By Stacy Nguyen
Northwest Asian Weekly

Justice Steven Gonzalez was recently appointed to the Washington State Supreme Court, the state’s highest court. He is the second Latino ever to be in such a prominent position.

For the past 10 years, Gonzalez served on the bench as Superior Court Judge, appointed by former Gov. Gary Locke.

Voters retained him as judge in 2004 and 2008.

During the early 1990s, he was an assistant U.S. attorney for the Western District of Washington. He was also a domestic violence prosecutor for the City of Seattle and an associate in business law at Seattle firm Hillis Clark Martin & Peterson.

Presently, Steven chairs the Washington State Access to Justice Board and co-chairs the Race and Criminal Justice System Task Force.

He earned his bachelor’s degree in East Asian studies from Pitzer College in Claremont, Calif., and his law degree from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law.

1. Why is it important to you to contribute to your community?
Because I’m an optimist, and I think we have a responsibility to improve the world.

2. What does the word diversity mean to you and how do you foster it in your work?
Diversity means creating the ability in everyone to consider the world from someone else’s perspective. We foster it by listening carefully, respecting people, and making an effort to learn about people who are different from ourselves.

3. What was one of the biggest challenges you’ve faced in your work?
Maintaining balance between time with my family and the demands of work — and trying to make changes in the world.

4. What was one of your proudest moments in your work?
Successfully representing a client in private practice and having them say, “Thank you for your work,” receiving the [2011] Outstanding Judge of the Year Award with Judge Mary Yu (from the Washington State Bar Association). Also, receiving the [2011] Judge of the Year Award from the Asian Bar Association of Washington, and getting introduced by [Judge] Dean Lum — also a superior court judge, one of my colleagues here, and a mentor of mine. Those are the things that stand out.

5. Can you finish this sentence? “My work excites me because …”
Because we get to work on interesting problems with bright enthusiastic people, and we get to mentor students and be part of a profession with high standards.

6. If you could pick only one trait, what trait do you think is the most important for a leader?
The ability to inspire other people with a positive message.

7. If you could compare your leadership style to that of a historical figure, who would that be?
Brenda Hale. Baroness Hale [of Richmond], from England. She is an impressive scholar and leader in the legal profession in England [who] has broken the glass ceiling there for women. She’s on the country’s highest court (as a justice of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom), the only woman there.

8. If you weren’t doing what you’re doing today, what other job do you think you’d be good at?
Being a teacher. I enjoy working with students.

9. Do you have a secret talent? What is it?
It’s karaoke. … I’m not necessarily very good. I just like to do it, though other people might run from the room.
(Gonzalez was asked if he had a signature song.) La Bamba is one of my favorites.

10. If you could describe yourself in only three words, what would they be?
Family-oriented — oh, I guess that’s two words — fortunate, and diligent. (end)

Stacy Nguyen can be reached at stacy@nwasianweekly.com.

By Stacy Nguyen
Northwest Asian Weekly

In November 2010, Sharon Prill was named publisher of the Yakima Herald Republic (YHR). As publisher, Prill oversees the day-to-day operations of the Herald Republic, including those of the El Sol de Yakima, a weekly Spanish language newspaper, Yakima magazine, and several other highly-regarded niche publications.

Previously, Prill spent five years at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, where, in November 2005, she was named vice president of the interactive media and marketing departments. In 2007, Prill was promoted to senior vice president general manager of interactive media and audience development for Journal Interactive.

Prior to joining Journal Sentinel, Sharon Prill was interactive media director at the Tacoma News Tribune. She also spent nine years at The Seattle Times Company in various leadership and key roles in new media, advertising, editorial, operations, circulation, IT, human resources, finance, and marketing.

Prill hails from Honolulu and is a 1993 graduate of the University of Washington. 

1. Why is it important to you to contribute to the community?
As the publisher of a daily newspaper, you certainly have the responsibility of running the day-to-day operations of the company like any CEO, but there is the added important obligation of serving as chief steward of a public trust.
Newspapers serve a special role in all communities: as facilitators of civic engagement, watchdogs of business and government, and reporter-of-record for news and events relevant to the health and well-being of the community. It is important to me to make sure that we continue in this public service, and through my personal involvement with civic organizations big and small, make the YHR accessible and familiar to the community.

