Former councilwoman to serve four-year term
Former Morgan Hill City Councilwoman Hedy Chang officially joined the California Medical Board this week.
Though Chang took office last August after Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed her to a four-year term in July of 2004, the Senate just confirmed the appointment this week after several months extensive evaluation of Chang and other appointees.
Chang is a longtime resident of Morgan Hill, a former planning commissioner and school board member. She was named Morgan Hill’s Citizen of the Year in 1995 and has been actively involved in the Morgan Hill Medical Foundation. She also served in the Morgan Hill City Council for eight years before deciding not to seek a third term last year.
Commenting on her appointment, Morgan Hill’s state Senator Abel Maldonado stated, “Hedy Chang is a dedicated public servant and the California Medical Board is lucky to welcome her as a member. The experience she has gained from serving the people of Morgan Hill as an elected local official and from her tenure on the Morgan Hill Medical Foundation, will help her bring great insight to the state medical board.
“Hedy truly believes, as I do, that if you don’t care who gets the credit, we can achieve great things. That type of selflessness is what makes her a great public servant and I am honored to call her a friend.”
Asked to comment about Chang’s confirmation, Morgan Hill Mayor Dennis Kennedy said, “I am happy for her and wish her the best in this new role.”
A resident of Morgan Hill since 1979, Chang is originally from China and has lived in the U.S. since 1968, when she pursued graduate studies in forestry at the University of Illinois. Her husband, C.P. Chang, is a professor at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey.
Chang was an industrial engineer with the International Paper Company in San Jose until she decided the work pace was too hectic and she needed a career that was more flexible in order to care for her children.
“I was traveling so much and working so many hours,” she said. “My parents were helping take care of my two children at that time while I did all that. Then, one day, I came home and my two kids were sick, one with a high fever, another with pneumonia, and I decided it was time to take a hard look at what I was doing and make some changes.”
Chang decided to change careers and get more involved in school activities. She eventually got her real estate license and opened HC Properties in 1987. The business, located on Monterey Road, in the northern portion of downtown, specializes in property management. The California Medical Board has 21 members, 12 of whom are medical physicians and nine who are public citizens.
The members oversee licensing and medical quality. Appointed to the license division, it is Chang’s responsibility to check records of upcoming physicians and make sure they are qualified to practice in the state of California. The board is also consulted and asked to make recommendations on health-related issues and proposed legislation. The number one goal of the board is consumer protection, Chang said.
Chang finds her position both challenging and interesting. “I’ve met many people and am learning so many new things,” she said. “I’ve been able to grow in knowledge and am both honored and humbled by the appointment.”
