Dear LT Community:

It is a new year, rich with possibilities. Rather than being discouraged, I am more resolved to move forward with courage and hope. 

As Eric Liu, CEO of Citizen University, often remarks, there are reasons for all of us to be afraid right now – and yet – we can choose to commit to each other and to the belief that together we can create something better than what is. This isn’t about being in denial or excessively optimistic, it is about moving forward together to “practice power, cultivate character, repair trust, and reawaken a sense of responsibility to and for one another.” 

I see this practice of working together to create something better in the alumni stories below, in the conversations we are having at LT events, in the LT’22 class Challenge Day summaries, and in the Grapevine news about our alumni.

Together, we can create a more resilient and equitable region where people from all communities and identities thrive. Thank you for the role you play in making that happen.

In community,

Sue Bennett, LT'94

We asked three LT alumni who are Executive Directors at regional food banks to reflect on what they do, why it matters, and how LT impacted their work. Read their stories below.

Nearly 20 years ago, I was trusted to lead University District Food Bank. While our work today looks so very different from when I started as director in 2003, my principal motivation for doing the work – a belief that access to healthy, culturally familiar food is a right for us all – remains at the center of my engagement. Our food access programming is grounded firmly in the notion that to realize food justice we must undo our racist food system and create opportunities that center our customer community. To that end, our varied programs focus on reducing and eliminating barriers to access, preserving and promoting choice and dignity for all our customers, building connections to community resources that improve economic opportunity, and advocating for policies that undo the impact of decades of structural oppression. 

My time in LT helped me become braver as a leader. While I recognized the inequities in our community before participating in the LT program, through LT I learned from my peers how to use my voice and position to challenge those inequities and to build a collective will to take action and make positive lasting change. I recognize how many in our community share these same values; it’s our work as a food bank to put these values into action to deliver true change in our community. 

As the Executive Director of Rainier Valley Food Bank, the busiest food bank in the Seattle area, I work to develop new and existing programs so we can continue to meet the needs of the ever-expanding food insecure population in Seattle. One of our current projects is to raise funds to develop our recently acquired, larger property so we can better serve our community.

 

Leadership Tomorrow taught me that regional issues are often interrelated and tied to matters of racial equality, which fits the pattern we saw during the pandemic when food insecurity in King County nearly doubled in 2020 after implementing strategies to slow the spread of COVID-19. In our community, nearly 75% of the people are first-generation immigrants and people of color. In the zip code where our food bank is located, approximately 11% or 82,000 people live in poverty. Residents of South Seattle also face greater challenges to housing, employment, and education, as compared to residents elsewhere in Seattle.

 

It is because of this that Rainier Valley Food Bank views itself not just as a food bank but as a social justice organization. We use food as a way to empower our community and transform local infrastructure so everyone gets fed. I am grateful for the training and perspective Leadership Tomorrow gave me, as it has helped me lead an organization that believes to end hunger, we need to change the systems of power and privilege that lead to inequity and injustice.

Ballard Food Bank just opened our new home to the public. This is the first building we have ever owned, and it houses our grocery-style food bank, community resource hub for our wrap-around services and providers, as well as our Kindness Café where we serve hot, ready-to-eat meals. In this new, bigger home, people share with me how welcome and valued they feel—they are met with dignity and respect.

The hum and laughter of the space is tangible; it’s clear our home does more than distribute food. Everything we do is centered around hope, community, and belonging. Our staff and volunteers match this; they forge connections with clients and one another. We are neighbors helping neighbors.

Ballard Food Bank is responding to growing needs in our community. Our visits and home deliveries are twice that of pre-pandemic numbers. We know wellbeing looks different for everyone, but being able to put food on the table, and access healthcare and housing, adds a layer of stability to people’s lives that cannot be overstated. We must make these resources easily accessible.

Through Leadership Tomorrow, I was really inspired by this idea of servant leadership and that you are there to serve community. I firmly believe in the idea that the problems in our city cannot be solved by nonprofits alone. We need the nonprofit, business, and government sectors working together to inspire policy change and equity. Leadership Tomorrow created the opportunity for these sectors to gather and understand each other. This is very important as we look at the challenges that the city is facing with empathy and compassion. 

