Finding value out of the Women's Conference

Seattle, Wa - The launch of the Women in NAAAP! Regional Conference is fast approaching and it's less than 3 weeks away. We're very excited both locally as well as nationally as this is a national program delivered by a local chapter. It's also a unique program being delivered on the West Coast this year. While the event is being touted as a Women's Conference, we want you to know that it's an event for everyone and this blog post aims to answer your questions in finding value in the conference. So if you're undecided at whether or not you want to go, here are a few points (or unmarketed opportunities) you want to consider before you say it's not for you.

Stakeholder(s)

• Men - Do you work with women? Do you have women employees? If you're a male manager, would you like to understand what issues women deal with and how to create an all inclusive work environment? The WIN! conference provides panel discussions on what women really want in their careers. Most importantly, workshops like time management and financial planning are gender agnostic training and are being led by both male and female speakers.
• Women - Whether you're entering a career, mid-career or at an executive level, learning from other women and connecting through networking will enhance your career.
• Mothers - Child care is available for a nominal fee.
• Manager/Business owner - Re-emphasizing that a trained employee is generally a happy employee and allows for better productivity, then send them to the WIN! Conference. Also, if  you would you like to understand what issues women deal with and how to create an all inclusive work environment, then our panels that are filled with senior women will  generate new ideas from their experiences and bring you solutions.
• Non-Asian - NAAAP values diversity and inclusion as it brings partnership and connection. All are welcome.
• Scholarships - NAAAP-Seattle and JPMorgan Chase is proud to sponsor Scholarships for Women in NAAAP! (WIN!) Conference registration fees for up to 20 students (undergraduate and graduate) and recent graduates. Click here to apply.
• NAAAP Member - As a NAAAP member we value your investment in yourself and we want to honor this by being transparent on how we allocate and spend your money. Your membership fees help us to provide training and development opportunities like this WIN! conference. More importantly, thanks to our sponsors, we are able to keep costs low. The cost is nominal as compared to other conferences. You get to pick from 4 tracks and connect and network with others with similar goals. Speakers include Crishna Bose-Bansal, Dr. Jeudi Boulom, Melanie Caoilie, Leah Carrido, Christine Chen, Stacey Derk, Vanessa Diego, Aimee Do, Theresa Ip Forelich, J.D. Hokoyama, Claudia Kauffman, Hyeok Kim, Nirmala, Krishnan, Olivia Lippens, Christine Mueller, Assunta Ng, Isabell Sheang, Kim Tran, Lillian Tsai, and Kendee Yamaguchi.

Register to WIN! (Seats are limited) http://win.naaapseattle.org

Check out a preview and meet the Women in NAAAP! at a preview event this Thursday, May 19th at Bellevue City Hall, Bellevue, WA Room 1E-120. Starts at 7pm and last through 8:30pm.

Regards,

Gil Gido                                         Hang Chen
NAAAP Seattle President                  WIN! Conference Chair - Seattle

Judi Rhee Alloway                           Brad Baldia
National WIN! Program Director        NAAAP President


Press Coverage

http://www.nwasianweekly.com/2011/05/upcoming-conference-for-women-focuses-on-investing-in-one%e2%80%99s-self/

http://www.nvnorthwest.com/h%e1%bb%99i-chuyen-gia-m%e1%bb%b9-g%e1%bb%91c-a-va-bu%e1%bb%95i-thuy%e1%ba%bft-trinh-d%e1%bb%81-tai-%e2%80%9cd%e1%ba%a7u-t%c6%b0-cho-chinh-minh%e2%80%9d/

http://www.seattlechinesetimes.com/english/local-news/5755-invest-in-yourself-at-the-west-coast-debut-of-the-win-leadership-conference-this-june

http://pinoyreporter.com/images/PinoyReporterMay2011.pdf (Page 2)

Packing Pinto beans with Food Lifeline

On March 16, Saturday afternoon, NAAAP-Seattle volunteered at Food Lifeline in Shoreline, packing 9360 pounds of pinto beans.

