They may call their ascent in local government circles accidental or serendipity, but it was mostly talent that got them to where they are today.

Rosa Lee, Katherine Meissner, and Christine Tien held the rapt attention of the audience at the WOMEN RISING panel discussion on Thursday, June 19. Their telling of their family background and work experience showed that, while being in the right place at the right time did play a part in their respective tracks to their current positions, their appointments were mostly tributes to their skills and abilities.

Rosa Lee, who as San Joaquin County 's Assistant County Administrator is the second-highest ranking executive in county government, began her career as a management technician. She was encouraged by various bosses to pursue a college degree. Working full-time while going to college, she eventually earned both a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration/Accounting and a Master's degree in Public Administration from CSU Stanislaus.

As the Stockton City Clerk, Katherine Meissner is part of the city's Executive Management Team. She not only keeps all official city records but also oversees the city's elections. She transferred from a position as a stenographer in the Community Development Department to the City Clerk's office and was appointed to the top position 10 years later. Following a pattern common to second-generation Chinese Americans, she also worked worked part-time in the family restaurant business for the first several years of her employment with the city. Katherine completed her college degree after her appointment and has since worked with San Joaquin Delta College to create an on-line educational program for city clerks.

Education was not a high priority for either woman in their birth families. Their pursuit of college degrees came well after high school graduation and required juggling of work and family commitments.

For Christine Tien, Stockton 's Deputy City Manager since 2001, higher education was a foregone conclusion as her father and older siblings all held multiple degrees. Thus, it was expected that she also would pursue a post-graduate degree. She did not disappoint; her educational vitae includes a Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering from UC Berkeley, a Master's in Public Policy from Harvard University, and a law degree from University of Arizona. All three degrees have been useful in her professional life. Also a member of the Stockton 's Executive Management Team, Christine will be tackling a new responsibility for the "greening" of the city.

Each is married with children and credit their spouses for backing their professional pursuits and aspirations with both moral support and household help.

Neither Tien nor Lee is ready to take the next step to City Manager or County Administrator , implying that both a "glass ceiling" and the demands of those positions require more commitment than they can give at this stage in their lives. Meissner, who once thought about becoming an attorney, might still consider law school and perhaps even a run for political office.

Whatever the future may hold for each, it was clear from the audience reaction and comments that the local Chinese community is proud of these three women and their achievements.