Morning Star Community Services Management Committee (Term of office: May 2006 to April 2008) President Mr Jeremy Tay Bong Hua Jeremy graduated with a Bachelor of Art Degree from the National University of Singapore in 1982, majoring in Social Work and Sociology. He also obtained a postgraduate diploma in Training and Management Development (UK) and a Master of Arts in Education (Human Resource Development) with the George Washington University (USA). He is the Director of Outward Bound Singapore since 2001 which is part of an international organization found in about 35 countries with the mission of fostering character, leadership and team development using the outdoors. He had previously worked in the Prime Minister s Office, Ministry of Community Development and the National Community Leadership Institute in various portfolios such as community development, volunteer planning and development, corporate planning, public relations and training and development. Jeremy is married with two daughters, aged 17 and 15. He has been the founding President of Morning Star Community Services. Vice-President Mr Francis Ng Teck Hung Francis graduated in 1982 with a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) in accounting from Laurentian University, Canada. He started his career as an auditor with one of the Big Four public accounting firms and later moved on to other industry sectors covering, services, manufacturing, commerce and financial. For the last 15 years, he held senior management position, with responsibilities in the accounting and finance functions at Maxtor (S) Pte Ltd, Cellstar Pacific Pte Ltd, Hitachi Leasing (S) Pte Ltd, and most recently TeleChoice International Ltd. Besides his involvement with Morning Star since March 2002, he also does voluntary services at church. Francis is married with two sons aged 16 and 11.
Treasurer Mr Gerald Tan Wee Han Gerald graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Specialized Honours) Economics & Business from York University, Canada. He also holds a Graduate Diploma in Financial Management, Singapore Institute of Management. He is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA Singapore). He is a Member of the Institute of Certified Public Accountant Singapore (ICPAS), Association of Chartered Certified Accountant (ACCA), United Kingdom and an Associate Member of Singapore Institute of Management. He is the Senior Accountant of Singapore Petroleum Co Ltd since 2002. Gerald is married with a 12-year old son and two daughters, aged 9 and 7. He joined Morning Star Community Services in April 2005 as the Honorary Treasurer. Secretary Ms Christina Lim Christina has an MBA in Strategic Marketing from the University of Hull, UK. She has a professional background in brand marketing and communications. Her experience covers diverse industries from healthcare, telco to consumer products companies. She heads up Corporate Communications in a German company which is one of the leading suppliers in the global health care market. In her personal time, she volunteers with Morning Star as a parent trainer for its Common Sense Parenting Programme and has served on the Management Committee since April 2004. Christina is happily married with one daughter. She has a keen interest in community projects that aim to strengthen the family and focus on children.
Spiritual Director Rev Fr Henry Siew Weng Loon Fr Henry Siew graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work from the National University of Singapore in 1984. He obtained his PhD in Philosophy from Fujen Catholic University, Taipei. Fr Siew was ordained as a Catholic Priest in 1991 and served as Assistant Priest at Holy Trinity and Star of the Sea Churches from 1991-1996. He was Dean of Studies at St Francis Xavier Major Seminary from 2001 to 2005 Currently, Fr Siew is the Parish Priest of St Anne s Church. Besides his role as the Spiritual Director of Morning Star since June 2002, he is also the Spiritual Director of Archdiocesan Commission for Apostolate of Mandarin Speaking and Secretary to the Senate of Priests. Committee Member Mr Michael Koh Ah San Michael started his career with Housing & Development Board since 1982. He holds a Certificate in Quantity Survey from City & Guilds of London and a Diploma in Industrial Relations from Singapore Institute of Labour Studies. He is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Commerce, Human Resource & Industrial Relations from Curtin University of Technology. He had previously volunteered in the People s Association and was the Chairman of Henderson and Cairnhill Community Centre Youth Executive Committee. He is currently the President of Housing & Development Board Staff Union. He also teaches catechism on Sundays at the Nativity Church of the BVM. He joined Morning Star Community Services as a Committee Member in April 2005. Michael is married with two sons, aged 10 and 5.
Committee Member Sr Jane Chong Foong Kiuen Sr Jane has been a religious Sister for more than 21 years after her three years of initial formation in the congregation of the Canossian Daughters of Charity. She was trained as a teacher for Special Education at the National Institute of Education. She also has some training on Reality Therapy and Counselling. She graduated from three and a half years theological study at Maryhill School of Theology in the Philippines. She also took philosophy as requirement of her theology programme. Previously, Sr Jane had been the principal of Nativity Children Centre and Canossian Convent Kindergarten. Currently, she has been appointed as supervisor of Canossian Convent Kindergarten and St Magdalene Kindergarten. At present, she is also the animator of the Canossian Sisters at the Canossian Formation House. She is a part of the team of formators in her congregation. She accompanies young ladies in search of life option as well as in their spiritual journey. He joined Morning Star Community Services as a Committee Member in January 2004. Committee Member Miss Celeste Tan Mei Kim Having graduated with a B.B.A. (majoring in Marketing) and B.A. in Psychology from Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, Canada in 2000, Celeste has started her career in marketing management in a non-profit provincial association promoting the rental industry in Canada in 2001. After moving back to Singapore, she has since then established her career in Events Management where she has worked on major national governmental projects to international/overseas projects. Building her experience in Public Relations, Advertising, Trade Shows and Exhibitions, and, Special Events, Celeste is currently running an events management firm handling both corporate and consumer events and at the same time also works as free-lance Event Organizer for corporations outsourcing marketing projects. Before living overseas, Celeste has over five years of teaching in Community centers and tuition centers where she has gained basic experience in dealing with children and families. She has always been interested in counseling work and non-profit marketing and thus has been serving as a Committee Member for Morning Star since August 2005 and has been volunteering with the elderly since the tender age of ten.
Committee Member Mr Augustine Low Kim Song Augustine has diverse experience across the communications field, spanning over 15 years in journalism, advertising and corporate communications. Currently Managing Partner of a local public relations consultancy The Advocate Group, he provides strategic communications counsel and brand advocacy to private and public sector clients. Augustine took two years off work to pursue a Master in Mass Communication from Griffith University, Australia, in 1997. In relation to his Masters programme, he did an extensive study on 20 th century icons, and considers Pope John Paul II the greatest of them all. Augustine is married with one son. He joined Morning Star Community Services as a Committee Member in April 2006. Executive Director Mr Christian Choo Yam Yong Christian is the Executive Director of Morning Star Community Services since its inception. As a certified family life educator, he has developed and facilitated family life programmes on parenting, couple relationship, personal growth and learning. His audience includes professionals, company heads, industrialists, educators, students and children of all age groups. For the last 10 years, Christian partnered and worked with institutions, ministries, homes and schools to collaborate and assist families from all strata of society. Prior to establishing Morning Star, he has held positions of sales manager, general manager, corporate trainer and consultant in multi-national companies. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree from the National University of Singapore and obtained a Masters in Education (Training and Development) from University of Sheffield (UK). In the course of his work at Morning Star, he obtained a Specialist Diploma in Satir s Systemic Transformational Therapy Model from the Satir Institute of the Pacific and a Graduate Certificate in Parent Education Leadership Training, jointly awarded by the Family Resource Training Centre and Swinburne University Christian is married with five children, their age range from 15 to 6 years old.