cultural champion

Lisa Lee

Lisa Yun Lee is a cultural activist and the executive director and chief curator of the National Public Housing Museum.

She is also an associate professor of museum and exhibition studies and gender and women’s studies at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and a member of Chicago Torture Justice Memorials. As the former director of the Jane Addams Hull-House Museum, she oversaw renovation of the house and reinvigorated public programming.

Lee was the cofounder of The Public Square at the Illinois Humanities Council, an organization dedicated to nurturing civil society. She writes broadly about arts, culture, aesthetics and politics. Lee serves on the boards of the Field Foundation, the American Association of State and Local History, Gloria’s Foundation, Preservation Illinois, and on the Equity Advisory Council for Mayor Brandon Johnson and the city of Chicago.

outstanding community leader

cw chan

CW Chan, retired entrepreneur, mental health consultant and social service administrator, has been active in voluntary community service for five decades, with significant impacts on the Asian and Chinese American communities in Chicago.

His extensive civic service record has included being founder and president of the Chinese American Service League (CASL); president and chairman of the Chicago Chinatown Chamber of Commerce; chairman and president of the Asian American Coalition of Chicago (AACC), chairman of the Chicago Chinatown Centennial, and advisor to many civic organizations and elected officials. In 1998, CW brought together key faith, service and advocacy organizations and founded the Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community (CBCAC). Under CW’s direction and leadership, CBCAC sought community development through civic engagement and political empowerment, and within a decade had led a series of voter registration campaigns resulting in a more than 300% increase in the number of registered Chinese American voters in the Greater Chinatown neighborhoods.

outstanding community leader

Michael Takada

Michael Takada served as the Chief Executive Officer for the Japanese American Service Committee (JASC) from 2014-2024 and as the President of the Board of Directors from 2005-2008.

He guided the organization through significant financial and programmatic growth, positioning JASC as an inclusive destination for cultural engagement, social services, and community connection. He also spearheaded the Serve, Preserve, Grow Campaign, raising over $3 million toward a long-term $10 million investment in JASC’s future. Outside of JASC, Michael has served on multiple board leadership positions with the Chicago Japanese American Council, Chicago Commission for Human Relations, Unitarian Church of Evanston, and the Chicago Cultural Alliance. In recognition of his extraordinary contributions to strengthening U.S.–Japan relations and fostering unity among Japanese and Japanese American communities in Chicago, Michael received the Japan Foreign Minister’s Commendation in 2022, and in 2023, the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays, conferred by the Emperor of Japan. Michael Takada is a visionary leader, a bridge-builder, and a tireless advocate for cultural connection.