Career Leadership Award

Dr. Christopher Chow and Kenneth and Pamela Fong received Career Leadeship Awards at CHCP’s Tenth Anniversary Dragon Ball.

Kenneth Fong was born in China. He lived in Hong Kong and came to the United States in 1966 to attend school. He received his Ph.D. in Molecular Biology and Microbiology from Indiana University.

Ken Fong, “Dr. DNA,” founded Palo Alto based Clontech Laboratories Inc. with his wife Pamela in 1984 to make the molecular biology tools that facilitate today’s cutting edge research and development in gene mapping, genetic engineering, and cloning. The first Asian American to form a molecular biology company, he built Clontech into a $38 million leader in its field. Clontech currently employs 245 people including 50 Ph.D. scientists. It produces and markets products to academic and pharmaceutical labs in the United States and 30 other countries.

In 1990 Inc. Magazine selected Clontech as one of the fastest-growing privately-held companies in the United States. In 1994 and 1995 the company was selected by the San Jose Business Journal and the San Francisco Business Journal, respectively, as one of the 100 fastest-growing privately-held companies in the Bay Area. It was also awarded the 1996-97 R&D 100 Award for the top 100 technologically significant new products of the year, sharing honors with such high-profile products as the ATM and fax machines.

A well-known authority in his field, Ken Fong has also been active in his professional organizations. He served as board member and president of Asian American Manufacturer’s Association (AAMA). Based in Silicon Valley with 600 members, AAMA is considered one of the 10 largest professional societies in Northern California.

Since 1994, he has served on the Scientific Advisory Board at San Francisco State University, and since 1991 to the present, has been the chairman of the Long-Range Planning Committee for the Society of Chinese Bioscientist in America (SCBA), an organization of 2,500 active members. His term as president of the Biopharmaceutical Division is from 1997-1999.

He is currently a Board member of IgenX, Inc., a diagnostic company, and an Advisory Board member of Medical Biotechnology Academia Sinica, Taiwan.

With success in the entrepreneurship of their company, both Ken and Pamela Fong’s philosophy has been to give back to the community. Pamela Fong served on the Board of Self-Help for the Elderly of Santa Clara County for four years; and the Fongs have been generous supporters of Self-Help for the Elderly Foundation, Chinese Historical Society of America, and many political causes.

They reside in Los Altos Hills and are the parents of two children, John and Maggie. The Fongs have been generous supporters of CHCP’s fundraising efforts, reflecting their belief in the causes CHCP has worked toward: past, present and future.