A Community Leaders Event at Ruth's Chris Steak House

(clockwise) Ruth's Chris Steak House; Community Leaders Networking; Starr MacDonald (EDI); Jose Olguin (State Farm) and Micheal Okimura (NAAAP Seattle)

Bellevue, Wa - An evening of networking among a variety of community organizations was held at Ruth's Chris Steak House in Bellevue and hosted by State Farm. This was an opportunity for community leaders to share about their organizations and to connect them as we all share common goals and interests in the community. The event was also an appreciation for organizations that have a strong presence in the Seattle area.

The list of organizations attending to name a few were the Filipino Community Center of Seattle, African American MBA of Seattle, National Society of Hispanic MBAs of Seattle, Western Washington Indian Association, Executive Development Institute, The Central Area Motivation Program, Clear Channel Outdoor, Communities In Schools, SCIPDA, and the Asian Counseling and Referral Service.

As part of the gift giveaway part of the program, Starr MacDonald of EDI, also celebrating an anniversary, took home a basketful of goodies.

Thanks for a great evening of networking and Like a good neighbor, State Farm was there.

Regards,
NAAAP Seattle Board

Measure twice. Cut once.

Redmond, Wa - It's a well known fact that a little bit of planning goes along way, so every year the NAAAP Seattle Board meets to plan the upcoming year and to provide learning opportunities to our Board members. This year was no different.

Returning as our facilitator was Wendy Watanabe. She led us through discussions on conflict resolution and building joint solutions through consensus. When all was said and done, we landed on an annual operating plan to fulfill on the vision and mission of NAAAP Seattle.

Rounding out the day was our resident media mavens, Julie Pham (Northwest Vietnamese News) and Marian Liu (Seattle Times) training the Board on branding. This was especially effective since we all became reaquainted with our accomplishments.

Lastly, we had an opportunity to welcome our newest Board members, Jen Park as Community Service Chair (Google) Micheal Okimura as Professional Development Chair (Pacific Capital Resource Group) and Sherwin Tsao as Technology Chair (Guidant Financial Group).

With the planning done, we can now focus on executing our plan. We considered many factors such as our membership base, our partner and sponsor ecosystem and our community needs. We hope you'll join us in what we think as a defining year for NAAAP Seattle.

Regards,
NAAAP Seattle Board of Directors

Where are they now? Andy Yip, NAAAP Seattle President 2007-2008

My name is Andy Yip, President for the National Association of Asian American Professionals – Seattle Chapter from 2007 to 2008. I am a registered principal at my firm Raymond James, with a focus on estate planning and investment portfolio management. In my past careers, I have led numerous leadership positions including being the state manager for Prudential Financial. In 2007, we were the number one firm for Prudential in the entire nation. After much hard work and teamwork in achieving that, I became independent and had my own operation in Mercer Island, WA with my business partner.

NAAAP-Seattle gave me the opportunity to get in touch with the Asian American community and since then, I have gone on to serve many other community organizations, such as:

• Interim Executive Director, International Community Health Services Foundation
• President, Hong Kong Association of Washington
• Acting President, International Examiner
• Vice President, Seattle Chinese Chamber of Commerce
• Treasurer, Newcastle Chamber of Commerce (2009)
• Advisor, Collaborative Artists EastWest

Being on the board of an active organization also broadened my network, I was able to meet many young professionals that are passionate about their communities; found many mentors that have been where I was and formed many valuable relationship with key personnel across various industries.

It is exciting to see many new leaders are taking the lead at NAAAP-Seattle now, and I am proud to continue serving as a member of the Executive Advisory Board of NAAAP-Seattle, having input on the direction of the organization, and continue to bring resources to foster the next generation of leaders.

To those that are still on the fence of deciding whether to become part of this great organization, just know that NAAAP-Seattle leaders are all about giving back to the community while elevating their professionalism in their own career path. You will find many excellent mentors, great friends, fun activities, and top notch training.

i work, i play, i NAAAP!

Regards,
Andy Yip
NAAAP Seattle President 2007-2008

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

NAAAP President, Brad Baldia, visits Seattle members

NAAAP Seattle Summer Picnic (l to r) Claire Ding (Secretary), Lloyd Hara (King County Assessor), Bob Hasegawa (11th District House Representative), Gil Gido, Vanessa Diego (member), Brad Baldia (NAAAP President)

Brad Baldia, NAAAP's President based out of Philadelphia, paid us a visit making a special appearance at our annual member appreciation and membership drive picnic at Lake Boren park. His day-long visit was packfilled with meetings and phone calls including meetings with potential speakers and sponsors. Luckily for him, Seattle showed him alot of sun :).

Being President takes alot of preparation, you know, and from my witnessing of his actions, Brad's qualified. Brad's background includes attending The Hill School, an elite private boarding school in Pottstown, PA; receiving a  BA in English and Biology from Bucknell University and a Masters in Public Health from Temple University. In 1995, Brad served as a White House Intern in the Office of Presidential Personnel.

