Bayou Icon | Christine Wong Rambo

ARTICLE BY GEORGIANN POTTS
PHOTOGRAPHY BY KELLY MOORE CLARK

Once upon a time Christine Wong Rambo was a five-year-old little girl, boarding a Pan American flight from Hong Kong to the United States immigrating with her family. This bright youngster had taught herself English by watching Saturday morning cartoons. Christine and her family eagerly embraced America and proudly became U.S. citizens. She would go on to become the first person in her immediate family to go to college. Today Christine is a very successful business owner (she’s President/Owner of Upsize Marketing Strategies) and a vital part of our community. She is also a devoted wife, caring mother, loving daughter, and enthusiastic volunteer who has faced the same challenges of balancing family and career as have so many of us. Christine learned the art of flexibility at an early age and has always adapted her priorities to meet the moment, recognizing that every challenge offers an opportunity for growth. She firmly believes that everything that a person experiences – good or bad — contributes collectively to define that person’s life. Because of her remarkable work helping others to learn to harness economic development for their own businesses, and because of her unselfish support of this region and beyond, Christine Wong Rambo is our March BayouIcon.

Christine Wong Rambo’s story begins in the early 1900’s when her grandfather Luan Ng earned a college education in California – a rare occurrence in those days. With degree in hand, he returned to his home in China and started his family. According to Christine, in the 1950’s the family moved to Hong Kong – at the time a British colony — to flee Communist persecutions against anyone who didn’t conform to the Communist Doctrine. Christine was born in Hong Kong, becoming by birth a British National. 

In 1974 when Christine was five, the family left everything behind to begin a new life in America. “My parents’ proudest moment was when they received their U.S. citizenship and, subsequently, all of their children became U.S. citizens as well,” Christine remembers.

Education and Cultural Convergence
During Christine’s elementary through high school years, the family lived in Maryland outside of Washington, D.C. She wanted to be an author during those early years, but Christine remembers an experience that changed that career goal. She participated in a school-based academic competition at her local TV station in Washington D.C. “I was awed by the local television station: the cameras, bright lights, and studio audience,” she recalls. “Our elementary school was competing against other schools in the D.C. Metropolitan Area in an academic bowl.”

Following that initial encounter with professional broadcast media, Christine was fortunate to attend a science and technology magnet school in Oxon Hill. It was there that she took a journalism class that she says changed the course of her life. As a part of that class Christine wrote for the school newspaper, a task that “. . . sparked my interest in journalism and my desire to pursue the truth.”  Christine was a high school finalist for the Baltimore Sun Journalism Scholarship which cemented her desire to study journalism at the university level.

Christine pursued her dream and attended The American University (AU) in Washington D.C. where she earned her B.A. in Communications with an emphasis on Broadcast Journalism. Perhaps not surprisingly, she minored in International Relations. She was active in student government, and enjoyed working with students from across the world. “My friendships with other young people from around the globe opened my eyes to different perspectives and cultures. These are friendships that have lasted a lifetime,” Christine says. 

It was the 1980’s, following the Watergate era, when investigative journalism was an important part of the profession. “This was a time when journalists served as the watchdog against government corruption,” Christine remembers. (Later in her career, Christine would work as a reporter and anchor at KNOE-TV. While there, she would receive a Louisiana Associated Press Award for Investigative Journalism.)

Christine graduated from AU in 1991 and began her professional career working as a researcher/assignment editor at Fox affiliate WBFF in Baltimore. In 1992 she accepted a position at KNOE-TV in Monroe as a reporter. “I covered everything from the school board to Monroe City Council to crime and the courts,” Christine says. She spent six years there, becoming a weekend anchor and earning three Associated Press Awards for Investigative Journalism and Feature Storytelling. “Telling our stories, shedding light on community problems, and uncovering corruption or crimes fueled my sense of justice and love for community development,” Christine says. 

In 1998, Christine began working for the ABC affiliate KTBS in Shreveport. She was worked as a weekend anchor/reporter. “I chased tornadoes and wildfires and covered crime and politics in Northwest Louisiana,” she remembers. While there she continued adding to her list of awards. She earned a National Radio Television and Digital News Association (RTNDA) Unity Award. 

