2004
Board of Directors Election
Dear
MCBC Members:
The
Maryland-China Business Council Annual Meeting will be held on January 14,
2004. Since we will be electing the MCBC Board of Directors for 2004,
I strongly encourage you to attend.
The
sitting Board has prepared a slate of nominees (listed below). The slate
includes a diverse group of people with solid international and China experience.
Please review the brief biographies below for each nominee to learn more
about their background and experience. MCBC relies heavily upon the
energy, enthusiasm and commitment of the Board members and of the general
membership to ensure the success of our activities.
I
look forward to seeing you at the meeting.
Best
regards,
Clay
E. Hickson
Chairman and President
Senior Vice President
& Manager—International Banking Group, Allfirst Bank (Retired); Director,
Maryland-China Business Council
Mr. Bell retired as Vice President
and Manager of Allfirst Bank's (formerly First National Bank of Maryland)
International Banking Group in December 2002. Allfirst, based in Baltimore,
MD, is a full-service bank, providing services international banking services
to local and multinational companies. From 1986 to 1999, he managed First National’s Trade Finance & International
Operations units; from
1980 to 1986 he managed First National's Asia-Pacific Division; and from
1976 to 1980 he served as a lending officer in the bank's National Division.
Prior to joining First National, Mr. Bell held various international lending/management
positions with European American Bank in New York and with Citibank in
the Middle East.
Mr. Bell’s active professional associations include the Maryland/Washington, DC District Export Council; the Baltimore-Xiamen Sister City Committee; and the Maryland-China Business Council. He graduated from Norwich University (BA in Government) and New York University (MA in Politics and Asian Studies). He served in Southeast Asia as a US Marine Corps infantry officer and military advisor from 1962 through 1968. He is fluent in French and Mandarin Chinese.
President, Multimax,
Inc.; Director, Maryland-China Business Council
Dr. Chan founded Multimax, Inc. in 1988 to provide ADP system integration,
telecommunications, information systems, and research and development
services to the government and commercial communities. He pioneered the
first joint venture business in Anhui, China in 1994 by a Maryland company
and has maintained a very prosperous operation there since then. He is
the Chairman and CEO of Multimax, Inc. which was listed as an INC 500
company in 1996 and listed among the top 50 fastest growing companies
by Washington Technology in 1995 and 1996. The company was nationally
ranked as top 30 among the 500 fastest growing technology firms in 1995.
He was interviewed by NBC Nightly News In-Depth as a success story in
minority contracting in 1995. The company was listed as "Who's Who
in Government Technology" by Government
Executive in 1999.
Dr. Chan obtained his bachelor degree from Columbia University and master and doctorate degrees from Saint Louis University, all in geophysics. As a Carnegie Fellow, Dr. Chan studied the dynamics of the interior of the Earth at the Carnegie Institute of Washington. He received the Alumni Merit Award from Saint Louis University in 1998.
Vice President, Business Development and Product Support, Middle River Aircraft Systems; Nominee for Director,
Mr. DePinho is Vice President for Business and Technology Development and Customer Support for Middle River Aircraft Systems (MRAS), a subsidiary of GE that develops aircraft nacelles and structures systems for major global aircraft manufacturers. Mr. DePinho has more than thirty years of operations, engineering and market development experience. His previous leadership positions include Director of Factory Operations, Production Engineering, and Mergers and Acquisitions.
Mr. DePinho plays a lead role in company acquisitions and was key in establishing a highly successful aircraft nacelle overhaul business in Thailand—MRAS Asia. Currently he is overseeing a first-of-its-kind joint venture that will bring western technologies to China’s first domestically produced aircraft. In addition to his position on the Board of Directors for MRAS Asia, he is also a Contributing Fellow to the Society of Manufacturing Engineers. Mr. DePinho received his Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from Post College in Connecticut.
Associate Professor,
University of Baltimore School of Law
Professor Easton joined the faculty of the University of Baltimore
School of Law in 1993 after teaching legal writing as an adjunct for two
years. During that time,
he also taught journalism and communications law at Loyola College in
Baltimore. Previously, he
was a journalist for more than 20 years, serving as a reporter, editor,
and publisher and general counsel for Business Publishers, Inc., a Silver
Spring-based publisher of legal and business newsletters.
He currently serves on the company’s board of directors. Professor
Easton now co-directs the Law School’s Legal Skills Program and teaches
communications law and cyberspace law. He is also a Senior Research Associate
in UB’s Center for International and Comparative Law and director of CICL’s
sister-school relationship with Shandong University in the People’s Republic
of China. Professor Easton taught American constitutional and copyright
law at Shandong University Law School during the spring semester of 2002.
