FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Hong-Yuen Tommy Woo Joins Lingnan Foundation Board of Trustees
Costa Mesa, California – July 1, 2022
The Lingnan Foundation has officially welcomed Tommy Woo as the newest member of its Board of Trustees. Mr. Woo was unanimously approved as a new Trustee during the Lingnan Foundation’s May 2022 Board of Trustees meeting. The Lingnan Foundation, an American philanthropy founded in 1893 in New York, seeks to contribute to the advancement of higher education in South China and thereby promote understanding between Chinese and Americans. Guided by the motto of education for service, the foundation funds efforts to promote integrative liberal learning, scholarly exchange, educational innovation, and service to society.
Dr. Leighton Chan, Chairman of Lingnan Foundation shared, “Our Foundation is fortunate to have Tommy Woo joining us on the Board of Trustees. With Tommy’s personal background and distinguished professional experiences in finance, his leadership will contribute much to our mission and provide valuable guidance in our fiduciary responsibilities.”
When asked about his board appointment, Mr. Woo responded, “I am honored to join as a member of the Lingnan Foundation Board of Trustees for I am a strong believer that education is the cornerstone to success in life and sets the foundation to foster peaceful co-existence in this world. It is essential that China and the United States have a mutual understanding and respect for each other’s cultures and business approaches. Mutual respect is the key to a healthy relationship, that can break down barriers and allow us to work together to find common solutions.”
Mr. Woo currently serves as Senior Vice President, Financial Planning and Analysis and Deputy Chief Financial Officer for Cathay Bank, a commercial bank headquartered in Los Angeles, California, as publicly traded through its bank holding company Cathay General Bancorp (Nasdaq: CATY). Woo began his career in public accounting at KPMG, LLP, and has more than 35 years of finance and accounting experience in financial institutions.
He grew up in Hong Kong and immigrated to the United States in pursuit of higher education. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting and a Master’s in Business Administration from Louisiana State University. He is a Certified Public Accountant in California and Louisiana. Prior to his current role, he served as the Chief Financial Officer for three community banks with a proven track record of guiding them towards record profitability. In 2006, he co-founded a community bank and raised $14 million in equity, which subsequently merged with another regional bank.
Commenting on the arrival of Tommy Woo as the newest Board of Trustees member, Ding-Jo Currie, President of Lingnan Foundation remarked, “I am very excited to have Tommy as part of our Lingnan family and look forward to working with him. He will add to our board’s expanded spheres of influence and impact.”
To learn more about the Lingnan Foundation, please visit www.lingnanfoundation.org or contact Dr. Ding-Jo Currie at 714-371-4118, or email at Info@LingnanFoundation.org.