A Public Defender Changes Everything
While Christine was covering the court beat as a reporter for KNOE-TV, she met public defender Wilson Rambo. A mutual friend played matchmaker. Today, after 26 years of marriage, Christine says that she couldn’t have had a better life partner. “Wilson has always supported me in my career and encouraged me to pursue my dreams,” she adds.

Four years after their marriage, Wilson and Christine learned that they were expecting their first child. It was a turning point in Christine’s life and career, as she realized that balancing being a wife, a mother, and a daughter with an active career was the biggest challenge she had faced. “Society tells women we can do it all, but the reality is it is very difficult to do it all,” Christine says. “Everything has its seasons, and we have to accept that at different times in our lives certain things must take priority.”

At the same time, Wilson decided to run for District Judge and was ready to move his career forward. To support her husband’s campaign, Christine – who was six months pregnant at the time – went door-to-door in the summer heat knocking on doors, handing out fans at football games, and attending countless events with him. “I think we got the sympathy vote because of how pregnant I was at the time,” Christine explains with a laugh. “Our daughter Shelby was born two days before Wilson’s swearing-in ceremony. She was a part of the campaign, so she didn’t want to miss the ceremony.”

As much as she enjoyed her television journalism career, Christine willingly stepped away for four years to rear her children, Shelby and Jarred, who are two years apart. Christine spent her free time during this period as a volunteer, working with nonprofit organizations that were making a difference in the community. She worked with the Junior League of Monroe and the Monroe Garden Club plus accepted board positions for the Silver Waters Girl Scouts, Strauss Little Theater, and Twin City Ballet Company. 

A Career Twist 
Two years after Jarred’s birth, Christine rejoined the workforce, but not as a journalist.  “Being a roving reporter just wasn’t conducive to motherhood, so when I returned to work, I needed a nine-to-five job,” explained Christine. She led the marketing and communications effort for the Louisiana Small Business Development Center (LSBDC), the state office for which was located at the University of Louisiana at Monroe. She marketed a network of 10 centers focused on supporting entrepreneurs and small business expansion. It was here that Christine discovered a passion for entrepreneurship. Mary Lynn Wilkerson, LSBDC State Director, was an important mentor for Christine as she embarked on this new career path.

It was during this period that Christine saw firsthand how people would risk their life savings to pursue their dream of owning their own business. “That to me was the American Dream – being your own boss and being the master of your own destiny. I credit the LSBDC as the turning point in my life.”

Working in economic development presented Christine with numerous opportunities to use her communications and marketing skills. “Creating economic opportunities empowers people to create a better life for themselves and their families, and is an impactful way to give back to the community,” Christine says.

After Christine had worked with the LSBDC for over two years, the North Louisiana Economic Partnership (NLEP) came calling. This regional economic development organization served 14 North Louisiana parishes and needed a Vice President of Marketing/Communications. Christine accepted the position and spent the next decade recruiting businesses to North Louisiana and learning through this invaluable experience. She became Senior Vice President of Business Development, Marketing, and Investor Relations during her time there.

Through her NLEP work, Christine helped successfully recruited 66 economic development projects that generated $1.86 billion in capital investment and 5,267 new direct jobs. During this very busy decade, Christine became a Certified Economic Developer as designated by the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) – one of only 1,150 worldwide — and earned an MBA from ULM in May of 2020. Christine was awarded an international Excellence in Economic Development Award by IEDC. Christine’s 30 years’ worth of experiences working first in broadcast journalism, and then combined with those spent working with the LSBDC and NLEP, beautifully prepared Christine for her next career move: starting her own company.

A Dream Becomes Reality
Like millions of Americans did during the 2020 pandemic, Christine took time to reassess her priorities, take note of where she was in her life and career, and then decided on a new direction. “Like so many, I took a look at what I wanted in life and decided it was now or never to take a leap of faith and start my own business,” Christine admits. 

Friends, family, professional mentors, and colleagues all encouraged Christine to go for it. As always, Wilson was her biggest cheerleader and supporter. He had stood by her during the long nights when she was working on her MBA and then cheered her on when she launched Upsize Marketing Strategies. “He also kept me hopeful during that lean first year,” Christine says. 

