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Press Release September 18, 2006
Evergreen Valley College Professor, Asian American Community Activist Paul Fong to be Inducted into the
Asian Academy Hall of Fame 
San José, CA — Evergreen Valley College political science professor and Asian American community activist Paul Fong has been named to the Asian Academy Hall of Fame and will be honored during a gala program on November 13, 2006 in Prague, Czech Republic, as part of the Annual Conference of Asian Leaders and Connected International Meeting Professionals Association (CIMPA).
Fong will join such distinguished Asian Americans as San José’s own Norman Y. Mineta, former United States Secretary of Transportation, and current U. S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao, both of whom were vested into the Hall of Fame in 2002.
Fong was nominated for this prestigious global award by the Asian Americans for Community Involvement (AACI), the largest community-based organization focused on Asian Americans in Santa Clara County. He is a long-time board member with the AACI, and is affectionately known as the “godfather” of the Silicon Valley Asian American community.
Dr. Andrea Sigler, Board Chairperson for the Asian Leaders Association (ALA), noted that Fong was selected for this honor based on his impressive accomplishments and the impact he has made in his community.
“I am so proud that Paul is receiving the recognition at such an important international conference,” says Rosa Pérez, Chancellor, San José/Evergreen Community College District (SJECCD). “Paul’s passion inspires not only his students, but also his coworkers and friends to work toward the common good and to stand up for the needs of our underrepresented communities regardless of race, color, sexual orientation or religion.”
“I’m surprised and honored to receive this recognition,” says Fong. “My passion is serving the local community. This is just icing on the cake.”
Accompanying Fong on his adventure and attending the investiture ceremony will be his brother Alan, his daughter Sydney and his mother, Mai.
Fong has served numerous organizations during his 30-plus year career in giving back to his community. He is serving as an elected trustee of the Foothill-DeAnza Community College District, and is also on the boards of the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT), and the California Community College Trustees (CCCT). Fong is one of the few community college trustees in the U.S. to simultaneously serve on trustee boards and the local, state and national levels, and has been an active member of both the California Community Colleges Asian Pacific American Trustees Association and also the Latino Trustees Association. He is also on the board of Community Housing Developers (CHD), a San José-based organization that seeks to increase the availability of affordable housing in Santa Clara County.
He is also the owner of The Flower Cottage in Sunnyvale, a member of the Sunnyvale post of the American Legion, and has advised dozens of nonprofit organizations and mentored students as well as local, state and national candidates for elected office.
The 2006 conference theme is “Planning Meetings and Travel in the Google Age,” and is hosted by CIMPA, ALA, the International Association of Hispanic Meeting Professionals (IAHMP), and Orbisun International.
Contact: Rosa Pérez, Chancellor
San José/Evergreen Community College District
Phone: 408-270-6402
Fax: 408-531-8722
E-mail: rosa.perez@sjeccd.org