About Us

Brent Hoover

Advisor

Brent provides youth development models and training to PREP’s leadership team. He also participates and leads PREP’s outdoor and mission trips. 

Brent has 27 years of cross-cultural experience including seven years of living in Asia. He is fluent in Mandarin.

Out of a passion for building up godly men, Brent designed LeaderTrek, an intensive wilderness leadership experience, and Sports Leadership Camp. He also facilitates healthy life retreats to build experienced leaders.

Brent holds an M.A. in Intercultural Studies from Wheaton Graduate School and a Master of Divinity from Michigan Theological Seminary.

Brent was raised in California and came to faith in Christ in 1979. He is married to Julie and they have four children. 

Alma Zhang

Advisor 

Alma serves as an advisor to PREP’s leadership team and provides spiritual support to students’ parents in China. She is also responsible for interviewing parents of prospective families.

Alma came to Christ in 2006 and has served in the church, youth group, and small groups since then. Her focus is on youth development and spiritual growth. She has led and served in youth camps and retreats. She loves to volunteer and has helped “Qingdao Home of Love for children with special needs” to raise funds. She was the classroom mom and PTA president of Baishan School for many years.

Alma graduated from the China University of Petroleum and later an MBA from Tongji University. She was an executive at Sinopec China and Caltex Oil Corp and eventually founded Qingdao Pushi Petrifaction Co. Ltd.

Ed Wu

Founder & CEO

Ed has 20+ years of professional management experience including Sales Manager at Procter & Gamble China and Marketing Director at Dell, responsible for the global eCommerce optimization of dell.com. His professional expertise is in digital analytics and he served as a board member of the Digital Analytics Association.

Ed holds a B.A. from Peking University in China and an MBA from the Ross Business School at the University of Michigan.

Ed resides in Austin with his wife and they have a daughter and a son – as well as the many children God has given them through PREP. 

Priscilla Zhong

CFO

Priscilla joined PREP in 2015 and has been fundamental in establishing a close relationship with our students and parents. She oversees students’ academic and extra-curricular development and serves as the warm-hearted, loving A-Yi in PREP.

Priscilla graduated from Peking University with a degree in Finance and earned an MBA from the Wharton Business School at the University of Pennsylvania. Her professional expertise is in pricing analysis and strategy. She had significant leadership roles at both P&G China and Dell Global. 

Heidi Zhang

Education Counselor

Heidi wears many hats at PREP.  She evaluates the English fluency and fit of student applicants. She designs and leads the PREP outdoor and community service projects. She also oversees visual designs of PREP publication materials on marketing platforms.

Heidi graduated from the University of Texas at Austin, with a Master’s degree in Education. She currently lives in Boulder, CO with her husband.

Leanne Chen

Education Counselor

Leanne had been an ESL teacher in a public middle school in China for ten years and worked in an international education company in California as an education consultant. Her qualification includes experience in ESL/TEFL lesson plans and curriculum development, classroom management, educational consulting service for international students. 

Leanne came to Christ in 2010 and has served in the church, youth group, and YMCA in China since then. She currently lives in Austin, Texas with her husband. 

Maggie Qiu

Education Counselor

Maggie graduated from Gordon College in Boston, MA with a Master of Art in Leadership. She also had a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and a minor in Psychology from Gorton. 

Prior to PREP, Maggie had an internship at Covenant Christian Academy and volunteered at InterVarsity. 

Maggie has rich experience in cross-cultural education, mentoring, mental health, tutoring, and leadership development. She currently lives in Boston with her fiancé.

Cathe Clary

Student Advocate

Cathe serves in the role of Student Advocate.

She will be reaching out to the community to recruit host families. She will provide families and students with training, support, and encouragement. It is her desire to be an equipping influence in the lives of the students both spiritually and academically as opportunities allow.

Cathe and her husband pastor a church in east Austin and they have a huge family with many children.

Valerie Spradling

Student Advocate

Valerie serves in the role of Student Advocate.

She will be reaching out to the community to recruit host families. She will provide families and students with training, support, and encouragement. It is her desire to be an equipping influence in the lives of the students both spiritually and academically as opportunities allow.