Our Board

Paul started his own career with Sunset Scavenger 37 years ago and has worked in almost every facet of the Company. As was the tradition of the time he started as a helper on a garbage truck, worked his way up to driver and eventually crew foreman. Paul’s knowledge of the operations led to his involvement in special projects including route audits and pilot recycling programs. In the early 90’s Paul moved into the management ranks as the Operations Manager for the fledgling Curbside Recycling Department. Since then he has served at Recology Sunset Scavenger as Dispatcher, Customer Service Manager, Chief Operations Manager, and Business Unit Manager.

Today Paul serves as the Group Community and Government Affairs Manager for all the Recology companies in San Francisco. In his role he oversees civic involvement, employee volunteerism and works as a liaison to elected officials and City departments such as Public Works, Department of the Environment and Public Health.

In addition to his duties at Recology Paul was appointed by Mayor Lee to sit on the Workforce Investment San Francisco Board and co-chairs the Board of Directors of the non-profit Asian Pacific American Community Center in Visitacion Valley. Paul also served for nine years on the Graffiti Advisory Committee representing San Francisco business.

Myriam Chen co-founded two Information Technology companies:  the first one in the early 90’s and the second in 2005. Both headquartered in San Francisco, the last venture took her to establish a Technology Development Center in Beijing in 2006, servicing customers in the U.S. Japan and China.

Myriam is currently Consultant of the City of Wuhan and the City of Chongqing in China. In 2009, Myriam and her business partner recruited the Franco Dragone Entertainment Group (FDEG), a Belgium based global entertainment enterprise, and helped initiated a RMB 20 billion investment to develop the “Han Show”, the world’s largest water show and the first ever in China, in Wuhan. FDEG’s business model is creating/developing high tech, large scale water performance shows in Las Vegas, Paris, Italy, Dubai, Macau, Japan, Indonesia, Thailand and China.

Jonathan is equally passionate in support of the charitable efforts to alleviate social and economic disparities that exist today, in a society where the middle class are continuing to disappear. He was born in San Francisco Chinatown’s Chinese Hospital, and shortly after his family moved to Oakland where he spent half of his childhood years. Later, they moved to the next-door suburbs of Alameda, an experience which provided a constant reminder of the social and economic disparity profoundly contrasted between two neighboring communities. At age 21, he was certified as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) at United Ambulance, a company which focused on IFT contracted throughout a number of the Bay Area hospitals and skilled nursing facilities. With that company, he found the disparity still existed and apparent even in our medical system. Eventually resigning from his position as operations manager at UA prior to committing full time with a real estate firm, it is with this experience he was driven to do more to help the underserved communities.

Serving on the board of directors at Asian Pacific American Community Center, he hopes to contribute to the continuing efforts of the organization to help empower the underprivileged community and growth of non-profit services, which provide the local underserved communities much needed support, in some cases necessary to survive.

Martin Yan is a Master Chef and the celebrated host of over 3,000 cooking shows, broadcast worldwide, Martin Yan enjoys distinction as a certified Master Chef, a highly respected food consultant, a cooking instructor, and a prolific author. His diverse talents have found expression in 30 cookbooks, which include the award-winning Martin Yan’s Feast, Martin Yan’s Asian Favorites, Chinese Cooking for Dummies, Martin Yan’s Chinatown Cooking (intro by Julia Child), Martin Yan’s Quick & Easy, and, Martin Yan’s China.

Born in Guangzhou, China, to a restaurateur father and a mother who operated a grocery store, Chef Yan possessed a passion for cooking at an early age. His formal induction into the culinary world began at age thirteen, with an apprenticeship at a popular Hong Kong restaurant. He honed his natural talent at the Overseas Institute of Cookery in Hong Kong, and then pursued an MS degree in Food Science at The University of California, Davis in the U.S. He discovered pasion for teaching when he became a chef- instructor in the university’s extension program. In 1978, he pioneered a daily TV Chinese cooking show: the now classic Yan Can Cook. Infusing lessons with his characteristic warmth, humor and vitality, he quickly won a devoted following.

Chef Yan continues to follow his dreams with his brand new television series, “Martin Yan’s Taste of Malaysia.” Broadcast on 3 major Malaysian television networks and worldwide, this series documents his experiences in Malaysian culture and cuisine. Additionally, his Fall 2014 television series, “Martin Yan’s Taste of Vietnam,” which currently airs on public television stations across the U.S. and worldwide, follows his travels and culinary discoveries throughout the far reaches of Vietnam.

A popular chef-instructor at top culinary institutions around the world, Chef Yan has lectured at The Culinary Institute of America, Johnson & Wales University, The California Culinary Academy and The Chinese Cuisine Institute in Hong Kong. In 1985, he founded the Yan Can Cooking School in California. Also a restaurateur, his Yan Can and Yan Can Cook Beijing Restaurants offer inventive pan-Asian menus. Chef Yan brings Chinese culinary tradition and culture to light through an authentic, modern dining experience with his new restaurants venture; M.Y. China and M.Y. Noodles, in the San Francisco bay area.

The recipient of numerous awards and honors, Chef Yan is internationally recognized as an accomplished Asian chef among his peers. He has also captured the attention, admiration and hearts of billions of fans by spicing up his cooking artistry and lessons with a personal ingredient: wit. Through television, or in person, a session with Chef Yan proves invigorating, as well as educational. Dedicated to dispelling the mysteries of Asian and Chinese cooking, Chef Yan furthers an understanding of Asian cuisine and culture with spirited lessons, fun and entertainment.

Francis holds a Ph.D. in Neuroscience and Toxicology from Texas A&M University; M.S. degrees in Biochemistry from University of San Francisco and Computer Information Systems from University of Houston; and a B.S. in Biochemistry from University of Alberta. In addition to serving as a board member of APACC, Francis is an active member of many professional societies including the American College of Nutrition, American Diabetes Association, American Society for Nutrition, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, American Aging Association, the Obesity Society, and Society of Toxicology. In his spare time, he enjoys outdoor activities including camping, paddle boarding, and skiing.