He also has been a visiting scholar at the Journalism Institute of the
Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing.
Professor Easton served as President of the University Faculty Senate in 1999-2000 and is now Chair of the University’s Information Management Advisory Committee. He is a member of the Advisory Committee to the Circuit Court of Baltimore City on its Business & Technology Case Management Program, as well as the Drafting Committee of the Judicial Education Working Group of the Conference of Circuit Judges’ Business & Technology Case Management Program Implementation Committee. Both groups are in the process of developing a special business and technology litigation track for the Maryland courts. He is also a member of the Maryland State Bar Association, American Bar Association, Association of Legal Writing Directors, Legal Writing Institute, and the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communications. Professor Easton chairs the Communication Skills Committee of the ABA Section on Legal Education and Admission to the Bar and is chair-elect of the Communications Law Section of the Association of American Law Schools. He is also a member of the Maryland Bar and Order of the Coif. He received his JD from the University of Maryland School of Law and his BS in journalism from Northwestern University. He also has a certificate in Mandarin Chinese from the Defense Language Institute.
President US-Pacific
Rim International, Inc.; Director, Maryland-China Business Council
Mr. Goh has long supported positive engagement with China and promotes
solid business and cultural exchanges between the United States and China
through his company and other professional activities. US-Pacific Rim
International (USPRI), based in Baltimore, MD, pursues business opportunities
in China and provides consulting services for US companies interested
in developing business partnerships there. Mr. Goh is a co-founder of
MCBC, having been a board member since the organization’s inception, and
served as the Vice President of MCBC from 1995 to 1999.
Mr. Goh is founding president of the United States of America Wushu Kungfu
Federation (USAWKF), as well as the 10 member-nation Pan-American Wushu
Federation. As the president of USAWKF, he organized and produced the
1995 World Wushu Championships. (IWUF). Mr. Goh is a board member of the
International Wushu Federation, which is the international federation
responsible for working with the International Olympic Committee (IOC)
to support Wushu, the national sport of China, being included in
the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He was named “Who’s Who in Overseas Chinese
“ published by the Chinese government and was elected to the Hall of Fame
by Black Belt, Inside Kung Fu, and Action Martial Arts
magazines. He was the primary advisor for the Discovery Channel’s
“The Animal Within,” a documentary produced in 1999 about animal styles
of Kung Fu and was featured in the book “Outstanding Chinese in North
America” (written in Chinese) published in 1999.
Return to top
Executive Vice
President and General Counsel, US-China Industrial Exchange, Inc. (Chindex);
Director and Vice President, Maryland-China Business Council
Mr. Goodwin helps manage Chindex's sale of equipment to China and
undertakes a broad range of legal and advisory responsibilities. Chindex,
based in Bethesda, MD, provides market representation, sales and consulting
services in China to multi-national companies. Mr. Goodwin has managed
the company's congressional relations initiatives and successful efforts
to obtain a "soft" loan from the US Export-Import Bank. He served
as the company's outside legal counsel while in private law practice and
also served in senior legal positions in the US Government, handling matters
ranging from the drafting of international trade statutes to representing
the US Government in international negotiations.
As Assistant General Counsel for International Trade and Emergency
Preparedness of the US Department of Energy, Mr. Goodwin accompanied the
Secretary of Energy in 1978 on a visit to China to negotiate the framework
of energy agreements between China and the United States. He is past Chairman
of the Legal Committee of the US-China Business Council, has testified
before the US Congress on Chinese legal developments and has written numerous
professional articles on the subject. He teaches a graduate course on
the legal aspects of international business. Mr. Goodwin received his
JD from Georgetown University Law Center and his BA in English from Fordham
University.
Return to top
President, SJH
Consultants, Inc.; Director, Founding Chairman and President, Maryland-China
Business Council
Dr. Hammalian has more than 30 years of experience in consulting
and consulting management. SJH Consultants, Inc., based in Gambrills,
MD, assists private sector clients with market entry and sales in developing
countries and also provides technical consulting services to multi-national
banks and other organizations. Previously, Dr. Hammalian was President
of EA Global, Inc., where he was responsible for developing international
business and served as Executive Vice President of the parent company,
EA Engineering, Science, and Technology, Inc.
