Lester Chang, a Nolita native, Navy Veteran, and proud husband, is running for NYS Assembly in the 65th Assembly District and needs your help to win!
Lester Chang was born on the Lower East Side to an immigrant Chinese father from Shenzhen and a Hong Kong-born mother, who were determined to provide a better life for their three children. When Lester was 8 years old, his father, who worked as a cook in a Chinese restaurant, lost his battle with cancer and the family briefly returned to Hong Kong to live with relatives. When his family returned t
o New York City they settled in Midwood, Brooklyn. A product of New York’s public education system, Lester is a graduate of Midwood High School and holds a degree in accounting from Brooklyn College (CUNY) and a Masters Degree in International Transportation and Management from the State University of New York’s Maritime College in the Bronx. Lester worked in the banking and finance before choosing a career in global shipping and logistics which has included living and traveling throughout Asia. Over the course of his career he has served in senior management positions overseeing operations in India, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Hong Kong and China. He currently works as a consultant to a Long Island based international logistics firm with extensive operations in China. In addition to his private sector career, Lester has served as a member of the U.S. Navy Reserve since 1998. In the aftermath of the terror attacks of 9/11 he was called up to active duty as a counter-intelligence analyst; first in Washington, D.C. and then at Fort Wadsworth Staten Island in support of the Joint Intelligence Fusion Cell. In 2009, he was deployed to Afghanistan where he served as an intelligence analyst assigned to Special Operations Forces at Bagram Air Base. As a member of the New York State Naval Militia he was most recently called up for active duty in October 2012 by Governor Cuomo where he served as a member of Task Force Hurricane Sandy providing relief services to residents of Far Rockaway. He currently holds the rank of Chief Warrant Officer 2 in the U.S. Navy Reserves. Lester and his wife Bowie have been married for 15 years and are longtime residents of Cleveland Place in Nolita. He is also active in American Legion Post 1291 in Chinatown where he serves as an Executive Member. He speaks English and Cantonese.