Upsize allows Christine to work with a national and global network of other economic development consultants, site selectors, urban planners, community development, communications, and other professionals. “We often collaborate and partner on projects. My global network of friends and colleagues keeps me encouraged and inspired by the work,” Christine says. Her company’s value proposition is simple and direct: “Upsize is an ethical consultancy focused on growing organizations and communities to help create more inclusive opportunities for all people.” 

One of Christine’s goals with Upsize is for it to remain a boutique firm that continues to focus on the value that it brings to its clients rather than on making profits. This value-driven and customer-focused company is Christine’s chance – at last – to decide for herself how and where she spends her time. One of her clients – a three-county region in Northwest Colorado, is coping with a coal transition brought about by public policy and climate changes that will jeopardize 2,800 jobs. Christine has been working with the region for three years, helping them diversify the economy, create new job sectors, and support workforce and community development.

All Work and No Play? No Way!
Although Christine’s career has never been as vibrant and exciting as now, nevertheless she finds time to enjoy her life away from work. Recently she and Wilson took a 26th anniversary vacation to the Grand Caymans. There she says they got a chance to “unplug and focus just on each other.” The two hope to travel to Australia and New Zealand someday.

Both of their children are now adults and living full lives. Their daughter, Shelby, is a professional ballet dancer with Nevada Ballet Theatre in Las Vegas. She has studied dancing since age two and decided on ballet as her career while still quite young. While a senior in high school, Shelby did year-round ballet training with the Sacramento Ballet. She then trained at Ballet West in Salt Lake City before auditioning for professional ballet companies. She has been dancing with Nevada Ballet Theatre for two years while earning her bachelor’s degree in business online from LSU-Shreveport. In her “spare time” she works at Upsize with Christine as the company’s social media content creator.

Their son Jarred is attending Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond where he is majoring in Engineering Technology with a concentration in Mechatronics. Like his sister, Jarred is also interested in the Arts. He plays in the marching band at Southeastern, and plays trombone, baritone, and guitar. Christine reports that he is currently teaching himself how to play the banjo.

Christine is quite a good cook. Because of her heritage, she grew up cooking Chinese food. After she moved to Louisiana, she discovered Louisiana cuisine. She has learned to make many of the dishes that Wilson loves including gumbo and fresh garden peas. She says that her signature dish is spicy cabbage (the recipe for which can be found in the Junior League of Monroe’s latest cookbook).

Besides cooking, Christine also enjoys gardening, DIY projects, yoga, hiking, and reading. “I especially like to work with my hands since I spend so much time in my head,” she says with a laugh. On her wish list of things to do when she retires is babysitting with her future grandchildren.

Christine also carves out time to continue volunteering. She is currently a board member for the United Way of Northeast Louisiana, and the advisory committee for the Louisiana Small Business Development Centers.  The Junior League of Monroe (JLM) holds a special place in her heart. She created a program with JLM which was designed to combat intergenerational poverty. The program – Tools and Literacy for Children (TLC) – which has been adapted to an adopt-a-school program. In 2024, JLM recognized her contributions by awarding her the Louise Seymour Community Impact Award. This lifetime achievement award is given to a JLM member “for exemplifying the purpose of the Junior League and devoting her life to community service with an unselfish dedication and inspiration to all.”

Looking Toward the Future
Christine offers a cautionary word about technology in business. She acknowledges that it is revolutionizing her industry so rapidly that much of what is known today will be obsolete in only a short time. For example, Christine points out that Artificial Intelligence (AI) will make it possible for a small firm to do the work – and have the international reach – of a much larger firm. “However, AI can also strip away creativity and individuality if we’re not careful,” Christine warns.

When asked recently what her life will look like in five or ten years, Christine’s reply was exactly what those who know her life story would expect.  She said, “I’m not sure, and that’s part of the fun – not knowing and taking life as it comes.”

Denzel Washington (American actor, director, and producer) wrote, “At the end of the day it’s not about what you have or even what you’ve accomplished … It’s about who you’ve lifted up, who you’ve made better. It’s about what you’ve given back.” That comment describes Christine’s life story. While she has accomplished much, she has also lifted up countless individuals through her career as well as through her volunteerism. 

Christine Wong Rambo has already given back far more than most people ever will, and she has no plans to stop now. Because of her remarkable work helping others to learn to harness economic development for their own businesses, and because of her unselfish support of this region and beyond, Christine Wong Rambo is our March BayouIcon.