Food Lifeline is a nonprofit organization dedicated to ending hunger in Western Washington. Last year, Food Lifeline secured more than 24 million pounds of food-nearly 19 million meals-to feed hungry families and individuals throughout Western Washington.

NAAAP-Seattle Community Service Committee Member Nelson Siu led the NAAAP-Seattle team. Boston University Alumni and a local rowing crew also volunteered that day.

Siu said he learned how most of the food goes to feed those who live above the poverty line, but are unable to make ends meet and the extra food helps people feed their families through the end of the month.

Other NAAAP-Seattle volunteers included: Barret Seifer, Jeannette Roden, Earlene Randle, Krystal Turney, Berenice Plata Aldana, Charlee Brawn, Laraine Oracion, and NAAAP-Seattle Vice-President-Operations David Eam.

For more information on volunteering with NAAAP-Seattle, please contact NAAAP-Seattle Community Service Chair Jenafer Park at jenafer.park@naaapseattle.org.

Dim Sum at Wild Ginger

NAAAP-Seattle reinstated its tradition of dim sum get togethers this past Sunday, April 17, at Wild Ginger, Bellevue.

Forty people gathered at the popular pan-Asian restaurant, filling two long rows of tables.

Social Chair Heidi Yu said she was pleased with the turnout. Upcoming NAAAP-Seattle social activities include the First Friday Monthly Mixer on May 6 at
Flo Japanese Restaurant & Sushi Bar in Bellevue and the NAAAP Seattle Potluck on May 14 at Tanglewood Clubhouse in Issaquah.

For questions or to volunteer on NAAAP-Seattle's social committee, please email Heidi at heidi.yu@naaapseattle.org

Photos by Richard Palawan.

Feeding the Hungry through Farming with Solid Ground

NAAAP-Seattle volunteers returned to the land…for four hours of farming at the Giving Garden, Marra Farm in Seattle’s South Park neighborhood on March 26.

The local non-profit Solid Ground operates Marra Farm as an “urban community farm engaging people in sustainable agriculture and education while enhancing local food security.” Marra Farm Manager Sue McGann said the organic food grown on these four acres help feed the local community, comprised of mostly Latinos and a large Asian minority, through Providence Regina House Food Bank, Mien senior citizens, and Concord Elementary School.

The NAAAP-Seattle volunteers learned first-hand about the cycle of growing food. NAAAP-Seattle pruned the raspberry patches, cleared clubroot diseased patches, transported compost, and tilled beds of soil. All volunteers were newcomers to Marra Farm, and most had never tried farming before.

Volunteers included Jiunn Lee, Miles Matsumoto, John Park, Howard Yu, Tracy Zhen, CH Lee, Timothy Chang, Micah Chan, Jason Nguyen, Janet Chu, Cheng Lee, Yen La, Phillip Yu, and Richard Palawan.

Five NAAAP-Seattle board members also volunteered: Community Service Chair Jenafer Park, Technology Chair Sherwin Tsao, Vice President-Operations David Eam, President Gil Gido and PR/Marketing Chair Julie Pham.

Community Service committee member Jiunn Lee led the project. Jiunn said that some people even contacted him at 1 am the night before the event to sign-up.

"We're really thankful for all the volunteers who came because every thought and hardwork counts at the end of the day," said Jiunn Lee. "It just feels great to see people from different backgrounds giving up their precious time to volunteer."

For first-time NAAAP-Seattle volunteer Cheng Lee, he said he signed up for the event because he was “curious about farming.”

“I sit in my office and (computer) program all day,” said Cheng Lee. “It was really interesting to learn about farming, about the clubroot disease.”

Cheng Lee added, “It was a great workout, better than just going to a gym. And we did a lot of teamwork exercises because we had to share tools.”

According to McGann, Marra Farm attracts over 1000 volunteers each year. Last year’s crop yielded a record-breaking 22,000 pounds from one acre. “It was 9,000 pounds more than in any other year, despite the super cold weather,” said McGann.

