January 31, 2022
Lois C. Lee is the leader of the eponymous Lois C. Lee Early Childhood Center in Queens. Lee, whose Flushing-based universal prekindergarten center was opened by the Chinese-American Planning Council in 2017, got her start over 50 years ago as a part-time teacher in Chinatown. She now plays a central role at CPC, from mentoring volunteers and staff to community organizing and advocating for quality child care services in the city and state. “My passion is to make a difference,” she says, “despite difficult circumstances.”