2019 Annual Gala

The Greater Columbus Chinese Chamber of Commerce hosted its first annual Chinese New Year Gala, on February 16 at New Albany Country Club. The event, sponsored by the City of New Albany, welcomed prominent members of business, education, and government from Central Ohio for a night of networking and celebration.

The Greater Columbus Chinese Chamber of Commerce hosted its first annual Chinese New Year Gala, on February 16 at New Albany Country Club. The event, sponsored by the City of New Albany, welcomed prominent members of business, education, and government from Central Ohio for a night of networking and celebration.

The emcees of the evening set the tone, beginning the night with traditional Chinese New Year greetings and calling attention to the contribution of the Chinese community to the state of Ohio.

As of August 2018, China had 40 establishments throughout Ohio, who employed over 5,000 people. Additionally, several local companies share a portion of their manufacturing and supply chain with China, or have found new markets for their domestic products overseas. Based on a February 2018 report from the Ohio Development Services Agency, 2017 exports to China totaled over $3.8 billion, ranking number three behind Canada and Mexico.


Mayor of the City of New Albany, Sloan Spalding, accompanied by members of the City Council, gave a welcome address at the Gala and expressed support of the Chinese Chamber mission. The City of New Albany joined the Chinese Chamber in 2017 as it continues to promote diversity and globalization.

Board Chair of the Chinese Chamber, Monica Xia, took the podium next, and congratulated those in attendance for making 2018 a successful year for US-China relations in Central Ohio. The Chinese Chamber and its members offered a year full of dynamic business events, including a Seminar on “Launching Your Business in Columbus”, a Policy Luncheon with the Vice Governor of Hubei Province and Acting China Consul General, a Round Table with China Foreign Affairs University, a Trade and Tariff Panel Discussion, and successful networking events and collaboration with Columbus 2020 and JobsOhio. Xia concluded by announcing new events planned for 2019, most notably a celebration to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Hubei-Ohio Sister State relationship.

The Chinese New Year Gala also featured professional performances from the community. The Oriental Dance Troupe enchanted the audience with their rendition of Misty Memories. Soprano Grace Chen gave a striking interpretation of the Qing dynasty classic, Jasmine Flower. Members of the Chinese Folk Music Orchestra introduced the crowd to the erhu, pipa, bawu, and dizi, impressing the crowd with traditional and modern pieces -- Horse Racing, Dance of the Yi People, On the River, and The Moon Represents My Heart.

The evening was also a celebration of Chinese Chamber members. Andy Arduini, SVP & Head of Global Advisory Solutions at Huntington and Jack Feng, Vice President for Operational Excellence at Commercial Vehicle Group, gave toasts in English and Chinese, briefly speaking on their history in the Chinese market and stressing the importance of the US-China relationship. Special honors were also awarded Commercial Vehicle Group, when Board Chair Xia returned to the podium to present the Chinese Chamber’s first annual Member of the Year award.

Commercial Vehicle Group is a global leader in the supply of complete cab systems for the heavy-duty truck, construction and agricultural equipment markets and has been a strong supporter of the Chinese Chamber since its founding in 2015. CVG organized one of the first networking events at the Chinese Chamber and is a key collaborator for the Boot Camps series (designed to help service providers, manufacturers, importers, and exporters take advantage of new opportunities for growth). They also hosted the US China Business Council and Bank of China during their time in Columbus. Kirk Feiler, Vice President of Corporate Development and Strategy, accepted the award on behalf of the company.

At the end of the event, Deb Scherer, the Managing Director of Global Trade and Investment at Columbus 2020, took to the podium to deliver the Closing Address. Scherer summarized the events of the night; thanked all sponsors, attendees, and performers; and reiterated the potential of the US-China relationship moving into 2019.