2. What does the word diversity mean to you and how do you foster it in your work?
Diversity in its simplest form means accepting and respecting each other’s differences. As a business leader, it is my job to find ways to best employ those unique traits and cultural perspectives we each have to fuel creative new approaches to a variety of business problems and opportunities. At the Yakima Herald Republic, we have worked hard to educate on the many benefits of diversity, both internally and externally. We are deliberate in our hiring practices to build a workforce reflective of the community we represent, and encourage our managers to seek candidates with non-traditional backgrounds to further our talent pool. Some of the diversity programs we put into place include in-house Spanish language training for our customer-facing employees and managers, community outreach to minority organizations, and participation of key managers on several service and nonprofit boards focused on improving the quality of life for all our valley communities.

3. What was one of the biggest challenges you’ve faced in your work?
Understanding that good work alone is not enough to move your career forward. You need to be just as strategic in managing your career as you are in managing the business.

4. What was one of your proudest moments in your work?
Feedback is so important and yet you find less of it as you move up the corporate ladder. With that said, it is so tremendous when you do hear from someone you have impacted in a positive way. One of my proudest moments came some years ago when I started to get LinkedIn recommendations from previous direct reports. I was gratified by the comments and especially gladdened to see that my coaching and emphasis on people-first, teamwork, and follow-through were lessons that made a definite impression everywhere I went.

5. Can you finish this sentence? “My work excites me because …”    
I learn something new every day and I get to work with smart, driven individuals with a shared mission.

6. If you could pick only one trait, what trait do you think is the most important for a leader?
Strong communication skills — you can have the most brilliant idea, but without the ability to effectively share it and motivate others to help you build it, it often becomes nothing more than just an idea.

7. If you could compare your leadership style to that of a historical figure, who would that be?
Theodore Roosevelt: “Speak softly and carry a big stick.”

8. If you weren’t doing what you’re doing today, what other job do you think you’d be good at?
I am passionate about my work, so it is hard for me to imagine doing anything other than what I do today. But if I were to choose another profession, it would be that of an architect. The work of an architect, much like what I love most about my current job, is all about blending art with science to build something as beautiful as it is practical and lasting.

9. Do you have a secret talent? What is it?
Packing — years of traveling with my military family have made me an expert at maximizing any space with Swiss army knife-like efficiency.

10. If you could describe yourself in only three words, what would they be?
Action-oriented, analytic. (end)

Stacy Nguyen can be reached at stacy@nwasianweekly.com.

By Stacy Nguyen
Northwest Asian Weekly

Born in Seoul, Sung Yang is the chief of staff for King County Executive Dow Constantine. In this role, Yang oversees and directs the executive’s major initiatives, the central coordination between policy, communications, and external relations, and the executive’s administrative staff and office operations.

Prior to joining the executive’s office, Yang was the chief of staff for Seattle City Light and served in senior posts for former Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels, former Gov. Gary Locke (as deputy director of a state agency), and former Seattle City Councilmember Martha Choe. Yang was an attorney prior to entering public service.

Yang earned his bachelor’s and law degrees from the University of Washington and currently serves as vice president of the Wing Luke Asian Museum Board of Trustees. He has also served on the boards of Asian Counseling Referral Service, Asian Pacific Islander Community Leadership Foundation, Northwest Asian American Theatre, and is a past president of Korean American Professional Society (now the Korean American Coalition). Yang also taught at Seattle University’s Institute of Public Service.  

1. Why is it important to you to contribute to your community?
The Asian community is part of my identity and heritage. I wouldn’t be where I am today without the network and support of family, friends, mentors, elected officials, community leaders, and activists.

2. What does the word diversity mean to you and how do you foster it in your work?
Diversity is the new paradigm. The world is rapidly changing, and power is more broadly and equitably distributed than at any other time. Achieving lasting progress may still be difficult, but more people are now “at the table” who historically had been denied. I’m fortunate to be a part of a government who renamed itself after Martin Luther King, Jr. and reflects his values, and to work for a boss who is committed to equity and social justice.

3. What was one of the biggest challenges you’ve faced in your work?
In politics, many issues — particularly the big important ones — can get polarized quickly. Getting creative in your problem solving in order to find compromise or a third way —can be incredibly challenging, but also if done right, greatly rewarding.

4. What was one of your proudest moments in your work?
Accomplishing something others had said couldn’t be done. This past summer, [King] County Executive Constantine needed a supermajority of county councilmembers to enact a $20 vehicle licensing fee in order to prevent drastic cuts to metro bus service that otherwise would have been required over the next two years. Given the political makeup of the council, most political pundits had written this effort off. But hard work, a galvanized public, a good strategy, and some interesting backroom drama helped us achieve success. This was a fun day at the office.

