About Councilmember Arlene Chin

A Tempe resident for over 45 years, Arlene Chin is an administrator at ASU Foundation and longtime community volunteer. She has served as the Director of Scholarship Advancement for the ASU Foundation since 2017. 

Other professional experience has included roles in student financial aid, undergraduate admissions and student services for ASU. She also served as Assistant Director at the W.P. Carey School of Business’ China MBA Program at ASU. 

Arlene has held an array of progressively responsible positions that have developed her skills in collaboration, relationship development and leadership. She takes pride in having supported and assisted people in reaching their goals, in working with diverse groups of people to collaborate and work through complicated issues respectfully, and in developing as a leader who can listen to the viewpoints of those serving in any roles. 

A strong sense of community commitment has been part of Arlene’s life since 1982, when she served on the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Commission. She has since served on the Tempe Human Relations Commission and the Tempe Neighborhood Advisory Commission, among other roles. 

Arlene has clear memories of the biggest moment from her time as a high school student involved in public service. It was her participation in a 1984 delegation to San Antonio to try to earn the prestigious All-America City Award for Tempe. Months later, then-Mayor Harry Mitchell announced that Tempe was one of eight cities nationally to clinch the honor.

She proudly keeps a Tempe Daily News article and other memorabilia about the award – including a copy of a Western Union telegram of congratulations from President Ronald Reagan to Mitchell. In the Daily News article, a young Arlene was quoted as saying about Tempe, “There’s something here for every age and every person. They don’t discriminate by age or any other reason. It’s not how big or small (a city) you are. It’s the people in it.” 

Arlene has a Master’s degree in Education from Northern Arizona University and a Bachelor’s degree in Organizational Communication from Arizona State University.  

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Memberships, Boards and Commissions

• Council Liaison to the Tempe Industrial Development Authority
• Budget, Finance and Economic Development Policy Committee, League of Arizona Cities & Towns
• Downtown Tempe Authority Board of Directors
• Tempe Sister Cities Country Co-Director for Zhenjiang, China
• Energy, Environment & Natural Resources (EENR) Federal Advocacy Committee, National League of Cities
• University Communities Council, National League of Cities
• Asian Pacific American Municipal Officials (APAMO), National League of Cities
• Defined Contribution (DC) Committee, Public Safety Personnel Retirement System 

Community Service

Tempe Neighborhood Advisory Commission 2013-15; Tempe Leadership Board of Directors 2007-13; Tempe Community Council Board of Directors 2006-12 and Board President 2011-12; Maricopa Association of Governments Human Services Committee 2009-10; Tempe All City Association Board of Directors 2009-12;  Tempe Leadership Class XXII; Community Outreach and Advocacy for Refugees Board of Directors 2005-07; Tempe Human Relations Commission 2004-09 and Chair 2007-08; Asian Pacific Islander Scholarship Committee 2000-04; ASU Alumni Association Homecoming Committee Chair 2001-03; ASU Alumni Association Asian Alumni Chapter Board 1997-2000; Tempe All-America City Delegation 1984; Youth Town Hall 1983; Tempe Mayor’s Youth Advisory Commission 1982-83. 

Councilmember Arlene Chin as a young student at the 1984 delegation to San Antonio to try to earn the prestigious All-America City Award.