Bernie, as she prefers to be called, is the Executive Director of the Chinese American Service League, known as "CASL." She transformed CASL from a one-person, $30,000 a year budget in 1978, to a 4 facility agency operating on a budget of $4.1 million with 160 employees. Recently, she has been named one of the most influential women in Chicago.

The most amazing quality of Bernie, is her ability to reach out and help others. She knows a great deal about project development and about fundraising and because of her vision, many senior citizens living in Chinatown now call a beautiful pristine mid-rise Senior Housing facility home. Despite the challenge of raising the $6.7 million needed to build the facility, CASL-lead by Bernie, achieved their goal through an amazing infrastructure of volunteers and donors who spent countless hours to better the lives of senior citizens in their community.

The Chinese community and the city of Chicago are all so much the better because Bernie Wong decided to risk leaving China to call the United States her home. AILF would like to recognize Bernie for her achievements in the development of her community and state.