Benjamin Wong
Ben Wong is a public affairs professional with nearly three decades of experience in business, community, political, inter-governmental, and public utility fields. Ben currently works as a Board Consultant to the South Coast Air Quality Management District Governing Board Member, representing 34 cities in the Eastern Region of Los Angeles County.
Ben is past Executive Director of the Industry Manufacturers Council, where he revitalized programming and advocacy in support of 3,000 businesses in the East San Gabriel Valley. Before that, Ben was a Local Public Affairs Region Director for Southern California Edison, managing governmental and community relations with a portfolio of cities in the Los Angeles County region of the utility’s 50,000-square-mile service area. Ben also served as Executive Director for the Los Angeles County Division of the League of California Cities, coordinating the League’s programs for municipal officials within the County. Prior to working for the League, Ben served three years on the League’s statewide Board of Directors.
Ben has served as Assistant to the Honorable John Chiang, California Board of Equalization Member, and as general manager of the Great Wall Restaurant in West Covina, where Ben was a three-term member of the City Council, from 1992 to 2005. When an unexpected Council vacancy occurred in early 2015, Ben was appointed to serve a seven-month interim appointment on the West Covina City Council, until a successor was elected in the November election.
In addition to the USC Dornsife Alumni Advisory Council, Ben currently serves on the Board of Directors for CAUSE (Center for Asian Americans United for Self Empowerment), is Treasurer of the San Gabriel Valley Public Affairs Network, and is the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments’ appointee to the San Gabriel Valley Service Council for Metro (Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority).
With nearly 40 years of volunteer service, Ben has previously served on the boards of directors for numerous community and nonprofit organizations including the West Covina Chamber of Commerce, Citrus Valley Medical Center Foundation, Mt. San Antonio College Foundation, San Gabriel Valley Economic Partnership, Foothill Transit, BizFed (Los Angeles County Business Federation), as well as with the USC Alumni Association Board of Governors and Asian Pacific Alumni Association.
Ben earned his bachelor’s and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Southern California, where he and his wife met as students. Ben and Debbie are parents to a daughter and two sons, all USC Trojan alumni.