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Rep. Mike Thompson has recognized Councilmember Jack Ding as the 2023 American Dream Award recipient for Sonoma County. The American Dream Award is presented to immigrants from California’s Fourth District who have made outstanding contributions to their communities. Ding was born in China, where he received a diploma for electrical engineering. He came to the United States in 1993 to study at Dominican University, working his way through school to receive a Master’s in Business Administration. He became a United States Citizen in 2008 and moved to the City of Sonoma, where he became a vital member of the community through his advocacy and entrepreneurship. |
Ding was elected to Sonoma City Council in 2020, and Mayor in 2022, becoming the first Asian American to hold this office.
Thompson cited Ding for regularly engaging with immigrant groups, encouraging people to be active participants in local and national politics, Thompson said. In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ding’s utilized the American Rescue Plan and fiscal policy to increase Sonoma’s reserve funds by $3 million.
“In addition,” Thompson added, “he has lead fundraising efforts for a pavilion to honor local Chinese laborers’ contribution to the local wine industry. In response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Mr. Ding hosted a press conference with the Ukrainian Counsel General to condemn the invasion and helped raise over $150,000 for Sonoma’s Ukrainian Sister City.”
The American Dream Award honors immigrants who have excelled professionally, through entrepreneurship and innovation, in the arts and culture, or through community service.
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