CCS Staff
Miki Cutuli Valdivieso, Executive Director of Community Center Shanghai
Miki is an Italian-Spanish citizen, who has been living in Shanghai for six years. A mom of three kids, she is an active part of the community offering parenting support from pregnancy to teenage years.
Miki graduated in Marketing from the Universitá degli Studi di Milano, Italy and holds two Masters in Education specializing in the Montessori method. A long-time expat, she has lived and worked in Italy, Spain, Germany, the United Kingdom, Thailand, and China growing professionally and gaining experience as the Head of Business and Marketing Director in previous roles. She loves traveling and is a big picnic fan. You can spot her around the most natural areas of Shanghai playing with her kids or enjoying the best brunches in town as being a foodie is in her DNA.
Miki is a certified positive discipline educator, doula, lactation consultant, holistic sleep coach, and NLP coach. In China, she has served as a business consultant and school principal, creating connections, supporting families, and individuals during their journey in the country we call home.
Karlene Rowland, Director of Counseling
Karlene is from New Zealand where she studied Psychology and Law at undergraduate level before coming to China 23 years ago. She holds an MSc in Mental Health Psychology from the University of Liverpool as well as a post-graduate degree in Education from the University of Nottingham. She has worked as Clinical Psychologist, in tertiary education and corporate training throughout her career. Karlene has extensive experience in designing and delivering workshops and corporate training sessions on an array of topics related to workplace mental health, workshop facilitation skills, conflict resolution and negotiation as well as overall employee and workplace wellbeing. She was the Operations Director and Training Manager at Lifeline China for five years and has also created training programs on suicide prevention and intervention having spent many years training volunteers to work on a crisis helpline for mental health support, covering a range of topics and issues such as relational violence, addictive behavior Karlene’s background also includes substantial experience in syllabus and curriculum design for tertiary education programs at masters and pre-masters level, in addition to assessment creation and evaluation. Karlene is passionate about raising awareness around mental health on both a local and global level and aims to reduce stigma and misunderstanding surrounding this crucial area of human existence.
Lynne Zhang, Manager of CCS Program and Charity
Lynne Zhang has been a dedicated member of the CCS Pudong Program Department since 2016, serving as the Department Manager. With over a decade of experience in children’s education, Lynne brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her role.
In addition to her work in education, Lynne has extensive experience in planning and executing a variety of seminars and workshops. Since 2020, she has also been instrumental in coordinating the efforts of the CCS Charity Department. Currently, Lynne serves as the manager of the CCS Charity Department, where she continues to make significant contributions to the community.
Sammi Zhou, Marketing Manager
Sammi Zhou was born and raised in Shanghai, a city she cherishes deeply. She joined Community Center Shanghai (CCS) in 2017, bringing with her a wealth of experience and a passion for community engagement.
Sammi has worked for over a decade in the marketing departments of internet companies and the real estate industry. During her tenure at CCS, Sammi has been primarily responsible for promotion of CCS events and activities. Her efforts support CCS’s mission and vision to connect, support, and enable internationals in Shanghai.
Nico Li, New Media Operations Specialist
Nico from China chose Public Relations as her major during college, which became the starting point of her career. At CCS, Nico’s job involves not only the operation of new media platforms but also event-photography, video-editing, and more.
Observing with her eyes and recording with her lens, Nico always looks forward to discovering beauty and joy in various activities. For her, working at CCS is not just a job; it offers a working atmosphere, team-working, and value realization that meet her expectations.
Nico holds a basic training certificate in psychological counseling issued by the Chinese Academy of Sciences. She believes that exploring oneself is equally important as exploring the world. In her spare time, she enjoys reading literary works related to travel, art, and religion.