5. Can you finish this sentence? “My work excites me because …”
It’s the perfect job for someone with a short attention span, such as me. Also, I learn something new every day and connect with different people from all walks of life.

6. If you could pick only one trait, what trait do you think is the most important for a leader?
Vision. A leader must see the destination and the way.

7. If you could compare your leadership style to that of a historical figure, who would that be?
Jamie Moyer (former Mariners pitcher). His pitches weren’t overpowering or fast, but he still got a lot of strikeouts through cunning and pinpoint delivery.

8. If you weren’t doing what you’re doing today, what other job do you think you’d be good at?
Race car driver. I hate going slow.

9. Do you have a secret talent? What is it?
I have no talent. Why do you think I had to attend law school? Luckily, my wife [Celebrate Asia! Chair and Onvia Executive SoYoung Kwon] oozes musical talent, so hopefully my daughter [Sophie] still has a fighting chance.

10. If you could describe yourself in only three words, what would they be?
Mostly fun loving. (end)

Stacy Nguyen can be reached at stacy@nwasianweekly.com.

Dianne Chong is vice president of Assembly, Factory & Support Technology in the Boeing Engineering, Operations & Technology organization. Prior to this, she was director of Materials & Process Technology for Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

Chong was also director of Strategic Operations and Business for IDS Engineering. She has also been department head/team leader of MSE, liaison, and process control groups in Phantom Works and Integrated Defense Systems.

Chong earned her bachelor’s degrees in biology and psychology from the University of Illinois. She also earned master’s degrees in physiology and metallurgical engineering.

In 1986, Chong earned her Doctor of Philosophy in Metallurgical Engineering from the University of Illinois. She also completed the Executive Master of Manufacturing Management program at Washington University.

1. Why is it important to you to contribute to your community?
I think it’s always important for everyone to contribute to the community. When I look at any person, including myself, it’s a holistic look. … The world we live in can’t survive unless we look at the community.

2. What does the word diversity mean to you and how do you foster it in your work?
I think we need to embrace what people are. It’s more than gender, race, ethnicity. It’s about the stuff people bring to the table. Whether it’s in a team or in life, in different kinds of community service — it’s important to value what makes people unique and what they have to say.

3. What was one of the biggest challenges you’ve faced in your work?
The biggest challenge for me, and it’s not one specific event, is actually when I go to work into an area or I have to lead an area, and I don’t have the background or experience. And no one knows who I am. It’s intimidating at first, but you get over that, dealing with things you’re not used to. But it’s a nice challenge. The word challenge doesn’t have to be negative.

4. What was one of the proudest moments in your work?
I feel proudest when people tell me that I do something to help them get their job done fast. Sometimes, you know you’re doing a good job when you see things running along well. I like the personal interactions, when people let me know what they need, and I can do things to make them do their jobs better.

5. Can you finish this sentence? “My work excites me because …”
I’m very excited about my work because I get to work on some of the most exciting products that exist in the world today. When you look at the kind of commercial plans that Boeing makes … this is one of the most exciting companies to work in.
Also, I’m able to work with some of the most exciting experts in the world, who know so much more than I do. It’s very exciting to learn from them.
And, I’m happy to be able to go out to talk to students, talk to them about going into the field of engineering, because of the exciting work that I do.
I think the best thing that female leaders can do is go out and talk to young women who haven’t made up their mind about what they want to do, pre-high school even. And it’s important to transmit that sense of passion and inspire others to do this as well. It can be fun.

6. If you could pick only one trait, what trait do you think is the most important for a leader?
Integrity. I think leaders have to be open and honest and always make solid decisions, but they have to have integrity while making these decisions and leading their workforce.

7. If you could compare your leadership style to that of a historical figure, who would that be?
I would say Joan of Arc. She had the courage and conviction to do what she felt was right. She cared, too. To me, that’s what she represents. To me, you have to go forward and do things, even against all odds.

8. If you weren’t doing what you’re doing today, what other job do you think you’d be good at?
I think I would probably be in community service. And it would be a more hands-on job, helping to train and helping others directly, not necessarily managing an organization.

9. Do you have a secret talent? What is it?
I do a lot of knitting and craft work for charity. I make prayer shawls for charity, chemo caps, baby blankets — at our church — and we do other special projects, using our knitting skills.

10. If you could describe yourself in only three words, what would they be?
Caring. Courageous. Conviction. The three Cs. (end)

Stacy Nguyen can be reached at stacy@nwasianweekly.com.

