Dear Friends of EEF,

Some of you who read the 2017 end of the year Newsletter are aware of the retirement of President Dr. Faith Chao who tirelessly led Evergreen Education Foundation (EEF) fulfilling its mission to new heights.  What is less obvious is the development of leadership to sustain the growth of EEF's capacity.  We are excited to share with you the organizational change that was approved at the Board meeting in December 2017.

Succeeding in the President role is Dr. Winnie Wong who has been on the Board just shy of two years.  During this relatively short span of time, she has made a substantial impact by contributing to both program and management, which led to her appointment as Vice-President in mid 2017. Among her contributions are the creation of the Maker Contest as part of the Makerspace: Creativity in the Library, which was the theme of ITIE International conference and workshop in late 2016 - a new high watermark in EEF's history. To better fulfill EEF’s mission, she also established new partnerships with industry and academia by collaborating with entities such as DFRobot and Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

Succeeding in the VP role is Ms. JingYi Yu who has been Secretary of the Board and Board member since 2001.  Scholarship has been in her portfolio in addition to her major contributions to intricate logistical support of workshops and conferences since the founding of EEF.

Taking over the duty of Secretary of the Board is Dr. Jo Bell  Whitlatch who has been on the Board since 2007. Library Assessment is her expertise.  She is currently completing co-authoring a new book.

With advances in, and recognition of, Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics (STEAM), it is now more critical than ever for our students, teachers, schools, and llibraries to have a platform. They must have access to the resources they need to be better informed and opportunities to collaborate on a broader level, hence, have a better handle of their future. We firmly believe the library is a crucial platform to facilitate such information exchanges. The power that lies within libraries - its inclusiveness and diversity, will be key to the importance to serve all in the communities both in China and around the world. 

One thing we know for sure, although we don't have all the answers, we are ready and determined to keep putting out our best foot forward to continue EEF's journey.  Our new EEF leadership will continue to build capacity and innovative programs to help our constituents to make a better future for themselves.

Sincerely,
John Lee
Chairman, EEF