Board of Directors

James Weidner

Board of Directors, Executive Director

James Weidner has been Executive Director of Community Center Shanghai since July 2008. James and his wife Christina spent six years in Manila, Philippines serving in Community leadership roles. In 2005, James returned to New Orleans, Louisiana in time to co-lead a relief effort in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. In 2008 James and Christina's dream was realized when presented with the opportunity to serve in Shanghai as the Executive Director of Community Center Shanghai. The Weidner's now have four children. James enjoys basketball, running, movies, traveling and -- most importantly -- wrestling with his kids.

David Plekenpol

Board of Directors, Chairman

David Plekenpol has been in Shanghai for four years, following a string of international assignments in Hong Kong, Singapore, the Netherlands and Scotland. David has spent the last fifteen years in the telecom business with both Lucent and Alcatel. He is currently Marketing Vice President for FG Wireless, a venture-backed local wireless telecom startup. Before beginning his international journey, he founded two Silicon Valley startup companies. He joined the CCS Board of Directors in 2005, and was instrumental in building the Center's marketing strategy, as well as initiating the creation of Interkom, CCS's youth program. David is Chairman of the CCS Board, and is married to Victoria, who also sits on the Board.They have two children, Regan and Garrett.

Jon Brantingham

Board of Directors, Executive Committee

Jon Brantingham was born and raised in Taiwan and is the fourth generation in his family to live and work in China. As CEO of Brantingham Manufacturing (China), he has developed a thriving business that exports to markets in three continents. He and Judy are parents of four active boys, and Jon plays basketball and golf when time allows. He serves on the board of Concordia International School Shanghai, and relates to a prison ministry project in Taiwan that he helped to start and develop. Jon served as chairman of the Community Center board 2003-07.

Dr Nathan D Showalter

Board of Directors, Executive Committee

Nate is an American who has lived about half of his adult life in Asia (Hong Kong, Taipei and now Shanghai). Previously, Nate has worked in community and leadership development roles in Africa, Asia and North America, and has worked and traveled in more than 50 countries and six continents. He enjoys biking, reading, writing, learning about the history and culture of China, and traveling to new places with family and friends. Nate and Chris are parents of Eli who graduated from Concordia International School in 2007. Nate served as Executive Director of Community Center Shanghai from 2003-2007 during which the center underwent tremendous growth.

Dr James (Jim) Koerschen

Board of Directors

Jim has been serving as Head of School of Concordia International School Shanghai since 2007. A native of Minnesota, Jim served previously as executive director of enrollment services for Kettering University (formerly GMI) in Flint, Michigan. Prior to that assignment, he was president of Concordia University in Ann Arbor, Michigan.  Jim  has his Ph.D. in administration from the University of Texas and was previously a band director and music professor. He and his wife, Joanie (also an educator), have two married daughters and four grandchildren. Their permanent home is on a lake in Brighton, Michigan where they enjoy sunsets either from the decks of their home or from a boat on the lake.

Richard Tomlinson

Board of Directors

Richard Tomlinson, who never expected to be in Shanghai, was the lead engineer of the Electronics Packaging Engineering Group at the Boeing Company in Seattle. He left Boeing in 1996 to accompany his wife, an American business lawyer, to Hong Kong to further her law career. After they moved to Shanghai in 1998 Rich opened his own software development business, Codeva Technical Solutions. His interests include technology, traveling, snow and water skiing, camping, hiking and backpacking.

Jason Tan

Board of Directors

Jason Tan was born in Taiwan but went to the US at an early age. He founded Highlander Technology Corporation in San Francisco, CA, specializing in software consulting and systems integration. Jason has been involved in investment and management positions in the IT, Real Estate and Service industries, also serving as the Vice President of the California Senate Friendship Committee (CSFC) beginning in 1998, where he was in charge of California Senate delegation to foreign countries. In 2005, Jason moved to Shanghai and is currently an investor and developer of a free stand diagnostic medical image center.

Devin Silloway

Board of Directors

Devin grew up as an expat child and while he has only been in Shanghai for seven years, it is already the longest he has ever lived in one place. He and his wife Marie are the proud parents of a 7-year old boy and their beloved Golden Retriever, Dahlia. As Shanghai's original "Guy-Tai" (stay-at-home-dad) Devin left his career as a Creative Director in NYC advertising which has enabled Marie to pursue her career to the highest levels. Devin occupies his time by volunteering as a Scout co-Den Leader and as an English teacher at the Tangsi Migrant School. He is also involved with Concordia by serving on the Parent Advisory Committee, running the Scholastic Books program and teaching a digital photography course. On the weekends he coaches soccer, basketball and baseball while also serving on the board of Active Kidz Shanghai. Perhaps in the future he will also begin teaching some classes at our Community Center, considering he has so much time on his hands!

