Jay Chen – A Small Businessman Serving Community and Country
A proud product of Hacienda Heights public schools, Jay has been working hard and giving back his entire life. He was a student leader and academic standout at Wilson High School and earned a scholarship to attend Harvard University. After graduating with honors, he was recruited by a leading global strategy consulting firm to advise Fortune 500 companies on how to solve their most complex business problems.
Jay moved on to build his own small business, investing and managing commercial properties throughout Southern California. He continues to serve his country as an intelligence officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve. He knows firsthand how to create jobs, build a viable business, and balance the books, and he will bring this practical know-how to Washington D.C.
A first generation American, Jay’s parents came to the United States from Taiwan to seek a better future. They taught him the value of hard work and the importance of a good education and supporting your community. With those values running through his veins, Jay has twice been chosen by his neighbors to serve on the Hacienda-La Puente School Board, and was elected president by his colleagues.
Jay is deeply vested in the civic institutions that train workers, enhance the business climate, and improve citizenship. He served as President of the Board for the La Puente Valley Regional Occupation Program, and sits on the boards of the Old Pasadena Management District and the San Gabriel Valley YMCA. He is also a board member of the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies and President of the Asian Pacific Islander School Board Member Association.
An active Democrat, Jay has organized for local and national Democratic candidates and he recruited over 100 volunteers to campaign for President Barack Obama in the swing state of Nevada in 2008. His commitment to the California Democratic Party earned him the Democrat of the Year Award for his Assembly District in 2011.