Dr. Paul Killpatrick is president of Seattle Central Community College and vice chancellor for district-wide student services for Seattle Community Colleges.

Previously, he was president of Lake Tahoe Community College in California and president of Great Basin Community College in Nevada.

At Mt. Hood Community College in Gresham, Ore., he served as vice president of instructional support and community development and as vice president of instruction. Earlier, he served as dean for Professional and Career Education and dean for Instructional Support and Special Populations at Yakima Valley Community College in Yakima. He also held administrative and faculty positions at Chemeketa Community College in Salem, Ore.

Killpatrick holds a doctorate in postsecondary education from Oregon State University, a master’s degree in counseling from Western Oregon State University, and a bachelor’s degree in social studies from Oregon State University.

1. Why is it important to you to contribute to your community?
Part of the reason is because community is a part of our name (Seattle Central Community College). I’ve been in colleges where they’ve dropped the community once they added the baccalaureate degree. But I believe that community is an important mission of the college.

2. What does the word diversity mean to you and how do you foster it in your work?
To me, it means that the people in power at Seattle Central should reflect the face of the community. We should represent the community that we happen to be in. How do we foster this? By hiring the best and the brightest people who have a passion for what they do, who want to be a part of a community college.

3. What was one of the biggest challenges you’ve faced in your work?
Budget cuts. Making hard decisions. Closing programs. Those are never, never easy decisions to make. When faced with reality, as president of the college, you have to make those decisions. We’ve held forums about this. I have a cabinet that is very instrumental in helping me make decisions. … I’m surrounded by very smart people.
But the decision is ultimately mine.

4. What was one of your proudest moments in your work?
Oh, this question is an easy one. [My proudest moment was] last September, when the college hosted Stand Down.
Stand Down is a military term that means, after soldiers have engaged in a battle situation, you stand back — stand down — to regroup and refresh.
(This idea has been adopted for homeless veterans, to provide a safe retreat for them to take care of personal hygiene, regroup, and refresh.)
I saw a special [about the Stand Down for homeless veterans program] on “60 Minutes.” They had a stand down in San Diego. It was a three-day event, people were camped out in tents. About [1,000] people came out …
I thought, “We’ve gotta have that in Seattle.” I found out that they’ve had events in Yakima, Tacoma, maybe Everett. We had started a vets club [at Seattle Central].  And [former student] Sam Barrett was the vet club president, and became a leader in Stand Down.
I asked Sam, “Can we do this?”
He said, “Yes. Let’s make it happen.”
We served about 290 homeless vets that day. Our students and faculty were all involved. (In total, about 60 organizations and agencies were involved.) Students from cosmetology gave haircuts to these veterans, for instance. …
As president, that was the proudest moment, just watching the students be so involved. Watching them give haircuts and wash the veterans’ feet — it was almost biblical.

5. Can you finish this sentence? “My work excites me because …”
Because we touch the future.  I know. I’ve seen that sort of statement on coffee mugs. “Teachers touch the future.” But I really think it’s true.  Education touches the future. We give people hope. We give them dreams. We help their dreams come true.
Being a first-generation college graduate myself, I’m always impressed with students who are the first in their family to go somewhere they haven’t gone before.
I only went to high school for three months. (Killpatrick grew up in South Central Los Angeles.)  I dropped out. After some time, I entered Job Corps in Oregon, which eventually put me back on the right path. (Killpatrick enrolled at Oregon State University at age 17.)
I hope that students see what I have gone through, and I hope they say to themselves, “Gee, if you can be a dropout and then go to Job Corps and eventually become a college president, then maybe I can do something like that, too.”

6. If you could pick only one trait, what trait do you think is the most important for a leader?
To lead a balanced life. You gotta have your priorities in the right order. It’s good to have a spouse or partner to give you a different perspective.
This is my third presidency, and a really interesting piece of advice someone once gave me is, “Get a dog.” (Killpatrick has a dog.) You need to get a dog, so that there’s someone home who’s always happy to see you. A dog won’t care about the stresses of your day, or what you had to do at work. A dog is just supportive and loves you no matter what. If you’re gonna be in a stressful position, get a dog.
It’s funny. I was talking to Jean Hernandez (president of Edmonds Community College) about this. And she said, “Hey! I have two dogs.”