People don’t just go to Marra Farm. “Sometimes people come here for birthday parties. Groups farm for four hours, eat birthday cake, and donate some money to the program,” said McGann. “In September, we’ll have our annual outdoor movie screening. People will eat roasted corn, bring blankets, and watch a movie under a starry sky.

Since the South Park bridge's closure last June, many of the local businesses have been hurt. The volunteers ended their day's worth of farming by dining at South Park Mexican eatery, Muy Macho.

Miles Matsumoto also created a photo documentary of the day's event.


Photos: (top) David Eam and Sherwin Tsao clearing clubroot patches; (middle) group photo of NAAAP-Seattle volunteers; (bottom) Gil Gido on the path to the fields.

Speed Mentoring with UW students

While many students choose to party and go clubbing last Friday, Feb. 25, a dozen undergrads gathered at Mary Gates Hall, University of Washington, to look for career guidance. They came in hopes of finding a mentor.

NAAAP-Seattle and the UW Asian Student Commission created the speed mentoring event to give students the opportunity to connect with professionals of all different fields and backgrounds. These professionals included a Seattle Times journalist, an Amazon program manager, State Farm HR representative, Microsoft senior consultant, HiSoft Technology International manager, chiropractor, MBA graduate student/entrepreneur, and two UW Medical School graduates.

Marian Liu, a master networker and NAAAP-Seattle's VP of External Affairs, gave the participants many useful tips and advice on networking. The students then networked with the professionals.

At the end of the event, NAAAP-Seattle surveyed the students and the feedback came back positive. All of them said that they would recommend this event to their friends. All the students also positively expressed (89% yes; 11% maybe) interest in attending other NAAAP event.

Photo: Marian Liu gives students networking tips.

NAAAP volunteers with FareStart, 2/6

NAAAP-Seattle volunteered at FareStart on Feb. 6 for the first time of 2011.

As usual, FareStart attracts more volunteers than NAAAP-Seattle has spots available. NAAAP-Seattle members are given priority when registering for this popular volunteer event.

Volunteers this time include: Sherwin Tsao, Jenafer Park, Wilson Ung, Heng Sun, Katie Phan, Rina Shin, Charles Davis, Lilly Kuo, John Park, and Jiunn Lee.

For any information on NAAAP-Seattle's award-winning community service program, please contact NAAAP-Seattle Community Service Chair Jenafer Park at jenafer.park@naaapseattle.org.

NAAAP-Seattle helps clean up International District

Next time you go to the International District, be aware that So. Jackson Street and So. King Street between Fifth and Twelve Ave So. are adopted by NAAAP-Seattle.

Sixteen NAAAP-Seattle volunteers hit their adopted streets of the International District on Sunday, Jan. 23.

Items NAAAP-Seattle picked up included hubcaps and windshield glass.

Repeat volunteer Steven Quan said he always signs up for the ID clean-ups organized by NAAAP-Seattle.

"It's important to keep our community clean," said Quan. "Even when I'm just out on the street, if I see a bit of trash, I can't help it,...I'll pick it up."

James Tabafunda said he had a few hours to spare on a Sunday, "so I thought it'd volunteering would be a good way to spend it."

Photos by James Tabafunda.

Once again, Microsoft Diversity Event draws hordes hungry for recruiters' secrets

National Society of Hispanic MBAs organized its Diversity Recruiting and Networking Event on Thursday, November 11, 2010, in Microsoft's new The Commons. Once again, NAAAP-Seattle served as one of NHSMBA's lead partners.

The first Diversity Recruiting and Networking Event earlier this spring drew 600 people. This time, organizers anticipated capping attendance at 300.

But 400 showed up to learn and network.

The attendees spent their evening exploring their options at the career fair, engaging in one-on-one sessions with recruiters, and listening to a special panel moderated by Christine Chen on how Microsoft recruiters find new talent using social media.

And for dessert? A fountain of chocolate fondue, in assorted fruit for dipping.

