Born and raised in Washington, D. C., her parents came from southern China.  Regina attended Washington, D. C. Public Schools. On Sundays, the Chow family went to the Chinese Community Church, and then D.C.’s Chinatown for socializing/networking.

Regina graduated from University of Pittsburgh with a Degree in Urban Studies.

She is married to Neil McPhie, a Trinidadian American Attorney, and they have two grown children, Abby and a son, Sydney.

In the 1970’s, Regina was a member of Eastern Wind, based in Wash., D.C.’s

Chinatown. Eastern Wind promoted awareness of the social and economic needs of Chinatown residents. It sponsored the Chinatown Health and Community Fairs, published the Eastern Wind newsletter and created the Chinatown Wall Mural, displayed at 7th and H Streets for several years in the 1970’s. Regina’s career spanned almost four decades from the mid 1970’s to 2019, most of them being various positions with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). She also worked for the Social Security Administration and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).