Leader on a mission to serve

Tsai's own professional experience has served his volunteer work well. He earned a master's degree in computer science from the New York Institute of Technology in 1986. He had worked mainly for US military hospitals, developing software to gather statistics from various medical facilities, including overseas bases, which then were used for resource allocation and budgetary decision making.

Tsai says that his bachelor's degree in business administration from the Chinese Culture University in Taiwan has also contributed to his managerial success at CCACC.

Calling itself a "grassroots" organization, the CCACC has a 2,323-square-meter facility in Gaithersburg, Maryland and more than 2,000 members and 60 full-time employees.

It houses an Adult Day Healthcare Center, which receives funds from the US government to provide care to seniors who have disabilities or illnesses. Services include transportation, dining, medical assistance and entertainment. The center has become the largest facility of its kind in Maryland.

Tsai's vision is to launch assisted-living facilities and nursing homes - the two more advanced stages in senior care.

On top of its signature senior care, the CCACC is also a de facto cultural center, offering a wide range of cultural classes and hosting events throughout the year to promote the awareness of Chinese culture.

The Lakeforest Mall Chinese New Year celebration is the highlight.

Tsai now serves as the co-chair of the Montgomery County Executive Asian and Pacific American Advisory Group, and often consults with state and local governments on issues related to his community.

When Tsai learned that the county government set up MarketPlace to help immigrants learn the essentials of the new healthcare law, or Obamacare, he protested the lack of someone who spoke Chinese to help callers navigate through the complexity of the system. About 10 percent of the county's residents are Chinese. Six people who speak Chinese have since been added.

Tsai also founded Asian-American Homeownership Counseling during the real estate crisis several years ago and still serves as chairman. The organization provides a bilingual service to help Asian-Americans handle problems they encounter in the housing market.

Tsai is active in voter registration and US Census participation in the Chinese community and often writes articles encouraging his fellow Chinese-Americans to become more politically engaged.

He was the co-chair of the Organization of Chinese Americans Greater Washington DC Chapter, an organization that helps Chinese-Americans become more assimilated into American society.

As the Washington representative of the New Party in Taiwan, Tsai also shoulders another mission: helping people understand Cross-Straits relations between Taiwan and the Chinese mainland. He attends think tank forums and meets federal legislators, advocating that the US stay out of Taiwan-mainland relations.

Now retired from his professional job, Tsai has become a full-time employee of CCACC, serving as the director of its adult day care center, after many years of volunteer work there.

"Our textbook always said the purpose of life is to serve," recalled Tsai of his school years in Taiwan. "I guess I am doing that now."