Photo by Cammie Tran: NAAAP-Seattle Web Support Chair Sherwin Tsai and NAAAP-Seattle Students Relations Chair Amy Duong man the NAAAP-Seattle informational booth with Kaplan.

Career Transitions panel emphasized: Make your “someday, I’ll do this…” to “everyday, I'll do this…”

Over seventy people attended the “Career Transitions” panel on September 8 at the Seattle Design Center. State Farm Insurance sponsored the event and they worked with NAAAP-Seattle, NSHMBA, and National Black MBA Association to organize it. The panel was followed by professional resume reviews.

The panelists included: Albert Torres, CEO and publisher of Tu Decides Newspapers; Ted Yamamura, Regional Director at the Boeing Company; Jeffrey Taylor, State Farm Insurance Agent; and Norman Sigler, who has his own executive search and coaching firm.

The panelists represented a wide range of experiences.

Torres described growing up as a migrant farm laborer to working at Microsoft as a computer science engineer and then establishing Washington’s first bilingual Spanish-English newspaper with his wife and a group of investors.

“The only thing we regret is not having done it earlier,” said Torres. “We have this phrase, ‘someday, I’ll do this…’. Find something you love so that you can make your ‘someday’ an ‘everyday.’ It’s not where the dream takes you, but where you take the dream.”

Taylor grew up in Illinois, home to State Farm Insurance headquarters. He started his 23-year career with the company as a college intern and climbed the corporate ranks.

He was being relocated every few years between headquarters and the regional offices until he realized he wanted to plant his roots in one place and be connected to his community. That is when he decided to become a State Farm insurance agent himself. He owns an agency in Columbia City.

“Instead of asking ‘what do I want to do,’ you should describe your ideal work setting,” said Taylor. “When you do that, you’ll know your passion.”

Ted Yamamura started at the Boeing Company 30 years ago as an engineer; 15 years later, he moved to sales. For those who want to make a transition and move up in their companies, Yamamura stressed the importance of networking and personal branding.

“To be successful, networking is 70% and work is 30%,” said Yamamura. “If people don’t know you did it, it doesn’t matter if you did the work.”

Yamamura is a former NAAAP-Seattle President and the co-founder of the Executive Development Institute.

Like Torres and Taylor, Sigler decided to become an entrepreneur after years of working in corporate America. Today, he runs his own successful executive search firm.

Sigler said those considering career transitions should maximize their previous experience as they strategize the next step in their professional life.

“You have to know the business in order to help your clients and understand what they need,” said Sigler. “I went from working in corporations to finding executives for corporations.”

Audience member Toni Thomas said the panelists “knew how to answer audience’s questions and gave real answers.”

She said her take-home lesson was, “When you have a passion, you have to ask questions of yourself. You have to move on that passion and just do it. If you can’t answer the questions, just look for help. There are many opportunities for support and follow through.”

This event marked the first time this year NAAAP-Seattle partnered with the National Association of Black MBAs and the third time it has partnered with NSHMBA.

Thomas added she was impressed by the diversity of the audience.

Claims agent Emma Molinar said State Farm Insurance sponsored the event not only to potentially recruit those interested in starting their own agencies, but to also show “State Farm supports diversity, and that we reach out to diverse communities.”

For first-time attendee to a NAAAP-Seattle event, Shinichi Ogawa noted, “It’s great to see Asians step out and intermix more. It’s a great mix of cultures.”

Attendees also had ample time to network.

“I’m excited to meet both young professional and seasoned professionals to get their advice,” said Joshua Wei, a recent college graduate.

“I came because the topics look interesting, but I’m surprised by how friendly people are and how easy it has been to meet new people,” said Robert Ng, an engineer at Boeing and a first-time NAAAP-Seattle event attendee.

For more information on the NAAAP-Seattle Professional Development events and program, please contact NAAAP-Seattle Professional Development Chair Hang Chen at hang.chen@naaapseattle.org

Photos: (top, front left to right) Norman Sigler, Jeffrey Taylor, Ted Yamamura, Albert Torres, Stephanie Jordan; (center) audience; (bottom) Shinichi Ogawa and Joshua Wei.

