(The following text is an excerpt from the book Chinese Americans in Irvine 1971-2021.)
Having held managerial positions for over thirty years in well-known pharmaceutical companies, Diane Tang-Liu led research and development of many new pharmaceuticals and holds over one hundred patents. Applying her extensive managerial experience in mainstream business toward fund-raising for the South Coast Chinese Culture Center (SCCCC) not only earned her the 2004 Vision in America Award, but also earned her well deserved admiration from those who took part in the venture.
Holder of a PhD in Chemistry from UC San Francisco, Diane Tang-Liu joined Allergan, Inc. Irvine, in the early 1980s. The company decided at the time to establish a research and development department. It started with Tang-Liu who organized teams, built laboratories, and brought new R&D products to market. Prescription eye drops such as Betagan, Ocufen, Ocuflox, Alphagan, Lumigan, Restasis, etc. and prescription dermatological creams such as Azelex, Tazorac, etc. were all developed by her teams. By her estimate, those pharmaceuticals, at their peak, reached annual sales of $4.5 billion and she rose to VP, making her the highest-ranking Chinese American in the company.
Although a high-ranking officer in a pharmaceutical company, Tang-Liu, mindful of the importance of a wellrounded education, would personally drive her two daughters to dance, gymnastics, track and other extracurricular activities. In those days, Irvine Chinese School (ICS) required parents to take turns volunteering, and Tang-Liu was one of the most dedicated room moms. In SCCCA and ICS activities, her perfectionist nature would exert itself, and she would be fully engaged. Many ICS graduates and parents became her good friends, maintaining contact with her to this day.
In 2000, Tang-Liu was asked to be Board Chair of the South Coast Chinese Cultural Association (SCCCA). It was a time California was facing an electric power crisis. ICS, which had been renting IUSD classrooms, was faced with the reality of a huge rental increase. Diane Tang-Liu remembers that even Allergan, Inc. was unable at the time to buy generators—akin to the shortage of ventilators faced by hospitals on the sudden explosion of COVID-19 cases.
To solve the crisis of the dramatic rent increase, Tang-Liu approached many elected officials to present the case. She was disappointed by the cool response. Furthermore, over the years of renting IUSD classrooms, ICS received occasional complaints about damages to the facilities. Every ICS principal dreamt of the day the school would have its own campus, but no action had been taken. After discussion in the SCCCA, it was decided that the crisis should be turned into an opportunity, and all should join hands in raising funds to build a school.
Familiar with how US enterprises operate, Tang-Liu recognized that big business or non-profit organizations in the US have very high regard for team work. They operate according to comprehensive strategic plans, like the military going into battle. So she adopted this thinking. First, the South Coast Chinese Cultural Foundation was established in 2001 for the purpose of fundraising. The building was planned as a community center that can be used by all residents. Then a series of promotional documents were disseminated; informational meetings and fundraisers were held to win support from all quarters. For instance, when planning the interior of the culture center, she thought of putting in dozens of mail lockers for use by those community organizations with no established addresses. Later, when it was time to apply for a building permit, she arranged for second-generation Chinese Americans to attend the public hearings at City Hall and take turns speaking , as citizens, about the benefits the Culture Center would have on the community.
During SCCCF’s fund-raising phase, Tang-Liu conducted any number of informational meetings, to report on SCCCF’s plans and progress. One such meeting that made the deepest impression on her was that held at Kingston Technology Co., Inc. David Sun, co-founder of Kingston and an ICS parent, had a donation check in hand immediately after her moving presentation.
David Sun's generous gesture set an excellent example that made Tang-Liu's subsequent work process more smoothly. The SCCCF successfully reached its fundraising goal. When the Center opened, Diane was able to show a very impressive report card, stating “The opening of the SCCCC significantly raised the status of Chinese Americans; it showed Chinese Americans being solidly united in their intent to transmit their culture. Those elected representatives began to see Chinese Americans in a different light!”
Diane Tang-Liu is always looking for new challenges. She took early retirement from Allergan Inc. in 2012. With her experience and contacts in the pharmaceutical industry, she founded one pharmaceutical manufacturing company, then another, to nurture fresh blood into the industry. Simultaneously, she is using her own practical experience in the field to mentor more than 50 pharmaceutical doctoral candidates, helping them to plan the future direction they should follow.