In addition to his experience as a management consultant, Dr. Hammalian
has broad publishing industry experience as editor and writer. He
has published and made many presentations on the China market. His affiliations
have included board memberships for the Greater Baltimore Technology Council
and Chinese Professional Forum. He served on the executive committees
of the World Trade Center Institute Asian Business Network and Latin American
Business Network, and he is a member of the Professional Association for
China's Environment. He has lectured at the University of Maryland, College
Park and at Goucher College. Dr. Hammalian has a BA in American Literature
from Brown University and an MA and Ph.D. in Linguistics from New York
University.
Return to top
Managing Director,
Rhôton Hill Group; Chairman and President, Maryland-China Business Council
Mr. Hickson is responsible for developing and managing international
consulting activities. He has more than 15 years experience in international
marketing, business development and educational activities. Rhôton Hill
Group, based in Potomac, MD, is a management-consulting firm providing
international market, corporate communications, strategic planning and
public affairs services. Mr. Hickson previously was Director International
Business Services/China Program for International Technology and Trade
Associates, Director of International Programs for the World Trade Center
Boston and Account Director with Ogilvy Worldwide (Taiwan). He also worked
with the 1993 Seattle Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit,
Burson-Marsteller, the National Crime Prevention Council, Overseas Private
Investment Corporation and US-Philippine Business Committee.
Mr. Hickson has developed and taught training programs, seminars
and college courses that have prepared executives for doing business in
international environments. He currently teaches graduate and undergraduate
economics courses for the University of Phoenix. He was a regular contributor
to China Business & Investment (Welt Research). He also serves
on the Advisory Board of the Diversity Management Institute. His affiliations
include the US Chamber of Commerce/Asia Task Force, Asia Society, Maryland-Anhui
Sister State Committee, International Society and BYU Management Society.
Mr. Hickson received his MA in International Relations from the School
of Advanced International Studies at The Johns Hopkins University, received
his BA in International Relations from The George Washington University,
and studied Chinese language at Columbia University.
Return to top
Assistant Dean,
Towson University; Director and Treasurer, Maryland-China Business Council
Born and raised in Wilmington, Delaware, Ms. Lambert joined Towson
University in March 2000 bringing more than 20 years of finance and cross-cultural
experience in the private sector. Her responsibilities as Assistant Dean
include directing fiscal operations and resource allocations for the department,
strategic planning, developing new programs, expanding relationships in
the international business community, and managing administrative functions.
Prior to joining Towson University, she was Director of Strategic Business
Planning and Development for McCormick & Company, Inc. – the world’s
largest spice company. During her tenure, she worked on-site with small and medium
sized businesses in 17 countries.
She was key in the creation and implementation of McCormick’s first
venture in China. Ms. Lambert then worked closely with the local staff
over the next 10 years, achieving profitability and rapid growth which
the venture continues to enjoy today.
Ms. Lambert began her career in banking and finance. She gained
considerable financial and general management experience in leadership
positions across retail, commercial, and trust operations, serving a diverse
range of business and individual customers. She received her MBA in Finance
from the University of Delaware and her Bachelor of Science, cum
laude, from Lebanon Valley College in Pennsylvania. Ms. Lambert also
is a member of the Mid-Atlantic Planning Association focused on strategy
and business development.
Return to top
Market Manager,
Greater China, Baltimore Aircoil Company; Director, Maryland-China Business
Council
Mr. Lau was born in Shanghai, China and came to America as a teenager.
He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the
University of Tennessee and a Master of Business Administration from The
Johns Hopkins University. Prior to joining Baltimore Aircoil Company,
Mr. Lau worked for Westinghouse Electric Corporation as an electrical
engineer and later as a program manager where he was involved in the design,
development and manufacturing of electronics equipment for the aviation
industry.
Since joining Baltimore Aircoil Company in 1995, Mr. Lau has concentrated
on market development programs for China where the company has been established
as a leader in many internal markets. Baltimore Aircoil Company currently
has a joint venture manufacturing facility in Dalian, China and representative
offices through China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. As Market Manager for Greater
China, Mr. Lau is responsible for developing and directing marketing and
sales activities for China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Mr. Lau is fluent in
both Mandarin Chinese and English. His leisure activities include playing
violin with Hopkins Symphony Orchestra and local chamber music groups.
Return to top
Roger
T. Lawrence
Vice President, Quality Assurance,
McCormick & Company, Inc.
