Washington, DC—
The Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR) is pleased to announce that three members of the Board of Directors have been elected to new positions: Esmeralda Lyn has been elected as Chair of the IWPR Board, Holly Fechner as Vice Chair, and Sylphiel Yip as Treasurer. In addition, IWPR is pleased to announce that Kai-yan Lee, currently head of the Real Estate Industry section at the World Economic Forum, has been elected to serve a three-year term on the board.
Lenora Cole has retired as Chair of the IWPR Board of Directors and was elected to the honorary position of Board Chair Emerita. Cole was elected to the IWPR board in 2003 and was previously Director of the Women’s Bureau at the U.S. Department of Labor from 1981 to 1986.
“IWPR is grateful for the contributions from Lenora Cole, and her keen understanding of the needs of women and families,” said Heidi Hartmann, IWPR President. “Her expertise, knowledge, and––perhaps most of all—compassion have helped to guide the fulfillment of IWPR’s mission to address the needs of women and strengthen, families, communities, and societies.”
“The three members taking on new roles within the board have already demonstrated strong leadership guidance and will continue to bring dedication to the cause of advancing women,” said Barbara Gault, IWPR Vice President and Executive Director. “Our newly elected board member Kai-yan Lee has a powerful story and valuable expertise and insight to share. At an early age, Lee immigrated to the United States from China with his mother, a single parent. Not only does he bring commitment to issues affecting women and families, but also expertise in diverse fields including development, trade, and economic strategy.”
About the board members:
Kai-yan Lee,
newly elected member of IWPR’s Board of Directors, is the head of the Real Estate Industry section at the World Economic Forum. Previously, he
was a Policy Analyst and Senior Research Associate at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. Lee’s professional experience lies mostly in the real estate, urban development, and infrastructure sectors, and often focuses on underserved and disadvantaged communities. Lee earned a bachelor’s degree in architecture and urban planning from the University of California, Berkeley. He received a master’s degree in city planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a master’s degree in public policy degree from Harvard University.
Esmeralda Lyn
previously served as Vice-Chair of the IWPR board of directors before being elected as IWPR’s Board Chair. Lyn is retired from Hofstra University as the C.V. Starr Distinguished Professor of Finance and International Financial Services and is now Professor Emerita. Her areas of specialization include mergers and acquisitions, international finance, corporate governance, and gender issues in finance. Dr. Lyn has been a finance officer at the United Nations in New York City and also has previous experience at Integrated Resources and Smith Barney Shearson. Lyn received a doctorate in business from the City University of New York-Baruch College.
Holly Fechner
, elected as Vice-Chair of IWPR’s Board of Directors, joined the board in 2007. Fechner is co-chair of the Government Affairs Practice Group at the Washington-based firm Covington & Burling LLP. Fechner has two decades of experience in the legal, legislative, and public policy spheres within both the public and private sectors and was recently profiled in
The Hill.
Previously Fechner served as Policy Director for Senator Edward M. Kennedy and Chief Labor and Pensions Counsel for the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. She received a bachelor of arts degree in history from Oberlin College and a juris doctor degree from the University of Michigan Law School.
Sylphiel Yip
, elected as Treasurer of IWPR, previously served as IWPR’s Assistant Treasurer. A financial consultant with G.X. Clarke & Co., Yip was previously a Strategic Analysis Manager in corporate finance with Ophedge Investment Services, where she researched the Asian market and overhauled the company’s financial analysis and reporting process. Yip received a bachelor of arts degree in economics and statistics from the University of California at Berkeley and a master of business administration degree from New York University.
The Institute for Women’s Policy Research
(IWPR) conducts rigorous research and disseminates its findings to address the needs of women and their families, promote public dialogue, and strengthen communities and societies. IWPR is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization that also works in affiliation with the women’s studies and public policy and public administration programs at The George Washington University.
