Program Director
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Minerva Chin, Interim Director
Minerva Chin is one of the founding members of A Place for Kids and currently serves at the Board’s Chair. During the mid ‘70’s and early ‘80’s, under her guidance and leadership, the then student collective was institutionalized into a licensed, non-profit full day preschool and after-school center. As an educator and as a child of immigrant parents, Minerva's goal is to provide educational and enrichment opportunities for immigrant children to realize their bilingualism, bi-culturalism and to discover their own identities in our diverse world. Minerva was a Head Start teacher for six years and was a public school teacher for over 30 years in Chinatown. She received her B.S. in Elementary Education from City College and her M.S. in Early Childhood Education from Bank Street College. |
Board of Directors
Jessie C. Lee, Board Chair
Within Asian Americans for Equality (AAFE), Jessie C. Lee is the Managing Director of AAFE’s two Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) affiliates, Renaissance Economic Development Corporation (REDC) and AAFE Community Development Fund (CDF). REDC provides small business assistance and microlending and CDF provides homeownership counseling. She oversees the REDC and CDF’s lending operations, technical assistance programs, community relations, and capacity building. She provides the organization with strategic guidance for expansion and works to increase long term community impact. Additionally, Jessie cultivates partnerships with both public and private institutions. Her expertise is in Community Development Financial Institutions and economic development in the last 20 years.
Jessie grew up in New York’s Chinatown as a child of immigrant parents. In the past, she served on the board of Mei Wah After-School program for 4 years. Jessie joined A Place for Kids in 2018 as a board member as she continues to care deeply about helping immigrant and low-income children and their families. She earned her B.S. and MBA degree in finance from Boston University.
Within Asian Americans for Equality (AAFE), Jessie C. Lee is the Managing Director of AAFE’s two Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) affiliates, Renaissance Economic Development Corporation (REDC) and AAFE Community Development Fund (CDF). REDC provides small business assistance and microlending and CDF provides homeownership counseling. She oversees the REDC and CDF’s lending operations, technical assistance programs, community relations, and capacity building. She provides the organization with strategic guidance for expansion and works to increase long term community impact. Additionally, Jessie cultivates partnerships with both public and private institutions. Her expertise is in Community Development Financial Institutions and economic development in the last 20 years.
Jessie grew up in New York’s Chinatown as a child of immigrant parents. In the past, she served on the board of Mei Wah After-School program for 4 years. Jessie joined A Place for Kids in 2018 as a board member as she continues to care deeply about helping immigrant and low-income children and their families. She earned her B.S. and MBA degree in finance from Boston University.
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Frank Lang, Treasurer
Frank Lang is the Director of Housing for St. Nicholas NPC, a 34 year old Brooklyn based community organization. Mr. Lang has been a leader in housing and community development in NYC for more than 15 years. Mr. Lang has been a supporter of A Place for Kids (APFK) for more than a decade, starting as he headed up housing activities for a local group in Chinatown. Mr. Lang joined the Board of APFK in 2003 looking to deepen the impact he could have to improve the lives of the immigrants living in Lower Manhattan. With a school age child at home, he understands the importance of a supportive learning environment for a child’s future growth. While he has created hundreds of units of housing in the area for low income residents, APFK is another way for him to reach the broader range of residents struggling in NYC. |
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Lisa Yee, Board Member
Lisa S.J. Yee joined the A Place for Kids (APFK) board after volunteering in APFK's afterschool program at P.S. 2. Ms. Yee was introduced to APFK in the mid-1970's when she and the organization's founders were college students active in the Asian American students movement. Ms. Yee is pleased to have the opportunity to work with the children and families of newly arrived immigrants who partake in APFK's programs. Now retired after a career in public service, Ms. Yee is actively involved in educational and housing initiatives in the Greater New York Metropolitan Area. In her former position as Director of Tax Incentive Programs at the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development, she was responsible for administering real property tax incentive programs for the construction and rehabilitation of housing in New York City. Prior to joining HPD and for most of her career, she was employed in the office of the New York City Corporation Counsel, where she litigated and supervised litigation in areas involving land use, environmental review, constitutional and administrative law. Her first job with the City was in the office of the Counsel to the New York City Loft Board, the agency responsible for legalizing the conversion of manufacturing and commercial lofts to residential use. She began her legal career in the non-profit sector at the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, Bedford-Stuyvesant Community Legal Services Corporation, and the National Employment Law Project. |