Whether leading a large corporation, launching a new venture or a non-profit organization, Diane Tang-Liu always emphasizes the importance of communications. She speaks eloquently with clarity of mind. She always starts from the other’s premise to guide her assessment, to present reasoning convincing to the other. Her empathy and keen insights have enabled her to gain consensus when she builds her teams. (English translation by Sally Feng)
(以下文字摘錄自《爾灣華裔紀實1971-2021》一書)
曾任知名製藥公司主管超過 30 年，湯丹霞領導研發多款新藥，擁有上百項專利，在美國主流企 業豐富的管理經驗，適時運用於籌款建立南海岸中華文化中心，不但為她贏得橙縣義工獎（2004 Vision in America Award）的榮譽，20 年後仍讓不少曾參與其中的華人津津樂道。
獲有加州大學舊金山分校藥學化學博士的湯丹霞， 於 80 年代初加入位在爾灣市的 Allergan 製藥公司，當時公司決定成立新的研發部門，湯丹霞從一個人開始， 先組團隊、建實驗室，到研發新產品上市，像 Betagan、 Ocufen、Ocuflox、Alphagan、Lumigan、Restasis 等多種處方眼藥水，以及治療皮膚病的處方藥 Azelex、 Tazorac 等，都由她的團隊主導開發。據湯丹霞估計， 這些藥品在高峰時期，每年營收 45 億美元，她也因而升任 Allergan 副總裁，成為公司裡職位最高的華裔。
雖然身為藥廠高階主管，重視教育的湯丹霞仍親自接送兩個女兒參加舞蹈、體操及田徑等課外活動。 當年爾灣中文學校規定家長都要輪流擔任義工，湯丹霞也是最熱心的班媽之一，南海岸華協及中文學校的活動，她一概本著追求完美的天性，全力以赴，不少爾灣中文學校畢業生與家長都與她成為好友，至今仍保持連繫。
2000 年湯丹霞被推選擔任南海岸中華文化協會理事長，當時正逢加州電力危機，爾灣中文學校租用學區教室也面臨租金飛漲的現實。湯丹霞回憶說，當時就連 Allergan 公司也買不到發電機，有點像新冠疫情爆發之初，各級醫院呼吸機短缺的情況。
為了解決教室租金高漲的燃眉之急，湯丹霞曾經一一向各級民意代表陳情，結果卻反應冷淡，讓她深感失望。再加上中文學校多年來租用學區教室，不時碰到教室設備受損的投訴，校長們都夢想有朝一日中文學校能擁有自己的校舍，卻一直沒有付諸行動，經過理事會討論，決定化危機為轉機，合力發起籌款建校。
熟悉美國企業運作的湯丹霞說，美國的大型企業或非營利組織，非常重視團隊合作，依據完整的策略規畫，有如軍隊作戰一般。當時她也採用類似的作法，首先於 2001 年成立南海岸中華文化基金會負責籌款，將建新校舍的願景定調為全部居民都可使用的社區中心，接著推出一系列文宣、說明會及籌款活動， 爭取各方的支持。舉例來說，當年規畫文化中心內部時，曾考慮在大廳旁設立數十個郵箱，方便沒有固定地址的社團使用文化中心。後來申請建築許可時，安排第二代華裔到市議會的公聽會中輪流發言，以本地居民的立場說明文化中心對社區的益處。
南海岸中華文化基金會籌款期間，湯丹霞主持過無數次的說明會，向大家報告文化中心的規畫與進度，其中讓她印象最深刻的一場說明會，是在金士頓科技公司舉行。金士頓公司共同創辦人孫大衛，也是爾灣中文學校家長，他在會後立即拿出捐款支票，並稱讚湯丹霞深具說服力的口才。
湯丹霞認為，孫大衛慷慨解囊起了示範效應，讓後續的工作一一到位，使南海岸中華文化基金會成功達到籌款目標。2005 年文化中心落成啟用，湯丹霞繳出一張漂亮的成績單。她說：「文化中心落成之後， 華人的地位大為提升，讓人看到華裔團結一致、傳承文化的用心。以前那些不理睬華人社團的民意代表們，都對華裔另眼相看！」
湯丹霞總是不斷的給自己尋找新的挑戰，2012 年她從 Allergan 公司提早退休，憑著她在製藥界的經驗與人脈，先後創辦兩家製藥公司，為台灣及美國培育一批生力軍。同時，她也在加州大學及南加大指導 50 多位藥學博士生，以自己在業界的實務經驗，協助博士生規畫未來發展方向。
不論是領導大公司、新創企業或是非營利組織， 湯丹霞都強調溝通的重要，她思路清晰，能言善道， 不論演講、作簡報或是爭取創業伙伴，總是先從對方的立場進行評估，提出讓人信服的理由，這正是她在組織團隊時，能引起普遍共鳴的秘訣。（蕭迪玉撰文)