He currently works as the Director of the Southeast Philadelphia Collaborative. In addition, he works extensively with Asian community organizations on a local and national level, such as the Philadelphia Mayor’s Commission on Asian American Affairs and the National Association of Asian American Professionals (Brad is Founding President of the Philadelphia Chapter and was elected in August, 2006 as Executive Vice President of NAAAP National and National President & Chairman in August, 2008).

At the picnic, Brad spoke to our members on the benefits of being a NAAAP member and showed the bigger vision of NAAAP.  At the end of it all, it was exciting to have him here at least for a day and we wish his return soon.

Read about the event at the NAAAP Seattle Blog: http://naaap-seattle.blogspot.com/2010/07/politicians-presidents-and-butter-miso.html

Regards,
Gil Gido
NAAAP Seattle
President

The Art of Possibility

In this book on page 26, I found an anecdote on Michaelangelo. It reads, "Michaelangelo is often quoted as having said that inside every block of stone or marble dwells a beautiful statue; one need only remove the excess material to reveal the work of art within. If we were to apply this visionary concept to education (in our case leadership) ... all the energy would be focused on chipping away at the stone, getting rid of whatever is in the way of each child's developing skills, mastery and self-expression."

What it says to me that if we put in the context of leadership development, is that we're already leaders and that we have some things to get rid of as it gets in the way of mastery and self-expression.

This book is a quick read as each page provides inspiration and anecdotes to what stops each and everyone one of us from realizing our potential.

If you're looking to get inspired, then read it. I highly recommend it. Again, the book is called The Art of Possibility by Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander. And if you need more, then you can watch the YouTube speech from the 2009 World Economic forum in Davos.

Regards,
Gil Gido
NAAAP Seattle
President

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

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.

Listening

Listening is that part of communication where the message is received and understood.  Many people would say that they listen, but do they really?  It's really different than hearing. Hearing is just when the sounds enter the ear canal and make vibrations.

I've been asked a few times about the best way to listen and I've come up with really one that answers the question. It's a simple test.

You're on a plane sitting comfortably on your way to someplace adventurous and then all of a sudden the pilot comes up on the intercom system to say, "Hello, everyone. I'm sorry to inform you that the we've lost both of our engines and that we'll be making an emergency landing in the next city."  You sit at alert anticipating the next few seconds and what's to come - Yes, instructions to save your life! 

Can you see the difference this would make on your professional life? Listening to every conversation like your life depended on it?

Here are a couple more examples. You're now at a sales meeting and your client states the conditions you and your company could stand to gain their business tripling your commissions.... Or your CIO states that your company has decided to reduce headcount and that you will be impacted ... Or your CFO states that your company has exceeded their financial goals and will be handing out bonuses.

In all of these situations and others, you're required to listen. I won't go into the details of the techniques of listening, but if your life depended on it, you'd be listening.

Regards,
Gil Gido
NAAAP Seattle
President

Where are they now? Li Tan, NAAAP Seattle President 2005 - 2006

Hello, my name is Li Tan. I served on the NAAAP Seattle Board of Directors for four years: two as treasurer and two as President. During my term as President, we hosted the NAAAP National Convention. The time and effort that we put into planning and fundraising for the convention was equivalent to a full time job, but it was worth it in the end. Our co-chairs, Joneil Custodio, Janet Ung and Charles Wu did a great job of taking charge and ensuring that the convention was a huge success. By now, most of us have currently moved on to other boards. This year, I became the President of the Asian Counseling and Referral Services board (ACRS) and am serving my second term on it, and Charles (full disclosure: he is my husband) is currently the President of the International Community Health Services (ICHS) Foundation. Without the experience and relationships that I had developed while being involved with NAAAP, I don’t think that I would have the opportunities that I have today.

One of the great challenges of being involved in NAAAP is working with people from many cultural backgrounds. When I refer to culture, I am not limiting myself to ethnicity but am including work experiences, types of jobs people hold, and where we grow up. I think that all of these things contribute to who we are and how we behave. In my profession, I work with many like-minded individuals, so it was nice to be in an environment with many different types of thinkers which is what NAAAP provided. This type of environment allowed me to further develop my leadership skills and appreciate how hard work and collaboration can significantly pay off. The best example that I can use for this is the convention. We had 3 co-chairs, while Asian on the outside, came with differing perspectives. I brought these three individuals together and discussed with them their interests and strengths and used this discussion to determine what types of responsibilities and subcommittees they would lead. With this structure, we were able to meet our fundraising goals and offer two days of relevant programming to our participants and sponsors. The feedback that I received from one of the co-chairs was that she appreciated that I did not micromanage and allowed her to take the lead for her subcommittee.

As a result of my experience with NAAAP, how did I end up on the ACRS Board? One of our convention volunteers was a former Development Director for ACRS who nominated me to serve on their Board. Without the opportunities to use and further develop my leadership skills outside of my profession and the relationships that I developed, I wouldn’t have had the exposure to the Asian and Asian American community and the honor of serving on another board. I highly encourage Asians and Asian Americans to become fully engaged with NAAAP. Don’t expect that you will magically be presented with opportunities when you join. As my story shows, these opportunities were presented to me through hard work and dedication.

Regards,
Li Tan
NAAAP Seattle
President 2005 -2006