Monte Jade Science and Technology Association - Southeastern chapter (MJSTASE) will host its 22nd Annual Conference on Saturday, November 15 at the Hilton Atlanta Northeast hotel (5993 Peachtree Industrial Blvd, Norcross, GA 30092, 770- 447-4747).    

The conference theme is "Technology, Leadership, and Upward Mobility".  In a recent radio interview regarding his intention to run for President in 2016, SenatorMarco Rubiofrom Florida said "Upward Mobility" allows anyone in the US to achieve great things as long as he/she is willing to work hard.  He said this is one of the main reasons that has made the United States such a great nation.  We have seen many individuals from various ethnic groups who have achieved great success in both the business and political arenas.  The immigrants from India such as former CEO of Citigroup Vikram Pandit, Pepsi CEO Indra Nooyi, and Microsoft new CEO Satya Nadella are prime examples.

In September, Pepsi CEO Indra Nooyi issued the following statement to a major media network regarding the NFL's(National Football League) mishandling of thedomesticviolence issues:  "... How they (NFL) handle these cases going forward can help shape how we, as a nation, as a society, and as individuals treat domestic violence and child abuse."  Can you imagine how a first generation Indian can have such an impact on the American society.  Wouldn't it be great if one of ourChinese Americans could have such a powerful influence on the American society?

How have these 1st or 2nd generation Indian Americans achieved this kind of success?  Shiela Hooda, Senior Managing Director of Tiaa-Cref (the largest US retirement provider for people who work in the academic, research, medical, and cultural fields), probably has pointed out the secret for their success.  She made the following statement in an article in March of this year:  "As Indians, we have the tough quant and analytical skills to do data-crunching. But all the A-plus performing in the world goes unnoticed without soft skills. The US puts an emphasis on soft skills, so it is important to be a strong team player and a good presenter," said Hooda.

Several Monte Jade organizations in North America have recognized the upward mobility challenge that many ChineseAmericans have encountered.  Very few ofthem have been able to reach C-level executive positions in major US corporations.  Monte Jade organizations are addressing this issue in different ways.  For example,Monte Jade West in Silicon Valley has been hosting an Executive Mentorship program for the past 10 years, where each mentor is coaching 7-8 young professionals each year.  

For our Annual Conference on November 15, we have invited the following speakers to share  their own success stories and experiences, including a discussion on soft skills, whilecentering around our theme of "Technology, Leadership, and Upward Mobility":

• Keynote Speaker:  Jim Walters, Chairman of the board, Georgia Ports Authority

• Motivational Speaker - Judge Carla Wong McMillian - Georgia Appeal Court Judge

• Symposium Speakers and their presentation topics.  Presentation abstracts for each speaker are listed below:

o Alex Wan - Atlanta City Council Member District 6: Upward Mobility - Seize the Possibilities.

o Farid Tan - President/CEO at Metro City Bank: Leadership - Nurture what is performing.

o Ed Brooks - Executive Management Consultant; ex-IBM Managing Principal: Upward Mobility - Keys to success: Difference Makers. 

o Hugh Hu - President at Tech Comm, Inc.: Glass Ceiling – The Real Barrier or Only an Excuse?

Our Annual Conference symposium will take place between 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm at the Hilton Atlanta Northeast.  The symposium is free and open to the public.  Our evening dinner banquet will start at 6:00 pm at the same Hilton hotel.  The dinner banquet ticket is $40 per person. A detailed Conference Agenda can be found at the end of this announcement.

During the banquet, we will recognize our Monte Jade Young Achiever Award winners.  These outstanding high school juniors and seniors will also perform their talent show for the audience.  This year we have received a record number ofapplications.  Six (6) judges have been selected to evaluate and rank all applicants.  We willcontact all the award winners before November 1st.  

Our Annual Conference symposium and dinner banquet are open to the public and all are welcome to attend.  More information regarding our annual conference will be posted at our website www.montejadese.org.  If you are interested in attending our Annual Conference, please contact the current Chair person Jimmy Ku (谷企平) at 404-520-9370 or jku2006@gmail.com or Vice Chair Sharleen Wong (李玲) at 678-640-4934 or sharleenwong@yahoo.com. 

Presentation Abstract for Alex Wan: Upward Mobility - Seize the Possibilities:  

Asian-Americans are among the fastest growing minorities in Georgia, now accounting for more than 3% of the state’s population. Our community should strive to achieve that level of representation in all aspects of life – corporate, social, and political. Alex Wan, the first Asian-American elected to the Atlanta City Council, will share his experiences of growing up in Georgia, his path to elected office, and his hopes for full civic engagement from the Asian-American community.

Presentation Abstract for Farid Tan: Leadership - Nurture what is performing:  

Farid Tan will focus on leadership and he will highlight that leadership success is more than a “skill” issue. It requires a mindset and involves more than just managing people.  He will share his formula in leadership success.

Presentation Abstract for Ed Brooks: Upward Mobility - Keys to success: Difference Makers:  

At the management and executive level resumes are usually fairly equal and educational credentials are also usually fairly equal, i.e. quota attainment, business results driven, productivity results, etc.

Leadership skills and other skills that can be learned, will make an ultimate difference in being selected for mid to high level executive positions.

I call these skills "difference makers".  Some examples are Maze Bright, Multitasking, Cue Sense, Teamwork, Culture adaptation, and Positive enthusiasm.  These are excellent examples of the attributes that separate real leaders from the masses.  The key is that much of this can be learned and fine-tuned in both front line jobs and entry level management jobs in preparation for executive opportunities.

Presentation Abstract for Hugh Hu: Glass Ceiling – The Real Barrier or Only an Excuse?: 

Hugh Hu is going to briefly review both the “Glass Ceiling” and the “Sticky Floor” issues.  He will discuss how these two issues are impeding the upward movement of the Chinese Americans in US corporations.  Once we have a fundamental understanding of where we are today, and where we want to be, Hugh will offer a roadmap:

• To remove - language barrier, cultural differences

• To improve – communications skills, leadership skills, skills of managing confrontations, image of self

• To know – what your boss wants/needs/expects, how to self-promote

He encourages the audience to be interactive with him; he even wants the audience to bring in their own issues/problems to the symposium to discuss and obtain some meaningful solutions to the problems.

Agenda for Monte Jade's 22nd Annual Conference

Conference theme: “Technology, Leadership, and Upward Mobility”