7. If you could compare your leadership style to that of a historical figure, who would that be?
Mother Theresa. And that’s actually not me trying to come up with a funny response.
She had a lot of doubt in whether what she believed in was true. I was reading something about her [in a magazine] a few years after her death. What struck me was how she doubted herself, wondering whether she was the kind of person who could carry the load she was carrying.
I thought, “Wow. She is so human.”
Even someone who had all the faith and confidence in the world — she also had doubts.
Sometimes, I have doubts, too.
But she was still able to do her job, even with those doubts.

8. If you weren’t doing what you’re doing today, what other job do you think you’d be good at?
I think I would be a great physician. I had a chance to serve on a hospital board. I was the chair. I had a chance to work hand-in-hand with physicians.
I thought, “Man, this would be a great job to come to every day.” Being a physician in the medical field, there’s a whole different vocabulary. I thought, “Man, how exciting.”

9. Do you have a secret talent? What is it?
I play the harmonica. I’m really into the blues. I’ve been into the blues a long time. I’ve gone to the [Portland] Oregon [Waterfront] Blues Festival every year for the last 10 or 15 years.

10. If you could describe yourself in only three words, what would they be?
Tall, dark, and handsome. (end)

Stacy Nguyen can be reached at stacy@nwasianweekly.com.

Sue Anderson is CenturyLink’s vice president and general manager (VP/GM) for the Seattle Metro area. Prior to being named VP/GM, she oversaw Network Operations in Washington for Qwest, predecessor to CenturyLink, for 16 years.

Throughout 2011, Anderson has led by example and has leveraged community participation as a bridge for increasing employee morale and engagement. This year alone, she led 270 employees as “team captain Sue Anderson” in the Komen Race for the Cure, walked with EAGLE (Employee Association of Gays and Lesbians) employees at the AIDSWALK in September, and pulled weeds at the Arboretum on Earth Day with the CenturyLink Pioneers group. Most recently, in CenturyLink’s annual United Way campaign, Anderson and her team went on a tour with a trike and challenged employees to race at CenturyLink garage locations.

Anderson earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington and a master’s degree from Seattle Pacific University.

1. Why is it important to you to contribute to your community?
It is important to be a good steward of the community. In order to build a strong, sustainable community, we need volunteers that can contribute their time to help others improve their lives.
Individuals have opportunities to give back to their community in so many ways, whether that is through helping those battling serious illnesses, [those that are] homeless, or [those that] are just down on their luck and need support.
“Great opportunities to help others seldom come, but small ones surround us every day,” [a quote from] Sally Koch.

2. What does the word diversity mean to you and how do you foster it in your work?
In my eyes, diversity translates to talent. Diversity allows me to bring people together from different backgrounds, ethnicities, and life experiences — and with that comes unique ideas and suggestions.
I have been very fortunate to recently create a new team in Seattle that possesses a diverse backdrop that includes women and men from different backgrounds, ethnicities, and age groups. I want to have the advantage of those varied perspectives on my team as we determine what products and services to offer and how to package and advertise them to our customers. Bringing this team together often creates very lively and spirited conversations that come up with new and innovative ways to create new solutions and suggestions for improving our business.

3. What was one of the biggest challenges you’ve faced in your work?
One of the biggest challenges that I have faced at work is managing a workforce that has many more years of service and experience than my own.  I have had to demonstrate my leadership skills and gain a vast amount of technical knowledge in order to gain the trust and support of my teams.

4. What was one of your proudest moments in your work?
One of my proudest moments at work has been watching an employee that I have mentored become promoted into a higher level of management.  It makes me proud to know that I was able to dedicate my time to help someone else reach their goals.

5. Can you finish this sentence? “My work excites me because …”
My work excites me because I get to work with wonderful employees each day that want to provide the best customer experience possible. I get to work in a beautiful community and feel that my employees really want to make a difference in the community that we serve.

6. If you could pick only one trait, what trait do you think is the most important for a leader?
I think the most important trait of a leader is perseverance.
A great leader will have a vision and will ultimately have hills and challenges they must overcome in order to reach that vision. A great leader will continue to persevere even when times are challenging in order to reach their goal. A strong leader will have to encourage and empower their team members to persevere as well and continue to paint the picture of the end goal.

7. If you could compare your leadership style to that of a historical figure, who would that be?
Princess Diana, the “people’s princess.” Princess Diana was very empathetic and very dedicated to stewardship. She was committed to the growth of people and building community. She empowered her followers by enhancing their perceptions of self-efficacy and their confidence in their ability to overcome obstacles by using verbal persuasion and by functioning as a role model. Her legacy continues to live through her children, who are very dedicated to stewardship and building up communities.
In my role at CenturyLink, I try to be very empathetic to my fellow employees, as well as those in our community. I try to bring awareness to the issues beyond CenturyLink, but also issues that affect the communities in which we live and serve.

