A social event in San Francisco is where Howard and Alice first met. Alice had just finished her Master’s degree in Business Administration. Howard knew he had to see her again and asked for her phone number. Alice resisted, but Howard was able to score an email address, which he quickly used to ask her out. They clicked and began dating, which led to a proposal and a wedding. “Our wedding took place at the Ferry Building in San Francisco a few years later. It was one of our favorite places to visit while getting to know each other,” says Howard.
Howard was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. Alice is originally from Taiwan. The couple decided to start a family in the years following their marriage. They lived on the Embarcadero in San Francisco, overlooking the water and the Bay Bridge. “Although it was beautiful, we wanted more space and a yard to play in with our future children. But most importantly, we wanted a community we could call home. Blackhawk has always been an area that we aspired to be in one day. We lived in San Ramon and Lafayette for a few years, then found a home in the gates, and it was love at first sight. The rest is history,” says Alice.
Alice received her MBA from Fresno State, while Howard received his undergraduate degree from UC Riverside and his MBA from Golden Gate University. Alice worked for Sutter Health and now for Kaiser Permanente in healthcare finance.
Howard founded a financial services startup, which was later acquired by a well-known corporation. He is now in the philanthropic space and is acting Chief Financial and Operating Officer at the San Francisco SPCA. He also serves on several boards, including the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital Foundation’s Board of Directors. Howard is a published author who writes about nonprofit best practices for Forbes.com.
Fitness and health are big priorities for the Chi family. Alice enjoys working out at the Blackhawk Country Club Fitness Center almost every day. She enjoys all the classes, however her favorite is TRX. When she is not at the gym, you can find her doing arts and crafts with the kids or making a photo album of their last vacation. Howard also enjoys going to the gym and has recently started playing tennis. He began taking lessons at the club last September and made some great friends who persuaded him to join a team against his better judgment.
Volunteering and nonprofit work are important to the Chi’s. They believe this is an essential part of living and a privilege to give back. The Chi family will actively volunteer together at organizations like Alameda County and Contra Costa County food banks and hospitals such as Kaiser, Stanford, and Sutter Health. Howard is particularly passionate about healthcare for all living things and the importance of access to equitable care. “San Francisco General Hospital and the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals are both organizations where, regardless of income, you will receive high-quality health care. It doesn’t matter if you are famous or someone down on their luck; you will get the same high-quality health care for your loved ones. Everyone and every animal deserves access to quality health care,” says Howard.
Two daughters, Dora and Annabelle, and an adorable dog named Bear complete the family. Dora enjoys extracurricular activities that include leadership, violin, chess, Math Olympiad, Science Alliance, and Garden Club. She has a full schedule of mixed martial arts, piano, tennis, and Chinese classes. Dora is particularly passionate about dance, and you can often catch her singing and dancing or making up a new choreographed performance to her favorite songs. She also uses her creativity to make unique items, such as cheeseburger earrings made from clay. Dora recently participated in the Little Entrepreneurship Fair, in which she created a business offering these handmade fashion jewelry pieces.
Annabelle is involved in similar activities, but really enjoys drawing and gymnastics. She is a huge animal lover, especially dogs. Her collection of stuffed animals rivals most toy stores. Annabelle is very determined and will do her best when she sets a goal. She recently took home first place in sparring during the last mixed martial arts tournament. “When the girls are not fighting each other, they also enjoy swimming and biking outdoors. This year was their first time on skis, and they did great. In a half hour, they were skiing down the bunny slope on their own,” says Alice.
Bear is an 8-year-old Malamute-Husky mix adopted from the SPCA. She was abandoned at Animal Care and Control and eventually wound up at the SPCA, where she was put up for adoption and unfortunately returned. “We met Bear and found her a forever home. Although she is grumpy, she sheds everywhere and is on every medication known to man, she gets spoiled with special meals every night, and we love her. She is our giant fur pillow,” says Howard.
A major reason the Chi family made the move to Blackhawk was to build a community. “We joined the Country Club and have met amazing people, parents, and neighbors, many with similar interests and values. We enjoy it very much and have found our community.”
Howard is a member of the Blackhawk car enthusiast group, where he enjoys talking with other gear heads about automobiles. He enjoys cruising and car shows with the top down on his Grigio Titanio (grey) Ferrari. Alice and Howard often attend Ferrari of San Francisco car rallies and events that start at the dealership and then drive with a small group of owners to Napa and Sonoma wineries for unique experiences.
“Travel is a big part of our family. We travel to many places and enjoy it very much. As a family, we have recently been to Italy, Greece, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Hawaii, Japan, Vietnam and Mexico. We have been traveling with the kids since before they could walk. The kids are expert travelers and pack their own bags and entertain themselves on flights that sometimes last over 12 hours. We all look forward to our vacations together,” says Alice.
Howard and Alice say they are grateful to call Blackhawk home, “We just want to say how amazing it is to be a part of this fabulous community. We hope to meet everyone. We love Blackhawk!”
Do you know a neighbor who has a story to share? Nominate your neighbor to be featured in one of our upcoming issues! Contact us at mscott@bestversionmedia.com.
By Megan Scott, Resident since 2010
Images courtesy of Chi Family