2010 Passport to Prosperity honorees

Cyndi Chen

Profile
Cyndi Chen was born in Taipei, Taiwan and graduated from Soochow University, majoring in Economics. She provided training programs for more than 10,000 Cambodian refugees before becoming a Visiting Scholar at Buena Vista College in Storm Lake, and was later appointed the first Administrator of the Iowa Commission on the Status of Iowans of Asian and Pacific Island heritage. She has served on more than 16 boards and volunteered thousands of hours, developing programs for and working with diverse populations.

back to home

Zeljka Krvavica

Profile
Zeljka Krvavica was born and raised in Sarajevo, the capitol of Bosnia and Herzegovina. After studying at Oxford and Cambridge Universities, Zeljka became a professor of English Language and Literature at Sarejevo Community College. When the war started in 1992 Zeljka fled with her two sons to a refugee camp in Croatia before being reunited in Iowa with her husband. Zaljka is one of the founders of Voices of Bosnian Women and of the Iowa Interpreters and Translators Association. She is currently a Refugee Specialist with the Bureau of Refugee Services.

back to home

Shazia Manus

Profile
Shazia Manus was born in Balgladesh and began her career in the micro-financing industry in her native country. After studying at Harvard Business School, Shazia applied her expertise to the credit union industry, and has been part of its development and growith in Iowa and nationwide. Shazia is currently President and CEO of the Greater Iowa Credit Union and has devoted hundreds of hours to teaching about children's literacy, fighting predatory lending and working with underserved communities. She remains active in the Ames and central Iowa area as a philanthropist and volunteer.

.

back to home