Volunteers take pride in helping keep the International District clean

August 29, 10am--a team of 17 NAAAP-Seattle volunteers hit the streets to clean the organization’s adopted streets. Their efforts were especially needed because the International District Night Market took place the night before.

NAAAP-Seattle have adopted King and Jackson streets, between 5th and 12th Avenues, under City of Seattle-Seattle Public Utilities’ Adopt-A-Street Program. Every few months, Community Service Chair David Eam organizes volunteers to clean up the streets.

Eam said, “We wish to keep the streets clean to make the ID experience more enjoyable.”

Those walking by thanked the cleaning crews as they picked their way down King St. and Jackson St. Although many businesses do take the time to clean the streets, the ID accumulates a lot of litter because of the high number of transients and careless litterers.

Former NAAAP-Seattle President Ki Kim and current NAAAP-Seattle Vice-President Jen Phang were among the volunteers. The volunteers included: David Eam, Heng Sun, Lily Liao, Ki Kim, Jen Phang, Katie Phan, Andrew Liu, Jimmy Wong, Mikii Liu, Keith Couilliard, Sherwin Tsao, Ron Warkentin, Homan Leung, Amy Hsieh, and Angela Phan.

Of the 17 volunteers, nine were first-time NAAAP-Seattle volunteers.

Although Jimmy Wong has attended NAAAP-Seattle social events, the ID Clean-up was his first time participating in NAAAP-Seattle’s Community Service program.

Wong said, “I wanted to participate because I wanted to give back to my community and to join and help out some close friends who are passionate in helping others out.”

It made him appreciate the service NAAAP-Seattle provides to the community.

“The ID Cleanup event was a very needed event,” said Wong. “King Street from 12th Ave to 5th Ave was very dirty.”

First-time volunteers said they would get their hands dirty again to help out their community.

“I would like to volunteer again, it was great event,” Wong added. “The people that you volunteer with makes the event enjoyable.”

Another first-time volunteer, Katie Phan, said, “The event was so much fun. It was a great experience and I'm so happy I did it.”

“It was a great opportunity to help clean up Seattle and meet new people,” said Phan. “I enjoy volunteering, and I wanted to give back to the community, and meet other volunteers. I would like to volunteer again. Not only did I enjoy volunteering but it was nice that so many people stopped and thanked us for our hard work.”

The fun didn’t stop with picking up garbage though. The majority of volunteers continued to socialize over dim sum in the neighborhood. They washed their hands before eating.

Want to participate or lead a community service project? Contact David Eam at david.eam@naaapseattle.org.

31st Annual Leadership and Scholarship Gala: A masquer-Asian Ball

SAVE THE DATE!

NOVEMBER 6, 2010
Masquer-Asian Ball | Newcastle Golf Course

Buy TICKETS
Early Bird Registration ends October 15, 2010 | $80 Members | $95 NON Members | $100 Join as a Member with ticket
Buy a table | $375 Half | $750 Full

Become a SPONSOR
Premium | Gold | Silver | Bronze  Download the sponsor package.

Directions >>

2010 ©National Association of Asian American Professionals Seattle
Website http://seattle.naaap.org/

NAAAP100: Dr. Qi Lu, President Microsoft's Online Services Division

Dr. Qi Lu: Leading Through Inspiration

by Tammy K. Dang

Dr. Qi Lu once thought that he would go work for a radio factory after studying computer science. That plan didn't work out the way he thought it would because today, he serves as President of Microsoft's Online Services Division, leading the company's search and online advertising efforts.

Dr. Lu's path to leading a division of one of America's most storied companies reads like a Horatio Alger novel ---with this one spanning two continents and a chance encounter with a Carnegie Mellon professor that would eventually lead him to Microsoft Corporation. During China's cultural Revolution, Dr. Lu's parents sent him away from Shanghai to live with his grandfather in a tiny province in Jiangsu to escape persecution. He lived 5 hours away from them with no plumbing or electricity.

