Lily Lee Chen served as the Vice Chair for the Asia Pacific-USA Chamber of Commerce and Commissioner for the California State Commission on Aging, as well as a founding Board member of the Committee of 100. In 1982, Ms. Chen was elected to the Monterey Park City council by the largest number of votes of any candidate in the city's history. In 1984, she became the first Chinese-American women mayor in the history of the United States. Ms. Chen's public service includes positions in: the Advisory Committee on the Right and Responsibilities of Women, as appointed by President Ford; the National Advisory Council on Adult Education, as appointed by President Carter; California State World Trade Commission as appointed by Assembly Speaker; Women in the Services (DACOWITS) as an Advisor appointed by Secretary of Defense Perry and the Board of Governor's of the East-West Center in Hawaii, as appointed by President Clinton and Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. Ms. Chen earned her bachelor's degree in communications and a master's in social work from the University of Washington, Seattle. Ms. Chen began her professional career in 1964, working for the Los Angeles County where she directed operations, program and grants management for numerous County programs. Her responsibilities included the management and supervision of a seventy million dollar budget and over four hundred employees.