Community Asian Theatre of the Sierra

CATS Board Member Profiles

Lisa Moon is the founding Producing Artistic Director and President of CATS. She has performed in numerous productions with CATS and also with Gold Country Productions, Community Players, Gateway Players, Asian Pacific Theatre Company, Asian Cultural Exchange, Motherlode Stage Company, and Foothill Theatre Company. Lisa can also be seen in local and international commercials, a country western music video, an international brochure for Intel, Hallmark Hall of Fame TV movie, SMUD training video, Foster Farms infomercial and various Parent and Teacher instructional manuals. She is the recipient of the May Martin Goyne Outstanding Women Award as "Entrepreneur of the Arts" for 1999.

Lisa is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, School of Optometry. She and her husband, Dr. Jerry Chan, have been practicing Optometry in Grass Valley since 1978. They are the proud parents of Allison and Tiffany. Lisa had 2 reviews published: "Meibomian Gland Carcinoma" and "Ocular Manifestations of Congenital Rubella" in Optometic Weekly. In 2004, Lisa was voted 'Best Optometrist' by The Union readers.

Lisa has also been involved with other nonprofit organizations - Vision USA, Friendship Club provider and "Celebrity" for Child Advocates of Nevada County (CASA). She actively supported the UC Davis gymnastics team and was made an honorary assistant coach May 2000.

Jeannie Wong Wood is the Executive Director of CATS. She also serves as its Marketing Director, Membership Director, Grant writer, Box Office Manager, and Cultural Enrichment Director. In addition, Jeannie has been an actor with a number of community theater companies and was last seen as "Atsuko" in CATS' production of TEA in January/February 2007. Jeannie is on the Executive Committee of the Nevada City Chinese Quarter Society and currently works as a Legal Assistant in Sacramento. She became a member of KVIE's Community Advisory Board in April 2007, representing our community in public television programming. Jeannie also studies Japanese taiko drumming with Grass Valley Taiko.

Jeannie grew up in San Francisco Chinatown and was active in a number of community-based organizations, serving as a Board member, English as a Second Language instructor, Job Developer and Employment Representative. Jeannie is a graduate of San Francisco State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Welfare. She has one daughter, Kim.

Karen Freeman was elected to the position of Board Secretary on April 20, 2005, after serving as interim secretary since September 2004.

Karen moved to Nevada County from the Bay Area about 20 years ago, after raising her twin sons. She went to work for Nevada County Human Services Agency in 1991 and took an early retirement two years ago. Her last three years there were spent as the Administrative Assistant to the Adult Services Program Manager in the Behavioral Health Department.

Among her interests are traveling, crocheting and learning to play Mahjong. She is currently attending classes with Grass Valley Taiko and is an enthusiastic student drummer. She visits her out-of-town grandchildren as often as possible.

Karen took an interest in local theater about sixteen years ago when she began volunteering as cashier, usher and ticket-taker for Community Players and Gold Country Productions. She later began volunteering for CATS as an usher and ticket taker, and later took over the role of Concession Manager for the last few productions. She continues to contribute her time and energy volunteering for various CATS events such as the annual picnic and various fundraisers.

Patty Lum-Ohmann is a member of CATS since its inception in 1994, working at various times as graphics designer, actor and box office manager. Her most significant contribution to CATS has been the creation of programs, newsletters, newspaper and magazine advertisements, posters, and other documentation.

In addition to CATS, Patty has also been involved with several other local non-profit theater organizations, including Chris Harada Productions, Gold Country Productions, and Mother Lode Stage Company. She is on the Executive Committee of the Nevada City Chinese Quarter Society (CQS), which is working to recognize the important part that early Chinese immigrants played in the history of the Gold Country. She is CQS' graphic designer, producing brochures, letterhead, and certificates. Patty is also a member of their fundraising committee.

Patty herself is a Gold Country native. Both her parents were immigrants from China who made their home in Grass Valley, where Patty was born. She has lived and worked in this area her entire life. For many years Patty was a schematic designer at Grass Valley Group, where she met her husband, Dave, a software engineer. They currently reside in Alta Sierra, a small community located just outside of Grass Valley.

Sara Quay has been a hair stylist and makeup artist and designer for thirty years. She is accomplished in both fashion cosmetology and theatrical makeup and design. Over the years she has worked on countless plays and theatrical events for many theater groups. She also owns and operates the Quay Hair Salon, which offers a full range of Salon services. Sara is in great demand as an artist for special events and weddings and as an educator.

Sara is also an artist in other fields besides cosmetology. She is a fine artist trained in painting on canvas. This has influenced her theatrical work and she is adept at body painting and masquere. She has designed Asian theater makeup, including Kabuki and Beijing opera styles, for CATS since 1995. Sara also has a long time active interest in JuJutsu and Taiko drumming with Grass Valley Taiko. Sara brings all of these disciplines to bear on her professional and personal life. She has a great love for her profession and people, and brings creativity, experience, and excitement to all of her endeavors.

Hock Tjoa retired in 2005 after 8 years of teaching, 11 years of banking and 14 years in finance at a telecommunications and a broadcast equipment manufacturing company. He teaches accounting part time. He has been active in CATS and other local community musical and theatrical productions since 2003. He is married with two daughters.

Eric Tomb has been selling books -- first new, now used -- in Nevada County since 1973. He was born near New York City in 1945 and moved frequently around the East and Midwest with his family before lighting out to California in 1967. In the last dozen years, he has been an active volunteer and sometime Board member of KVMR, FCAT and the Nevada County Composers Cooperative. He performed in CATS productions between 2002 and 2004 and helped with productions since then.

Kaye Wedel has joined the CATS Board after having served as its House Manager since "Tibet Through the Red Box" in 2005. She has been a resident of Nevada County since 1998, having moved here from the Bay Area, and has been active in the theatre and arts scene for many years, both as a patron and a volunteer. She also currently serves as a Board member for the Nevada Theatre Commission.

Kaye is co-owner of Hydro-Watt, Inc., a business that serves domestic and international markets. Hydro-Watt specializes in solutions for the Hydro-Electric, Mining and Marine industries and specialized products for dam safety and lining culverts. In her spare time, Kaye is enjoying the renewal of her great loves: flute-playing and singing.

Virgil Wong is the Transit System Supervisor for Nevada County Transit Gold Country Stage. He is responsible for training, counseling, and supervising 48 bus drivers and coordinating the use and maintenance of 21 vehicles. He has overseen the expansion of the system from 17 drivers to the present 48, miles driven from 250M to 660M per year. Recently he also supervised during the last 12 winters, on weekends, the rental shop for Soda Springs resort. During this time, his staff grew from 5 employees to 15. He holds an AA degree in accounting. He was on the President's and Dean's lists during his four semesters.

Virgil is past Treasurer for Community Asian Theatre of the Sierra. He is presently a voting Board member. He has volunteered for CATS, Community Players, Gold Country Productions, Chris Harada Productions, Performing Arts Guild, and Foothill Theatre Company. He has been a house manager, cashier, usher, actor, singer, lighting technician, sound technician, and carpenter for stage productions.