New Board Members Bring Diverse Backgrounds and Vision to Lead Foothill Family into its Landmark 95th Year of Service and Community Leadership
PASADENA, CA – Foothill Family is thrilled to welcome acclaimed community leaders Chang Liu, Kris Lythgoe, Jessica Meza, and Dr. Ayesha Randall to the Foothill Family Board of Directors. Each was nominated and elected by the Board for their strengths in advocacy, leadership and business acumen. This distinguished group is eager to share their time and talent in support of Foothill Family’s mission to empower children and families through mental health and early childhood development services that advance growth and development.
Cathay Bank parent Cathay General Bancorp named Chang Liu as its new CEO and President in October 2020. Chang, previously Cathay Bank’s President and COO, will succeed Pin Tai, who retired last year. Liu will continue as President and a Director of Cathay Bank, and will be appointed a member of the Cathay General Bancorp board. Chang received a BA in Economics degree at UCLA and has more than 29 years of banking experience.
Television and Theatre Writer/Producer, Kris Lythgoe, is known for creating and producing hit reality television shows such as So You Think You Can Dance and Who Are You. He is CEO of Magic Pictures International and a member of BAFTA and the TV Academy. Son of American Idol Creator and Executive Producer, Nigel Lythgoe, Lythgoe has also created several American pantomimes based upon fairy tales and folklore. Earlier in his career, Lythgoe headed productions of Footloose and The Wedding Singer in the UK, and he most recently produced a Holiday adaptation of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz that premiered in Pasadena, CA. He attended Imperial Service College in the UK and earned an MBA in Business Strategy and Leadership from ARU.
Jessica Meza is the Instructional Assistant, El Monte City School District. Meza is a Certified Health education Specialist (CHES) and earned a B.S. in Public Health at California State University Los Angeles. Meza is an Early Head Start Health and Services Advisory Committee Member at Foothill Family as well as an Early Head Start Policy Council Member at Foothill Family. Meza participated in Student Leaders in Sexual Education Internship, Alliance Leichtman-Levine Family Foundation Environmental Science High School.
Dr. Ayesha Randall currently serves as a Professor at the LA Trade Technical College. She is a grassroots organizer, community advocate and educational consultant, passionate about creating affirming environments for African-American children. Randall lives in Pasadena with her husband, Louis and daughter, Alicia. In her spare time, she finds pleasure in creating stuff and experiences, spending time with family, shopping at thrift stores and garage sales, participating in LA’s art and culture scene, being in diverse spaces and environments, listening to stories, volunteering in the community, talking and listening to different folks, eating and cooking good food, and enjoying the outdoors with her daughter and Girl Scout troop. Randall earned her BA at UC Berkeley, a Masters in Education from Harvard and an Ed.D from USC.
“We are pleased to welcome these accomplished and talented individuals on our Board of Directors. Over the past year, we have adapted to a rapidly changing environment and these champions are vital voices to further serve the evolving needs of our community and us usher into our milestone 95th year of service,” said Steve Allen, Chief Executive Officer of Foothill Family.
Serving the community for 95 years, Foothill Family was founded in 1926 and provides a range of community-based mental health and social services to underserved populations in Southern California. Through its leadership in supporting underresourced populations in Southern California, the agency has earned a reputation for providing high-quality services aimed at achieving brighter futures in which individuals and families thrive, communities are strengthened, and generations are enriched. Programs include mental health and school-based services for children, a focus on early childhood development and parent education, youth and family services including child abuse prevention and treatment, domestic violence prevention and treatment, and services for pregnant and parenting teens. For more information, please call (626) 993-3000 or visit www.foothillfamily.org.
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