Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation Key Staff
John W. Chin – Executive Director
John William Chin is the Executive Director of PCDC, where he oversees all projects and programs. He is a native of Chinatown, Philadelphia and attended Holy Redeemer School and Friends Select School. He serves on the Board of several nonprofit organizations including the Philadelphia Association of Community Development Corporations, Friends Select School, and PHL Diversity. He is a board member of the Mayor’s Office of Economic Opportunity and is a member of National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development (National CAPACD). He is committed to the preservation and growth of Chinatown for new immigrants, as it was a gateway to success for his family. In his spare time, he enjoys crime procedurals, basketball and cooking for his family.
Rachel Mak – Deputy Director
Rachel is responsible for PCDC’s business operations, including staffing, resource allocation, financial and facilities management and program quality assurance. She oversees PCDC’s day-to-day operations and monitors operating procedures of various programs and projects, including the Chinatown Homeownership Initiative, Positive Youth Development Programs, Family Services, and Commercial Corridor activities. Rachel holds a Masters of Business Administration degree from Drexel University and is certified as a Housing Counselor and Housing Program Manager by the NeighborWorks Training Institute. On the weekends, she enjoys quilting, gardening, and crocheting under her magnolia tree.
Wendy Lee – Housing Counselor
Wendy Lee has been with PCDC since 1990, with experience as the staff’s Community Liaison, Office Manager and Administrative Assistant. Wendy is a Certified Homeownership Counselor, fluent in Cantonese and Mandarin Chinese, and is the main staff member of PCDC’s Chinatown Homeownership Initiative. Wendy provides one-on-one and group bilingual housing counseling services, helping to educate clients and navigate them through the homeownership and/or rental process, from pre-purchase to post-purchase. She can often be found in the sales racks of the Macy’s clothing section.
Ping-Ho Lee – Program Manager
Ping Lee manages all the day-to-day operations of PCDC’s programs, including the Chinatown Homeownership Initiative, Teen Club, Family Services, and Commercial Corridor activities. She also provides one-on-one public assistance services, helping clients secure basic needs and get on the path to financial self-sufficiency. She has earned certificates in Housing Counseling and Pre-Purchase Counseling. She has a BA in Computer Science from Drexel University. Outside of the office, she is a dedicated high school volleyball coach and a collegiate referee in the Philadelphia area.
Meimei Liu – Program Associate
Meimei Liu joined the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation as Program Associate. Speaking Mandarin and Cantonese, she provides services to Limited English Proficiency clients, collects client’s information, and answers preliminary questions related to PCDC’s Housing Program. She also assists with accounting and office administration work. Meimei graduated with an Accounting major in China and is interested in continuing her studies and practice in the United States.
Elaine Li – Program Associate
Elaine Li, fluent in Cantonese and Mandarin, provides services to Limited English proficient clients, collects client’s information, and answers preliminary questions related to PCDC’s Housing Program and Family Support Services. Elaine screens clients for eligibility regarding benefits access programs, and she provides referrals to other organizations and agencies to ensure all clients who come to PCDC receive help and support. She assists with accounting and office administration work. Elaine is a part-time staff member.
Rosaline Yang – Operations Manager & Youth Program Coordinator
Rosaline Yang is responsible for day to day office management, intern/volunteer management, property/facility management of N. 12th Family Homes (13 units) and Crane Center, and assists with general print and digital media design and outreach. She works with Jessica Lin on PCDC’s Teen Club youth program, which provides high school students with free bilingual SAT and college application workshops, as well as Sports/Recreational Activities. She graduated from Temple University with a B.S. in Tourism and Hospitality Management, and a concentration in Event Leadership and a minor in Public Health. She enjoys discovering new places to eat in her free time and exploring all that Philadelphia has to offer.
Jessica Lin – Youth Program Associate
Jessica Lin is a recent Temple University graduate, with a B.S. in Tourism and Hospitality Management. Jessica’s role at PCDC is to oversee and implement activities and workshops for PCDC’S OST program as well as the Summer WorkReady program. She assists with Crane Community Center programming such as our morning community sports, youth special hour sport, tai chi and etc.
Anna Quan – Support Services Coordinator
Anna Quan serves as the Support Services Coordinator at PCDC’s Out of School Time (OST). She helps connect all youth and their families to different services based on their academic, mental health, behavioral and social – emotional needs. Alongside the OST Director, and Coordinator, she helps with planning different workshops, such as mental health, career panels, college panels, financial literacy, etc. to connect youth to different programs and resources that are available to them.
Haoyi Shang – Commercial Corridor Manager
Haoyi manages small business development program, Taking Care of Business cleaning team and commercial corridor revitalization projects at PCDC. She works with Anna Quan on organizing Chinatown events including Night Market and Chinese New Year celebration. She graduated from the University of California, San Diego with a double major in Political Science and Urban Studies and Planning. She earned her Master of Science in Historic Preservation from the University of Pennsylvania. In her free time, Haoyi enjoys thrifting, sewing, hiking and reading.
Sophia Wan – Commercial Development Project Associate
Sophia Wan is a Project Associate in Neighborhood Planning and Development and Commercial Corridor at PCDC. She manages and advances PCDC’s affordable housing developments throughout Chinatown. She is dedicated to an equitable people-first development approach that combats gentrification and the displacement of Chinatown’s community. Also a member of the Commercial Corridor team, Sophia works to promote the vitality of Chinatown businesses through organizing cultural events and tours. Sophia has a B.A. in Anthropology with a minor in Visual Studies from Haverford College. In her free time, she enjoys dancing in Philadanco’s D2 Apprentice Company, reading, and hiking.
Caroline Aung – Community Development Project Associate
Caroline Aung is a Community Development Project Associate at the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation (PCDC), where she manages the organization’s neighborhood planning and development projects. She has a BA in Anthropology from Stanford University and a MS in City Design and Social Science from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Evelyn Ferrall – Communications and Development Coordinator
Evelyn Ferrall manages PCDC’s grant processes for all programs, including writing and management to secure funding. Additionally, she manages communications and the online and print promotion of programs, events, resources, and information serving the Chinatown community. Evelyn is responsible for editing and publishing PCDC’s bilingual monthly newsletter every 4th Friday. Evelyn earned her Bachelor of Arts in Growth and Structure of Cities at Bryn Mawr College.
Kai Kollin – Health Project Coordinator
Kai Kollin is the Health Project Coordinator at PCDC, mostly overseeing vaccine equity initiatives such as COVID, Hepatitis B vaccination work, health screening events, and health data projects. A New Jersey native, he is a Bachelor of Science from Montclair State University and moved to Philadelphia to achieve his Masters of Public Health from Thomas Jefferson University. In his free time, he enjoys running, visiting coffee shops, shooting film photography, and playing basketball.
Elena Gao – Health Project Associate
Elena Gao, a native of Philadelphia, was born in Chinatown. Currently employed part-time as a project associate within the Health Equity team, she is proficient in English, Mandarin, and Fujianese. Elena actively contributes to Health Equity Projects, Crane operations, and various activities and events organized by PCDC. Having graduated from PCDC’s youth program, which aims to provide a safe environment for high school students to play sports and succeed in various aspects of life, including college and career pursuits. Furthermore, Elena dedicates her time to volunteering at PCDC at our free community food distributions. Elena is presently a student at Drexel University, pursuing a major in Culinary Arts & Science. During her leisure time, she enjoys crafting her own accessories and making mango pomelo drinks.