Jonathan R. Leong

Jonathan R. Leong received the “Excellence 2000 Award” by the U.S. Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce, Washington, D.C. given to outstanding and accomplished individuals from the Asian community. In 1995, he was honored as one of five “Unsung Heroes” in the Bay Area by public broadcast television, KQED, for his dedication to community involvement and work with the Asian American Donor Program.

Upon his graduation from college at San Francisco State University, Mr. Leong began working in the commercial insurance field, ultimately starting his own highly successful firm. In addition to running his hectic business, he has been an integral decision- maker in several Bay Area companies, including the marketing and management of the San Francisco MUNI Metro Turnback Project for the San Francisco Public Transportation Commission and for the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) District. He is also a member of the Caltrans Small Business Advisory Council.

Mr. Leong participates as Principal of two restaurants in San Francisco, is President of an international trading company, is President of a company which focuses on environmental cleanup projects from Mexico to Puerto Rico, and is Chairman of a manufacturing company.

In conjunction with his busy career, Mr. Leong is involved in a number of high-level community activities.  He is a founding member of both the Democratic Leadership Council in San Francisco and the Asian Pacific Democratic Caucus, a sub-committee of the Democratic National Committee designed to create ideas for the Democratic platform emphasizing the Asian viewpoint.   He is a strong supporter of the New Democratic Network headed by Simon Rosenburg and has recently organized The Institute for the New California, a public policy “think tank” whose membership includes such corporate giants as, AT&T, Hewlett Pakard, General Motors and Union Pacific.  He is a founding member of National Council of Asian American Business Associations. In 1995 Jonathan was elected for the second time as a delegate representing small businesses at the White House small business conference.  He just completed his 2-year term serving as commission on the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

Mr. Leong has also been involved in various community programs and activities during the past years. These include Self Help for the Elderly (Board Advisor), Chinese Performing Arts Foundation (Director), Asian Business Association (Founder, Past President, Chairman), Asian American Theater Company (past President), California Small Business Administration (past Advisory Board Member), Oakland Business Development Corp. (past Board Member), and other community and business organizations.

Mr. Leong established the Asian American Donor Program (AADP); a non-profit health organization dedicated to increasing the availability of bone marrow transplants for APA’s.  When Mr. Leong first formed this organization in 1989 there were only 123 Asian Americans registered nation-wide as potential bone marrow donors. Today, due to his efforts, there are over 294,257 Asians and Pacific Islanders registered in the United States.

His involvement in the health community has literally saved hundreds of lives.  From 1997 to 1999 Mr. Leong has served as Vice Chair of the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) where he served with Admiral E. Zumwalt, Jr. and Nobel Prize Laureate Dr. E. Donnall Thomas.  Mr. Leong continues to work diligently with the NMDP to improve outreach methods to minorities on a national and international level.

Mr. Leong’s high energy and commitment are without comparison and he is always eager to lend a helping hand. He is constantly developing new ways to improve the quality of life for all people and has the skills and leadership necessary to put his ideas into action.

Contact address: JLA Risk Services, 7700 Edgewater Drive, Suite #265, Oakland, CA 94621.