8. If you weren’t doing what you’re doing today, what other job do you think you’d be good at?
I have a natural tendency to want to teach others. I think that I would be good at teaching because I enjoy seeing people connect the dots and understand the concepts they are trying to learn.

9. Do you have a secret talent? What is it?
Card making. I really enjoy making my own personalized greeting cards. I enjoy the opportunity to be creative and produce something very unique and heartfelt for my friends and family.

10. If you could describe yourself in only three words, what would they be?
I would describe myself as caring, patient, faithful. (end)

Stacy Nguyen can be reached at stacy@nwasianweekly.com.

Patrick Yalung, a Filipino American, is the president of Wells Fargo of the Northwest. He oversees about 130 branches and 1,500 employees.

Yalung joined Wells Fargo in 1983. Previously, he was the regional president for Wells Fargo in Greater Arizona. He is a member of the National Board of Advisors for the University of Arizona Eller College of Business and Public Administration, the Pacific Coast Banking School Administrative Board, and the Washington Bankers Association Board of Directors.

Yalung is also the national spokesperson for Wells Fargo Asian Business Services. As spokesperson, he works with key national organizations to support continued growth of the Asian business community.

Yalung earned his Bachelor of Science at the University of Arizona in Tucson. He also earned a graduate degree from the Pacific Coast Banking School, based out of the University of Washington.

1. Why is it important to you to contribute to your community?
We all have a responsibility to give back, and when we do that, we create a better place to live, work, and raise our families. As a result, we end up with stronger communities.

2. What does the word diversity mean to you and how do you foster it in your work?
The word diversity means valuing individual differences and perspectives. The way I foster it in my work is by modeling the behavior that I expect from my leaders: promoting diversity and inclusiveness; attracting, placing, and retaining a diverse workforce; and seeking out diverse viewpoints.

3. What was one of the biggest challenges you’ve faced in your work?
The current challenges facing our industry are some of the biggest in my career. Yet, they are also some of our industry’s biggest opportunities. Our opportunities include listening to our customers, learning from their feedback, and developing new technologies to address those changes.

4. What was one of your proudest moments in your work?
There isn’t just one. They happen every time I get a message from a team member or a customer who said, “You made a difference.”
When a customer writes to thank us for helping them get into their first house or who we helped refinance to save for a future need — or when a team member says that I helped them with their career growth or helped them create a better work/life balance. Those are the proudest moments in my work.

5. Can you finish this sentence? “My work excites me because …”
I get excited about the team members and customers that I get to work with every day. My work excites me because we are making a difference in the lives of our customers.

6. If you could pick only one trait, what trait do you think is the most important for a leader?
Courage. Leaders are put in positions every day where they are making tough decisions that are not always favorable, and leaders need to have the courage to do that.

7. If you could compare your leadership style to that of a historical figure, who would that be?
I aspire to be the kind of leader that Ernest Shackleton was. In the early 1900s, Shackleton led a trip to the Antarctic with the ship Endurance, planning to cross Antarctica via the South Pole. The Endurance became trapped in ice, and through Shackleton’s leadership, the entire crew survived after he developed a plan to get help. Through his leadership and courage, his team overcame every obstacle and every challenge. The leadership characteristics that Shackleton demonstrated — curiosity, courage, optimism — are the ones that I desire in my leadership.

8. If you weren’t doing what you’re doing today, what other job do you think you’d be good at?
I would love to be a swim coach. As a leader, a big part of my job is coaching, so being a swim coach is tied to what I love about my current job, joined with a sport that I love.

9. Do you have a secret talent? What is it?
I don’t think I have a secret talent.

10. If you could describe yourself in only three words, what would they be?
Curious, honest, and optimistic. (end)

Stacy Nguyen can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

Sherri Wade is the vice president of operations at State Farm Pacific Northwest, headquartered in DuPont, Wash.

Wade joined State Farm in 1993 as an auto operations underwriter in the Northeast zone. There, she was named office underwriting supervisor. In 1998, she moved to corporate as a training analyst and later became a management planning and information (MP&I) analyst. She relocated to Maryland as MP&I manager in 2000, becoming an ACC section manager in 2003.