"In retrospect, it was a blessing in disguise," Dr. Lu said regarding the circumstances in which he spent his youth. "It taught you to work hard to earn everything." During difficult times, the government rationed food. Families in the village had to figure out a way to eat for three months out of the year.

Village life also taught Dr. Lu about learning and cultural values. "Village life carries thousands of years of Confucianism," he said. Usually, there was only one teacher in a village who had the respect of everyone. If the teacher came to your house to eat, you would treat him like a king.

Dr. Lu grew up idolizing Ludwig van Beethovan, the German composer and pianist, who despite losing his hearing, continued to compose music. "He symbolizes spiritual adversity as life is about overcoming obstacles," Dr. Lu said. When he was old enough, Dr. Lu passed an exam to attend college. Due to his physical limitations of being too small and light, he had a choice of studying mathematics or computer science. With a mathematics degree, he was told he could become a middle school teacher. With a computer science degree, he was told he could work at a radio factory, which sounded much more interesting.

His chance encounter came when he reluctantly attended the lecture of a computer science professor named Dr. Edmund Clark. By this time, Dr. Lu had earned a master's of science in the computer science field from Fudan University. He asked some impressive questions, which prompted Dr. Clark to offer him a scholarship to earn his doctorate at Carnegie Mellon.

Dr. Lu then worked as a research staff member at IBM's Almaden Research Center and Carnegie Mellon. He also served as a faculty member at Fudan University. He then went on to spend 10 years as a Yahoo! senior executive and finally on to Microsoft. He also holds 20 U.S. patents.

According to Dr. Lu, the Chinese tradition of being humble and respectful has been helpful in helping him get to where he is today. Other factors were also involved, but he points out one key element. "Chances favor the prepared mind," he said. A prepared mind helps you see the right bus so that you can jump on it.

In terms of leadership, a distinguishing factor between a great leader versus a good leader is the ability to inspire. Dr. Lu tries to inspire those who follow him. "When you have hope, you can move mountains," he said. "When a leaders inspires, people perform differently."

Dr. Lu feels blessed to work in the computer industry. "Computing is a general purpose enabler," he said. "It makes anything better."

###

Check out all of the 2010 NAAAP100 Recipients:
http://seattle.naaap.org/News.do?id=1796

View the NAAAP100 Award Ceremony sponsored by the Coca-cola Company
http://vimeo.com/14162327

2010 National Convention - San Francisco

(Top) Richard Lui (HLN and MSNBC); Palace Hotel (Second row from top) "The Language of Innovation" Comcast (Third row from top) National Board Meeting; Comcast panel (Bottom) NAAAP Seattle; Garden Court at the Palace Hotel

Where are they now? Albert Shen, NAAAP President 1996 - 1997

Albert Shen, Exec. Advisor to NAAAP Seattle

My name is Albert Shen and I am the owner/founder of Shen Consulting, a small engineering company specializing in project/construction management and engineering services in the aviation and transportation services market. In 2009 Shen Consulting was awarded the City of Seattle Mayors’ Small Business of the Year Award.

I served as NAAAP National President 1996-1997, NAAAP National Convention Co Chair in 1998 and NAAAP Seattle President in 1999. Since my days at NAAAP I have gone on to serve with many diverse boards in the community. Including running my own business (Shen Consulting, Inc.) I serve as:

* The Council Chair for the Seattle Chinatown International District and Preservation and Development Authority (SCIPDA)
* Board member of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation
* Commissioner for Washington State Commission on Asian and Pacific American Affairs (CAPAA)
* Board President of the NW Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans Political Action Committee

My NAAAP experiences opened up many new networking opportunities and friendships nationwide and to this day, I still stay in contact with some of the great people I worked with. Having served in numerous leadership positions at the national and local level, those experiences enabled me to develop skills that translate to where I am today. The experience gave me many opportunities for public speaking, which is one thing many Asian-Americans absolutely dread and more importantly gave me the foundation in developing skills in governing a board of directors and fundraising skills for non-profits. These 3 fundamental skills are what every Asian American professional should have in their own resume if they hope to develop their careers in this more globally competitive modern work environment.

