Board of Directors

September 14 2023

Yanni Titus

Secretary, Board of Directors

ytitus@eastpointsc.org

Founder, True Holding Company

Yanni Titus is a proud parent of a 2nd and 5th grader in EPA. She is currently the Founder and Manager of True Holding Company. As the Manager, she coordinates the selection and acquisition of undervalued Real Estate in the Greater Columbia Area. True Holding is adept at renovating and repositioning professional office products in the marketplace. Yanni along with her husband and business partner have worked extensively in Asia and the US in coordinating renovation and construction projects. Yanni has the unique ability to see value in what others may pass over. She is passionate about education and preserving the language of her fathers for posterity. Yanni is passionate about doing for others what they cannot do for themselves. This is her way to give back and make the future better than today.

Dr. Regmi’s professional interests are teaching and improving quality measures in hospitals, mainly in the ICU. He is passionate about creating a positive environment in school, helping students exceed their potential, which will help them become good global citizens. Dr. Regmi’s interest in education and betterment of our future generation has led him to become part of the EPA Board.

Some of his hobbies are hiking, biking and golf. As an outdoor enthusiast, he loves our state and national parks.

September 14 2023

Subash Regmi

Board of Directors

sregmi@eastpointsc.org

Critical Care Physician, Prisma Health

Subash Regmi is blessed with two beautiful daughters, who are his bundles of joy, and a loving wife. He was born and brought up in Nepal, a beautiful country that is nestled in the Himalayas. He received his education in Nepal and moved to the USA to be trained as a doctor. Dr. Regmi is a nephrologist and intensivist at Prisma Health as a critical care physician.

Some of his hobbies are hiking, biking and golf. As an outdoor enthusiast, he loves our state and national parks.

May 31 2023

Jiang Liu

Board Member

jliu@eastpointsc.org

Assistant Professor, University of South Carolina

Dr. Liu is originally from China. In 2008, he came to the U.S., Kansas more exactly (the land where the Superman once lived) to do his Ph.D study in Linguistics. After receiving his Ph.D degree, he taught Chinese language and culture at the University of Minnesota for four years. In 2017, he and his family moved to South Carolina starting his new position as Assistant Professor of Chinese and Linguistics in the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures at the University of South Carolina. In summer of 2023, he was promoted to the rank of Associate Professor. Dr. Liu is very much interested in researching how adults and children acquire a second language, particularly interested in why and how an early start of learning a second language gives the children not only the advantage in speaking and reading in the language but also other cognition benefits. Besides teaching and research experience, Dr. Liu also had administrative working experience at the university. He is very happy to serve as a member of the Board of Directors at East Point Academy as he is an advocate of culture diversity and cross-cultural communication.

May 31 2023

Shelby Leonardi

Vice Chair, Board of Directors

sleonardi@eastpointsc.org

Legal Writing Instructor at the University of South Carolina School of Law

Shelby Leonardi has been a member of the East Point Academy Board of Directors since 2020 and is the vice-chair of the board for the 2023-24 school year. She has a current sixth grader at EPA and two older children who attended EPA from 4K through 8th grade. Mrs. Leonardi teaches legal writing to first-year law students at the University of South Carolina School of Law. She also serves on the boards of the Cure Sanfilippo Foundation and the Riverbanks Society. She is grateful to have been an EPA parent since the school’s inception in 2011 and is delighted to see how much the school has grown in numbers, reputation, and academic rigor over the years.

May 31 2023

Adrian Laseter

Member-at-Large, Board of Directors

alaseter@eastpointsc.org

Psychologist, Primary Care Mental Health Integration

Dr. Adrian Laseter is a licensed Clinical Psychologist in the state of SC. She received her Ph.D. in Clinical-Community Psychology from the University of South Carolina in 2013, and has been working within integrated health care settings at the Columbia VA Health Care System since her clinical internship in 2012. Dr. Laseter and her family have been part of the East Point Academy family since her oldest Panda, now in high school, was in 4K; she also has a Panda in 7th grade. Dr. Laseter has served the East Point community in the past as PTO President, and is honored to be able to continue her service as the EPA Board Member At Large for the 2023-2024 academic year.

May 31 2023

Joshua McDuffie

Board of Directors

jmcduffie@eastpointsc.org

Director of Technology at Milliken Advisors

Joshua McDuffie has been an East Point Academy parent for 7 years and has previously served on the School Improvement Council. Josh’s daughters attend East Point Academy in the 5th grade and 5K. Josh is employed as the Technology Director at Milliken Advisors. Josh has a PhD in geography from the University of South Carolina, as well as an MBA and a BA in geography from the University of Tennessee. Josh is passionate about improving East Point Academy, and about ensuring that our children receive the best possible education.

May 31 2023

David Chao

Treasurer

dchao@eatpointsc.org

Chao & Associates Engineering

Mr. David Chao, PE, LEED AP graduated from the University of South Carolina with a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering. Mr. Chao moved from Taiwan in 2001 and has been residing in the Lexington area for 19 years. He is married to Jenny and is a father to three kids: Ellie, Joshua and Jacob Chao.

In his professional life, Mr. Chao is a licensed professional structural engineer and is the president at Chao & Associates, Inc. Mr. David Chao possesses over fifteen years of structural design, renovation, and forensic analysis experience on buildings, bridges, and other special structure projects across South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia. Mr. Chao is a member of the Structural Engineers’ Association and is also a licensed asbestos and FHA certified bridge inspector. Because of his profession, he has direct contact with many business owners, especially business from China and Taiwan.
Outside of his work, Mr. Chao also serves as the President of the Taiwanese Fellowship Association of South Carolina, the main purpose of which is to promote Taiwanese culture to the community. Mr. Chao also serves on the Board of Directors of Lexington School District One Educational Foundation and the Optimist Club of St. Andrews, Irmo, the main goal of which is to support youth in the Midland community. He is very passionate about education and children, which is why he spends much of his volunteering time helping youth in the community. Mr. Chao is a true believer in the School Education System and is pleased with the success of the students he has seen with his own eyes. He hopes to be able to continue giving back to the community and help make a difference by serving on the board.

May 31 2023

Alice O’Connor

Board Chair, Board of Directors

aoconnor@eastpointsc.org

Owner / Founder of Procuredly

Alice O’Connor has been an EPA parent for eight years with three children in 7th, 5th, and 2nd grades. She has served on the East Point Academy Board of Directors since 2018, holding a Mandarin seat and has also held the roles of Treasurer (2020-2022) and Chair (2022-present). Alice has a Bachelors in Political Science, as well as a Masters in International Business from the University of Kansas. In 2020, she started an internship through her company, Procuredly, to teach young adults the benefits of using Mandarin in today’s global economy, while learning about Product Development, Sourcing, and Manufacturing.

In 2023 this was expanded to provide the same opportunity to all past and present East Point Academy students who want to learn what they can do with the language skills they learn at EPA. Growing up without parents has shown Alice the importance of a quality education and multilingualism in bettering one’s circumstances in adulthood and she strives to provide that to our East Point Academy community and its families. She can be found in the car line most days, and if you see the sparkles, please say hi!