In 2004, Sherri moved to California as an auto operations manager. She became a director in corporate P&C underwriting in 2007. Sherri was selected as an executive assistant in 2009 and served in that position at the corporate headquarters in Bloomington, Ill., until 2010 when she was selected for her current position as vice president of operations.

Sherri earned a bachelor’s degree from Howard University, where she majored in insurance with a concentration in actuarial science.

1. Why is it important to you to contribute to your community?
I believe to whom much is given, much is expected. I think of my two young children (Zion and Zayden, with husband Joel), who will have children of their own one day. Their well-being depends upon the health of the community. And in this day and age, our communities are more interconnected than ever. It’s our responsibility to ensure that we foster an environment that promotes a diverse, intellectual society.

2. What does the word diversity mean to you and how do you foster it in your work?
Diversity is the inclusion of individuals with distinct backgrounds, beliefs, and thought processes utilized to the collective good of a community. Diversity is not just about having different viewpoints represented. It’s also about encouraging all aspects of a conversation to voice their unique insights. I believe in creating safe spaces to allow individuals to bring their entire selves to the table. I create opportunities to get to know people, so I lead in a way that I can demonstrate I value who they are and how they contribute in unique ways.

3. What was one of your biggest challenges you’ve faced in your work?
My biggest challenge was finding my voice. Growing up in a family with strong faith and a humble background, I tend to be very respectful of the thoughts of others and prefer to let the work I do speak for me.

This has been a challenge for me. I have realized two things: I need to continue to ensure I get my voice in the room by sharing my thoughts, and I have to share my story in a way where people see how I contribute.

4. What was one of the proudest moments in your work?
My proudest moments usually come from helping others succeed. I was moved to a leadership position where I had no technical expertise. I was able to partner with my peer to deliver results within the department within a year that, at times, the people didn’t think they could accomplish. The moments where those you lead accomplish more than they could imagine and are better because you were there are magical.

5. Can you finish this sentence? “My work excites me because …”
I know what I do matters to the lives of those I lead and to the community as a whole. I work in an organization that truly cares about the best interest of our customers. Our mission states that we want to help people recover from the unexpected and realize their dreams, and seeing that put into action is one of the best things anyone can ask for.

6. If you could pick only one trait, what trait do you think is the most important for a leader?
I would say vision, with the additional caveat of including the ability to communicate that vision. As leaders, we have to have ability to see where the organization needs to go and get there to exceed customers’ expectations. We have to communicate our vision in a way that people can translate it into their everyday behaviors.

7. If you could compare your leadership style to that of a historical figure, who would that be?
I would say someone not so historical — [my father] James Lee Evans Jr. He taught me to remain humble, never give up, stay in control, care about those you lead, and put the greater good ahead of my personal good.

8. If you weren’t doing what you’re doing today, what other job do you think you’d be good at?
I would be a teacher. I believe there is nothing more important to our future than taking care of our children. I would spend my time building their love for knowledge. With my children, seeing them learn and really approach the world with a sense of wonder is so refreshing. It really does inspire me to be a better person.

9. Do you have a secret talent? What is it?
I have the ability to see the world through the eyes of others. As I make decisions and implement them, I consider how others would view it and adjust the way I implement based on this understanding. I have to admit, this is much easier at work than at home.

10. If you could describe yourself in only three words, what would they be?
Caring, focused, humble. (end)

Stacy Nguyen can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

Paul Ishii

Paul Ishii is president-elect of the Rotary Club of Seattle. With about 675 members, it’s the largest rotary club internationally, and it is the fourth oldest.

Ishii is a Federal Way resident and currently general manager of the Mayflower Park Hotel in Seattle, a position he has held since 1998. He has more than 25 years of experience in hotel-industry management throughout the country and internationally.

Ishii is a member of the board of directors of InvestED, a nonprofit organization that provides money to thousands of needy secondary-school students for specific necessities,and to help them get more involved in school activities.

Ishii is also serving a term on the Washington Higher Education Coordinating Board, which is a 10-member citizen board that provides strategic planning, coordination, monitoring, and policy analysis for higher education in Washington. It also administers state and federal student financial aid and other education services.

Ishii earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from Washington State University in 1981.

1. Why is it important to you to contribute to your community?
Because what goes around comes around.

2. What does the word diversity mean to you and how do you foster it in your work?
It can be costly to be narrow-minded. Ignorance is bliss, [but] diversity opens up [new] perspectives on your community and yourself. In an ideal world, it should happen naturally — one should not have to ‘plan’ diversity — it should be natural.