In addition I have been actively involved with local and national level politics in both fundraising and advocacy for economic development. Thru my political activities I have been able to meet many of our political leaders and have exchanged many ideas to better the livelihood for all Asian Americans. Politics is often a feared word when it comes to Asian American professional advancement and we often forget that politics is just as and perhaps even more important for Asian Americans and NAAAP. From my days on the board, I can remember many of the executive board members who were elected officials from my days and were always encouraging NAAAP to be more politically aware of the issues impacting Asian Americans.

Overall, there were many lessons that I learned during my countless days at NAAAP however the one lesson that stands out for me that I will always remember from all the NAAAP people I met is that: All our parents, no matter where they came from, immigrated here to the United States so that our generation can build a better life for ourselves. Because of their sacrifice it is our responsibility to be generous to others and always give back to our community so that what they started will never be lost and we must never lose our cultural identity.

With that, I am excited about this new generation and we get another opportunity to come together at the 24th Annual Gateway to Leadership Convention and Diversity Career Fair presented by Macy's. I'll be attending and hope to meet you.

Regards,
Albert Shen
National Association of Asian American Professionals
President 1996-1997
NAAAP Seattle President 1999

Pathways to Leadership

Most people would agree that a path is always almost easier to follow when it's lighted. When it comes to your career, how do you know how to get to where you want to go and what skills you will need?  When it comes to the National Association of Asian American Professionals (NAAAP), how does it deliver on its mission to build leaders in the community or its organization?

If you're in a career already, many companies have clear pathways to various job roles and responsibilities and specific requirements for each; for example, there are clear pathways for becoming a manager, paths for becoming a general manager, or paths for becoming the Chief Executive Officer. Similarly for NAAAP, there are also clear pathways from an event or committee volunteer to a committee chair; and pathways from a committee chair to a postion on the Board of Directors; and pathways from a Board of Directors position to a National position and onto the President of the organization.

Let me remind you that each pathway will require a set of skills and identify areas for further training and development.

What are these skills? 
Well, to name a few: written communication, understanding others, time management, intellectual horsepower, building effective teams, process management, problem solving, presentation skills, integrity, authenticity, patience, dealing with ambiguity, negotiations, managing and measuring, priority setting, results driven, managing up, composure, creativity, customer focus, timely decision-making, delegation, developing direct reports, action oriented, approachability, business acumen, self awareness, risk-taking, comfort around top management, compassion, conflict management, diversity, hiring and staffing, humor, reporting, trust, and listening.

These skills often show up on the job or as part of a specific training and development experience. With regards to NAAAP Seattle, we provide many opportunities in which to gain these skills. Beyond volunteering, leading a committee or sitting on the Board of Directors will offer opportunities to gain mastery of the skills that will lead to bigger challenges and opportunities leading you further down your chosen pathway.  

If you are interested in these learning opportunities and gain valuable experience, please visit our website.

Regards,
Gil Gido
NAAAP Seattle
President

Expanding Local Asian Community Services

Part celebration and part fundraising, local Asian non-profits held events last month to support the Asian community in areas such as healthcare, economic and leadership development, and many more. These organizations have been one of the hardest hit from the economy and it was great to see many in the community showing their support and giving generously. In addition, many volunteers gave their time - alot of it behind the scenes. 

Now in June the Chinese Information and Service Center (CISC), a local multi-language organization providing information, referral, advocacy, social, and support services will host their Friendship Dinner on June 12th at Olive 8 and the Asian Counseling and Referral Service (ACRS), a King county area food bank serving 5000 families will hold their annual Walk for Rice on June 19th at Seward Park.

Picture 1. Seattle Chinatown International District Preservation and Development Authority's (SCIDpda) 2010 ID Spring Roll held on May 24th at Union Station.

Picture 2. Me and Dow Constantine, King County Executive

Picture 3. The Executive Development Institute's Inclusion Fusion Event held on May 20th at SODO Park.