Laurette Slawson Hartigan

Board of Directors

Laurette Slawson Hartigan has been in Shanghai for over 3 years. Currently, Laurette is a Venture Partner for Angeleno Group, investing in clean energy start ups in China. Over her career, she has worked extensively in international finance as Vice President Treasurer of Flextronics, an electronics manufacturer incorporated in Singapore and as an investment banker with Montgomery Securities (now Bank of America) and Chase Manhattan Bank. Laurette, a US Citizen, "grew up overseas" having lived in Morocco, England, Belgium and France as well as worked and travelled throughout Asia. She is fluent in French and actively studying Chinese and Chinese contemporary art. Laurette serves as the Treasurer of the parent teacher association of Soong Ching Ling Kindergarten. She, her husband Alex and two young children are happily living in a quiet lane house in Puxi.

Michael Donaldson

Board of Directors

Michael is a Canadian expatriate who has been living in China for the past nine years. He has seen the needs of China’s foreign residents change significantly during this time, and while he acknowledges the improvements made, he also desires to see an increase in the services available to community members. Donaldson has enjoyed assisting community development while serving at Shanghai Community International School as Principal and now as Head of School. He is married to Joan Xu, and together they are raising two wonderful boys, aged 1 ½ and 5 years. Happy to call Shanghai their home, they look forward to working with the Board of CCS to continue building the community!

Scott Liptak

Board of Directors

Scott Liptak has been in Shanghai for nearly 3 years. Currently Scott is the Fareast Area Business Development Operations Director for Ernst & Young, one of the global big four accounting firms. Throughout his career he has worked in various strategic account management and marketing positions in the consumer packaged goods, energy and professional services industries. Scott is originally from Ohio in the U.S. He and Lynne are the proud parents of four children. Caleb and Seth attend Concordia International School, Madelyn is home-schooled and Gwen attends the Chinese Montessori School in Jinqiao. Scott is actively involved in helping to coach his kids sports teams through Active Kids Shanghai, as well as volunteering with the children's programs at AGIF Church. His hobbies include bike riding and golf.

Dr. Christina L. Showalter

Christina was born in Nanjing, China and raised in Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Taiwan and lived in several other countries before moving to Shanghai with her family in 2003, where she and her husband, Nate, served as co-directors of Community Center Shanghai until 2008. Previously Chris worked for 16 years with World Vision International, facilitating development projects and shaping leadership capacity to help people in need in countries throughout Asia. For the past 20 years Showalter has worked as a management and leadership development consultant in Asia, North America and more recently China, and currently serves as an executive coach and leadership development consultant for multi-national companies. Dr. Showalter graduated from National Taiwan University, and holds Master's and Ph.D. degrees from Michigan State University (USA). She and Nate are parents of Eli who is in college in the United States.

Eric Baden

Eric Baden is Executive Vice President of DKSH Switzerland, where he heads the global business unit specialty raw materials. He has worked in Asia for most of the past 17 years, since 1997 in China. DKSH has a 140 year history of facilitating trade between Europe and Asia. Eric is a member of various chambers and associations such as the Europe China Chamber of Commerce (EUCCC), the German Chamber in China and the Association of International Chemical Manufacturers. Eric is a native German and holds an MBA from Warwick University, UK. Eric is married to Jane Lin-Baden, who is an entrepreneur in the field of internet marketing and software. Together they have one daughter and are both active founding members of Abundant Grace International Fellowship in Pudong.

Lyndon Neri

Lyndon Neri is the founding partner of Neri & Hu Design and Research Office and the Founding Partner and CEO of Design Republic, a retail concept he is developing with design partner (and wife), Rosanna. The company offers a unique collection of world-class products that articulate a new Chinese aesthetic. Mr Neri holds degrees in architecture and design from the University of California at Berkeley and Harvard University Graduate School of Design. Previously Lyndon managed Asia projects for Michael Graves & Associates, including Three on the Bund. He has worked with Graves on many high-visibility projects in North America, Europe and Asia. He and Rosanna are parents of three children, and both are active in a variety of professional and community organizations.