returned for my 25th college reunion. My goal now is to build a strong alumni community in Singapore by creating an environment for like-minded people to share ideas and develop friendships. In the past, I have run an annual outdoor event at the treetop walk with dim sum which I plan to continue doing. If elected on the board, I would like to focus on organizing other social events to bring more alumni together.
Candidates for Committee Member
KC Chew (AB ’82)
I am stepping down as President HUAAS to observe the term limits we have dutifully imposed on this position. I am thankful for the support of members of our Association and particularly my stalwart committee members for their hard work, enthusiasm and camaraderie in my tenure as President. They have now asked me to continue my service as a Committee Member and I am agreeable to do so. If you wish me to continue to serve HUAAS I ask for your support and your vote to allow me to do so. Thank you.
Nadine Yap (AB ’92, AM ’95)
I have been involved with the club since its inception, one year as a volunteer, other years on the committee. This last year, I stepped in to fill the position of Secretary when the original secretary left Singapore before his term was up. We are a diverse alumni from different schools, the business school has its own thriving club with many interesting activities. I would like to build out some sub committees, that might focus around areas that might be of interest to alumni of some of the other specific schools, such as education, design, public health and policy. I will also continue to offer my help on the technology side of running the club, as needed.
Marion Neubronner (EDM ’03)
I have been a member of the Club for years and would like to contribute to its growth now that I am back in Singapore and have personal time
Stephen Jacob (MPP ’00)
After taking a full year off the leadership committee, I would like to come back and contribute to making HUAAS the best it can be. I’m particularly interested in bringing people together to engage in cultural, literary and policy discussions relevant to life in Singapore.
Lim Lei Theng (LLM ’94)
HUAAS stands in a position to be able to achieve far more than networking
opportunities for alum, and I would like to be involved in the efforts to give HUAAS members greater opportunities to make a difference in the world.
En Ming Ong (AB ’11)
As a relatively recent graduate from the college (2011), I believe I’m in a unique
position to design and coordinate events that increase engagement with my
classmates and fellow college alumni.