Mr. Lawrence has served since 1998 as the Vice President, Quality
Assurance and a Corporate Officer of McCormick & Company, Inc.—the
world's largest manufacturer, marketer and distributor of spices, seasonings,
and flavorings. As such, he is responsible for the Quality Assurance
Systems and Programs throughout McCormick's worldwide operations. In his
current role, he and members of his staff travel frequently to China and
Asia-Pacific to provide operational guidance and strategic direction to
several subsidiaries and joint ventures in the region, including manufacturing
facilities in Guangzhou and Shanghai, China which supply the company's
rapidly growing business in the country with a broad portfolio of quality
consumer, food service and industrial dry and liquid products. Mr.
Lawrence serves on the Board of Directors of Shanghai McCormick Food Company,
Limited in China, and McCormick-Lion Limited in Japan. Mr. Lawrence
is active in the IFT (Institute of Food Technologists), ASQ (American
Society for Quality) and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. He
is a member of the Board of Directors and the Regulatory and Scientific
Affairs Council of the NFPA (National Food Processors
Association).
Mr. Lawrence came to McCormick and Company in 1976 following nine
years of plant and headquarters experience with Quaker Oats Company. Prior
to his current assignment, he has held positions as Vice President, Operations
and Technology for the Asia-Pacific Zone, Vice President of Technical
Services for the US Consumer Products Division, Director of Product Development
and Quality Assurance for the International Group and Director of Technical
Services for Europe located in the United Kingdom for three years. Mr.
Lawrence was involved from the beginning in the creation and development
of McCormick and Company's current business in China, including the search
for a joint venture partner, and the building and deployment of the initial
manufacturing operations. He studied Chemical Engineering at Ohio State
University and received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
from DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois.
Return to top
Trade Finance
Vice President - M&T Bank; Director, Maryland-China Business Council
Mr. Manno’s International trade
experience commenced while at First American Bank which later became First
Union Bank. In such capacity, he was involved in Trade Finance Programs
where he worked to mitigate foreign credit risk through Small Business
Administration (“SBA”) and Export-Import Bank of the United States (“Ex-Im
Bank) Export Working Capital Guarantee programs including export credit
insurance coverage for receivables financing. Mr. Manno has structured
export letters of credit for international sales contracts. Furthermore,
he worked as a cash management relationship manager with First Union providing
treasury management solutions for labor unions, not for profit organizations,
foreign embassies and multilateral government institutions. Later, at
Morcom International, Inc., Mr. Manno set up strategic partners &
re-sellers in overseas markets to represent military & commercial
lines of communications equipment. He also worked for an accounting software
solution provider marketing turnkey platforms for state and federal government
agencies in Canada, Caribbean countries.
At M & T Bank (formerly Allfirst Bank), Mr. Manno serves as a Trade
Finance Vice President structuring international banking products for
commercial customers and local correspondent banks. He employs SBA and
Ex-Im Bank Export Working Capital Guarantees and export credit insurance
to mitigate foreign receivables risk which are normally discounted by
commercial lenders. In addition, he coordinates payment methods such as
export letters of credit and the entire spectrum of trade service products
and works with international correspondent banks for use of money flows
and letters of credit. Mr. Manno received a B.A. in Political Science
from George Washington University (1980), an M.A. in International Affairs
& Economics from George Washington University (1982) and an Executive
Certificate in International Business from Georgetown University (1993).
Return to top
Attorney, O'Connell
& Co.; Director, Maryland-China Business Council
Mr. O’Connell is a principal with the firm of O’Connell & Co,
practicing US and international business and corporate finance law in
the Firm’s Hong Kong and Washington, DC offices. Mr. O’Connell’s
work focuses primarily on assisting companies with regard to their direct
investment activities in the People’s Republic of China, including Hong
Kong, where he has been involved for almost two decades. In this regard,
he has structured and obtained Chinese government approvals for a number
of joint venture and wholly foreign-owned enterprises on behalf of US
companies, and participated in the acquisition of equity in and restructuring
of existing Chinese companies. He is also skilled in the area of infrastructure
development and project finance, especially with regard to PRC power projects.
He is highly experienced in legal due diligence procedures in connection
with such undertakings, and is highly skilled in the Chinese negotiation
process. He has served as special counsel to the State of Maryland in
Asia.