3. What was one of the biggest challenges you’ve faced in your work?
Reporting an activity that was unethical … knowing it was my boss … and knowing I would be fired if I did.

4. What was one of your proudest moments in your work?
Not was — is — it is my staff.

5. Can you finish this sentence? “My work excites me because …”
I like the people I work with. It sounds simple, but is hard to realize.

6. If you could pick only one trait, what trait do you think is the most important for a leader?
That trait would be the ability to lead by example.

7. If you could compare your leadership style to that of a historical figure, who would that be?
Why [make a comparison]?

8. If you weren’t doing what you’re doing today, what other job do you think you’d be good at?
Working for the National Geographic Society on assignment.

9. Do you have a secret talent? What is it?
I do not have secrets. They only get you in trouble.

10. If you could describe yourself in only three words, what would they be?
H20, carbon, and energy. (end)

(After answering the 10 questions, Ishii wryly admitted, “I am not long winded.”)

Stacy Nguyen can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

Mark Mitsui

By Stacy Nguyen
Northwest Asian Weekly

Mark Mitsui became the 12th president of North Seattle Community College (NSCC) in July 2010.

He also serves as vice chancellor of student success for the Seattle Community College District and was recently appointed board chair of the new Asian Pacific Islander American Association of Colleges and Universities.

Mitsui came to NSCC from South Seattle Community College (SSCC), where he served as vice president of student services and led a team that secured a $2.4 million Department of Education grant and designation for the college as one of a nationally select group of Asian American, Native American, and Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs).

Prior to SSCC, Mitsui served in leadership roles at Green River and North Seattle community colleges.

Mitsui is a doctoral student in educational leadership and policy studies at the University of Washington, where he also earned his master’s degree in the same field. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Western Washington University.

1. Why is it important to you to contribute to your community?
Well, it’s always important to support your community to help build your community. For the Asian/Pacific Islander community, it also means doing what I can, in my own way, to support it. My mom used to say, “Always remember where you came from.”

2.  What does the word diversity mean to you and how do you foster it in your work?
To me, it means strength. I really believe that diversity is our strength — nationally, locally, and within the community colleges here in Seattle. South Seattle Community College is one of the most diverse in the state. But also, North Seattle is becoming very diverse. Now, we are close to 40 percent students of color.
Fostering diversity at work entails capacity building … [Among our programs,] we have an internship program with the University of Washington Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity. Graduate students of color are interning in the classrooms at North Seattle Community College as a way to gain experience — they work with mentors and get a taste of what it’s like to teach at community colleges.

3. What was one of the biggest challenges you’ve faced in your work?
It’s been the budget, of course. The state budget, declining the way that it has — it’s been a challenge to focus on the future, while also focusing on the present.

4. What was one of your proudest moments in your work?
I was very impressed with how the college community addressed the budget last year, very proud of my college and the work that they did. Our state budget was reduced by $2 million. The college and I developed a set of strategies, or toolkits, to use to balance the budget at a much lower level, while working on addressing and maintaining our ability to fulfill our mission and prepare for the future.
We [also] worked to maintain our state funding. I think it had an impact because our State Need grant (which helps the state’s lowest-income undergraduates pursue degrees) was restored, and a portion of the Work Study was restored. Worker Training was partially restored. All were slated for elimination.
The other moment I’m proud of was when South Seattle Community College was awarded the AANAPISI grant [in 2008]. (Mitsui was vice president of student services at SSCC at that time.)

5. Can you finish this sentence? “My work excites me because …”
I believe I can have an impact or help make a change.

6. If you could pick only one trait, what trait do you think is the most important for a leader?
Integrity.

7. If you could compare your leadership style to that of a historical figure, who would that be?
Well, (Mitsui laughed) I’m not sure he would appreciate being called historical, but Robert Underwood, the president of the University of Guam and also the originator of the AANAPISI legislation. … I respect him a lot.

8. If you weren’t doing what you’re doing today, what other job do you think you’d be good at?
I would be teaching.
It almost wouldn’t matter what [I’d teach] … [but] I would probably be teaching health and wellness. Anatomy, for example, was one of the subjects I taught at Renton Technical College.

9. Do you have a secret talent? What is it?
Judo. … I’m the world’s oldest brown belt.

10. If you could describe yourself in only three words, what would they be?
Creative. Persistent. And hopeful. (end)

Stacy Nguyen can be reached at stacy@nwasianweekly.com.