Meet Jeff, our Maplean of the Month!
Q: Where are you from?
A: Jeff Wong (JW) - I was born and raised in San Francisco’s Sunset District. In the 90s, I went to school at Washington State University (WSU) to study architecture. WSU was a great experience and the birth place for my appreciation of the outdoors.
Q: What attracted you to work for Marin County?
A: JW – After graduating from UC Berkeley with an MBA, I interviewed with a prominent development firm in downtown San Francisco and with the County. When I was shown my potential downtown office and looked out the window, I saw blocks of high rise buildings and thousands of dark suits walking along the streets. When I interviewed with the County, I felt like I would be working in a park. At that time of my life, I needed the park scene.
Q: What do you like to do for adventure?
A: JW – If you haven’t noticed from my other responses, I like being outdoors! However, I also like big audacious goals. Therefore a few years ago, I started mountaineering. I’ve climbed Half Dome, Mt. Whitney, Mt. Shasta and will attempt Mt. Rainier in July. My long term goal would be to summit Mt. McKinley (Denali) one day. I ran a few marathons in my 30s, but started to seriously train after the Boston Marathon bombings. In the last year, I’ve run 5 marathons and hope to qualify for the Boston in the coming year.
Q: As one of the co-founders of MAPLE, what would you like to see happen to the group over the next year?
A: JW – Thus far, it’s been great to meet and get to know other Asians at the MAPLE events. As a new group, there is a lot of room for the group’s culture to develop. I would hope that many more will participate in developing this culture based on enjoying each other's company and serving one another in whatever capacity that the group feels passionate about. However, please keep the good Asian food as a core value!
The interview was conducted by Jacalyn Mah on Wednesday, May 28, 2014. Photos are courtesy of Jeff Wong.