Mr. O’Connell earned his AB,
with a concentration in Chinese history and politics, from Providence
College. He holds the JD from the Washington College of Law of The American
University and an LL.M (Securities Regulation) from Georgetown University
Law Center. In addition to his practice, Mr. O’Connell is an adjunct
professor of law at the University of Baltimore School of Law, teaching
in the areas of international law and business. He is an associate
member of the Law Society of Hong Kong and is a member of the Maryland
State, American (member, China Law Committee), Inter-Pacific and International
Bar Associations; The District of Columbia Bar, and the Virginia State
Bar. He serves as the Firm’s representative to The Hong Kong General Chamber
of Commerce, as well as on the Board of Directors of the Asia Business
Network of the Maryland World Trade Center and the Board of Directors
of the Maryland China-Business Council and on the Advisory Board to the
Center of International and Comparative Law at the University of Baltimore
School of Law.
Return to top
President &
CEO, Dartrans, Inc.; Director, Maryland-China Business Council
Mr. Rice, a Licensed Customs Broker since 1987, has over 26 years
experience in the U.S. Customs clearance and international freight forwarding
industry. He founded Dartrans in 1989. Dartrans, based in Baltimore,
MD, is a full service international forwarding company. Under Mr.
Rice’s direction, the company offers licensed and bonded forwarding, customs
clearance, warehouse, insurance, trucking, consolidation and consulting
services. Dartrans services cover all the modes of transportation, including
air, vessel, truck, rail and barge. The company utilizes the latest electronic
Customs Interfaces available. Mr.
Rice is continually growing Dartrans in areas of expertise and in focused
trade lane development.
Mr. Rice is a staunch supporter of and participant in various international
associations including AWMI, the local and national chapters of the Customs
Broker and Freight Forwarder associations, the local and national chapters
of the Propeller Club of the United States, international oriented committees
of the Eastern Baltimore Area Chamber of Commerce, The World Trade Center
Institute, and the Latin America and Asia Business Networks. He has sponsored
a graduate level training program with the National Customs Brokers and
Forwarders Association of America and has participated in providing attorneys
with Continued Education Credits at Georgetown University. He received
his education at the University of Maryland, College Park.
Return to top
Director, Sister
State Program, State of Maryland (Retired); Director, Maryland-China Business
Council
Mrs. Van Buskirk of Baltimore, MD, served as Director of the Maryland
Sister States Program from 1989 until retirement in October 1996, developing
many exchange programs in education, business, technology, medicine, sports,
culture, and other areas of mutual interest between Maryland and its Sister
States in China, Japan, Belgium, Korea, Russia and Poland. The Maryland-China
Business Council traces its roots to a business and Friendship Mission
to China in November 1994 organized by this program. Many Maryland businesses
have been introduced to foreign counterparts through the Sister States
Program. The Maryland program was designated by Sister Cities International
as the Best Overall Program in the United States in three different years.
Mrs. Van Buskirk also previously served as the Director of the
Sister Cities Program for the City of Baltimore, during which time many
programs were set up between the sister cities in nine countries. She
also has held different leadership roles in the community, including member
of the Mayor's Professional Women's Advisory Group, Chairman of the formation
committee for the Voluntary Action Center of Central Maryland as well
as a center officer and president. She served as a board member of the
Maryland Conference of Social Concern, CIVICS (Citizens in Voluntarism
in City Schools), Direct Search for Talent, Planned Parenthood Association
of Maryland, and the Junior League of Baltimore. Mrs. Van Buskirk is a
graduate of Denison University.
Return to top
President and CEO,
ChemPacific Corporation; Director, Maryland-China Business Council
Dr. Wei, who has more than 15 years experience in the pharmaceutical
industry, co-founded ChemPacific in 1997.
ChemPacific, based in Baltimore, MD, is a producer of fine and
custom chemicals for the pharmaceutical and chemical manufacturing industries.
Research and development and small scale manufacturing are carried
out in Baltimore, and in China through its fully-owned subsidiary, ChemPacific-Hangzhou,
and a partnering agreement with Zhejiang Lanxi ChemPacific Chemical Company,
the company has large-scale production capabilities. Prior to founding ChemPacific, Dr. Wei spent five years with
Novartis Pharmaceuticals as a research scientist where he investigated
potential "Metalloprotease" inhibitors and designed, synthesized,
and studied potential therapeutic agents.
He also was involved in research and instruction at New Mexico
State University, the University of Houston and the Zhejiang Institute
of Technology.
Dr. Wei obtained his Ph.D. in organic chemistry from New Mexico
State University and his BS degree in Chemical Engineering from the Zhejiang
Institute of Technology. With
degrees and experience from China and the United States, he is well grounded
in both the US and Chinese approaches.
Dr. Wei has published his research findings in peer-reviewed publications
and has made many presentations at industry forums.
Return to top