MLA Katrina Chen Visits Our Club
The MLA for Burnaby-Lougheed attended our recent meeting and in an informal setting described what it was like to be a politician.
Chen was raised in Taiwan, where her father was a member of the city council, so she comes by her position honestly. She has served as a trustee on the Burnaby Board of Education, and worked in both provincial and federal government constituency offices She has also worked as a community organizer with ACORN, and volunteered as an executive member for several local non-profit organizations for many years
Chen was first elected to the legislature in 2017 as Minister of State for Child Care. During her time as a Cabinet Minister, Chen led the Child Care BC plan. After premier Horgan announced his retirement as premier and party leader, Chen was suggested by pundits as a possible leadership candidate. Instead, she endorsed David Eby, the current Premier. Chen declined to join the new cabinet and has since stepped down from her various roles. Her insight and involvement in community activities are a model for all of us to emulate.