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Janet Lo, Board Member
Janet Lo began her career as an educator in 1999 when she first started teaching at P.S./M.S. 34. Being in the classroom for 18 years, then earning her M.S. in School Administration, she gladly took on the leadership role offered to her as the school's Assistant Principal in 2018. Her deep concern for quality after-school programing led her to seek out A Place for Kids (APFK) to provide after-school care to her school population. Due to her effects, A Place for Kids @ PS 34 was established in the spring of 2016 to provide the much needed services of after-school care and to assist children in homework help and academic enrichment. Janet is a member of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance. She joined the Board of Directors of APFK because she believes in giving back to the community and providing support to our immigrant and low-income youth. Janet's family immigrated from Hong Kong to New York's Lower East Side where she spent her childhood. |
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Sokie Lee, Board Member
Born in Hong Kong, Sokie Lee emigrated to the United States with her family more than 50 years ago. Sokie intimately knows the struggles of immigrants in America. Growing up Chinese in the Bronx, she was the recipient of many racial taunts. Both her parents worked long hours in the garment industry to support the family in a new country. Education and perseverance were core values they instilled in their children.
Sokie attended Bronx High School of Science, City College of New York, and Pratt Institute, where she got her BFA in Communication Design. Currently, Sokie works full time as Senior Graphic Designer at Scholastic Children’s Education Group. Additionally, Sokie teaches Qigong at the 92Y, Carnegie East House, and James Lenox House.
Through the years, Sokie has volunteered and supported numerous groups and causes: Asian Women United, New York Downtown Boathouse, Best Friends Animals Society, Shape Up NYC, New York Coalition for Asian American Mental Health. Sokie supports the mission of APFK to provide academic and enrichment opportunities to low-income immigrant children.
Born in Hong Kong, Sokie Lee emigrated to the United States with her family more than 50 years ago. Sokie intimately knows the struggles of immigrants in America. Growing up Chinese in the Bronx, she was the recipient of many racial taunts. Both her parents worked long hours in the garment industry to support the family in a new country. Education and perseverance were core values they instilled in their children.
Sokie attended Bronx High School of Science, City College of New York, and Pratt Institute, where she got her BFA in Communication Design. Currently, Sokie works full time as Senior Graphic Designer at Scholastic Children’s Education Group. Additionally, Sokie teaches Qigong at the 92Y, Carnegie East House, and James Lenox House.
Through the years, Sokie has volunteered and supported numerous groups and causes: Asian Women United, New York Downtown Boathouse, Best Friends Animals Society, Shape Up NYC, New York Coalition for Asian American Mental Health. Sokie supports the mission of APFK to provide academic and enrichment opportunities to low-income immigrant children.
Robert Yiu, Board Member
Mr. Yiu is an Asian American with over 25 years of experience working in the Banking industry. He was the Chief Lending Officer at an Asian community bank. He was in charge of the residential and commercial divisions focused on lending within the Asian communities. He began his lending career with a New York City regional bank providing community development loans for the construction of affordable housing. Mr. Yiu is a former Bank Examiner and former United States Marine.
Mr. Yiu was raised in the New York Chinatown area as a child of immigrant parents where he attended Murray Bergtraum High School and Baruch College. Mr. Yiu’s wife, Julia Chan is a former A Place for Kid’s board member. He joined the Board of Directors because he believes in its mission of supporting the next generation of low-income immigrant children.
Mr. Yiu is an Asian American with over 25 years of experience working in the Banking industry. He was the Chief Lending Officer at an Asian community bank. He was in charge of the residential and commercial divisions focused on lending within the Asian communities. He began his lending career with a New York City regional bank providing community development loans for the construction of affordable housing. Mr. Yiu is a former Bank Examiner and former United States Marine.
Mr. Yiu was raised in the New York Chinatown area as a child of immigrant parents where he attended Murray Bergtraum High School and Baruch College. Mr. Yiu’s wife, Julia Chan is a former A Place for Kid’s board member. He joined the Board of Directors because he believes in its mission of supporting the next generation of low-income immigrant children.