Picture 4. The Executive Development Institute's Inclusion Fusion Event (Full view)

Organization Links:

• Asian Counseling and Referral Service (ACRS): http://www.acrs.org/
• Chinese Information and Service Center (CISC): http://www.cisc-seattle.org/
• International Examiner: http://www.iexaminer.org/
• Executive Development Institute (EDI): http://www.ediorg.org/
• Seattle Chinatown International District Preservation and Development Authority (SCIDpda): http://www.scidpda.org/
• International Community Health Services (ICHS): http://www.ichs.com/

Regards,
Gil Gido
NAAAP Seattle
President

NAAAP100 Seattle Nominees

As many of you may know, May is Asian Heritage month in the United States, so what better way to start it off by announcing Seattle's nominees for the NAAAP100, an International program designed to acknowledge the contributions of Asian Americans exemplifying NAAAP's mission and values.


Earlier this year we asked members and the community at large to submit nominees. We collected them and having sorted through them, it gives me great pleasure to update you on the NAAAP 100 Nominations for Seattle. These nominees are in great company as you may be wondering. Other chapters are also nomininating leaders in their communities.

The selected few among all nominees will be invited to NAAAP's 2010 Convention being held in San Francisco later this year to receive their award. Most importantly, it gives me a sense of hometown pride that Seattle is a progressive place to conduct business and has an environment in which to foster leaders in our community.

These are the amazing individuals nominated for this year.

• Phyllis Campbell – Sr. Vice President at JP Morgan Chase | Read more ...
• John Okamoto – Executive Director for the Washington Education Association | Read more ...
• Assunta Ng – Publisher NWAsian Weekly | Read More ...
• Tay Yoshitani – Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – Port of Seattle | Read more ...
• Martha Choe – Chief Information Officer (CIO) – Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation | Read more ...
• Qi Lu – President Microsoft Online Services Business and former exec at Yahoo! | Read more ...  

Thanks to those submitting nominations, too. Of course there are other wonderful unsung heroes. As an organization and in the spirit of community, we hope to acknowledge them in future years.

It’s amazing to see the diverse areas where Asians are leading now and it is quite the contrast from 20 years ago. Congratulations to all!

Regards,

Gil Gido
NAAAP Seattle
President

For more information on the NAAAP100 program, please visit our website.

In Your Time

Mahatma Ghandi in his time led his country India to freedom. Benjamin Franklin in his time invented the lighting rod and was a founding father of the United States. And Barack Obama in his time became the first African American to earn the spot of the 44th President of the United States . These great leaders had something in common: purpose. What purpose guides you? What is it that you'll be known for? Is it to be the best leader, parent, athlete or manager?

Having a purpose guides you. It opens up actions to take and pulls you forward to be great. For example, being the best musician (your purpose) takes a lot of practice (actions you'd take). You'd also hire a teacher, buy a piano and music, enter recitals, study music, and play everyday. Similarly, becoming a leader (your purpose) takes great practice (actions you'd take). You'd also need to build skills in communication, look for opportunities, network, understand issues, listen for other's commitments and to their greatness. Most of all, you need to stand for your purpose.

Now where do you begin after you define your purpose? If it's to be a leader, there are a variety of organizations you can take part in to support your purpose. Take part in the National Association of Asian American Professionals Seattle Chapter. Take part in the Executive Development Institute as well as Landmark Education. And commit time and be open to the experience. I promise you will be in your time a leader with purpose.

Regards,
Gil Gido
NAAAP Seattle
President

Additional Links:

• National Association of Asian American Professionals Seattle Chapter - http://seattle.naaap.org/Welcome.do
• Executive Development Institute - http://www.ediorg.org/
• Landmark Education - http://www.landmarkeducation.com/
• Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics - http://www.leap.org/
• Asian Pacific Leadership Community Foundation - http://aclfnorthwest.org/
• Ascend Pan-Asian Leaders - http://www.ascendleadership.org/display/router.aspx