Members of the LT Class of 2016 recently gathered via Zoom for an LT reunion. If you would like to organize a class reunion, please email Rebeca and she will provide your class email list. If you have recently met with your classmates, let us know! We always like to hear how alumni continue to stay connected with each other.

To get real-time information about what's happening at LT and connect with other alumni, make sure to follow us on LinkedIn. We also encourage you to add your LT experience to your LinkedIn profile. It takes less than five minutes to update your LinkedIn profile, and it's a great way to help alumni connect with each other and spread the word about LT! Instructions for adding LT to your LinkedIn profile can be found HERE.

The LT Alumni Database is a powerful resource that lets you access our community of nearly 2,400 leaders, be recruited for volunteer and professional opportunities, and foster connections with alumni who have shared interests. If you already created a login and password for the Alumni Database, you can log in HERE. If you need to set up your profile, find instructions to create your login and set up your profile HERE.

If you have questions about the LT Alumni Database or need help setting up your profile, email Rebeca.

We have an exciting lineup of alumni events scheduled for this winter! Our events and programs are designed to help alumni build their regional knowledge, enhance leadership skills and strategies, and foster community and connections.

Learn more and register HERE.

Learn more and register HERE.

Learn more HERE. Registration will open soon.

Learn more HERE. Registration will open soon.

Learn more HERE. Registration will open soon.

Learn more HERE. Registration will open soon.

Bell Harbor Conference Center & Online - Save the Date!

Read the updates below to see how folks in our community are growing in their careers and fostering changes needed to make our region more equitable and resilient. If you have an update (career changes, appointments, new family arrivals, etc.) you would like to share with the LT community, email Megan.

1985: Millie Russell recently passed away. Read about her legacy and impact in the community HERE.

2002: Michelle Sarju was elected to the Seattle Public Schools Board, District 5. Learn more about Michelle and her work HERE.

2007: Gloria Hatcher-Mays and Jon Scholes were named among the top 100 most influential people of 2021 by Seattle Magazine. Read the article HERE.

2009: Sven Peterson has started teaching Ethical Leadership in the MBA program at the Foster School of Business, University of Washington.

2010: Josh Gaul was promoted to Managing Director, Corporate Counsel, Corporate & Securities, at Starbucks Coffee Company.

2012: Selena Rushton is using her voice to create more awareness around cervical cancer and HPV. Read her story HERE.

2013: Tania Tam Park has accepted a new position with the Port of Seattle as their EDI System Change Program Manager.

2015: Gilbert Archuleta was promoted to Director, Customer Energy Management at Puget Sound Energy.

2015: Eddie Lincoln was named one of the four co-chairs that will lead Seattle Mayor-elect Bruce Harrell's transition efforts.

2016: Ryan Calkins was reelected to Port of Seattle Commission, Position 1.

2016: Jamila Conley was recognized in the Puget Sound Business Journal for her leadership to ensure F5's acquisitions are successful. Read the article HERE.

2016: Peter Fuerbringer was promoted to Small Business Permit Liaison at City of Seattle.

2016: Travis Harth has accepted a new role as Director of Special Projects at Sellen.

2016: Jamie Herlich was promoted to Chief of Advancement Officer at Seattle Repertory Theatre.

2016: Nicey Hilton has accepted a new position as Director, Health System Delivery at Sema4.

2016: Mark Iverson has started a new position as Senior Technical Writer at Google.

2016: Xiao Wang was featured on the Geekwire Podcast, discussing how the pandemic, politics, labor shortages, and the rise of remote work are impacting U.S. immigration in the tech industry and beyond. Listen to the podcast HERE.

2017: Liz Moisan started a new position as Senior Process Improvement Consultant at Providence.

2017: Todd Wilson was promoted to Divisional Vice President, Ecommerce and Mobile Technology.

2019 and 2021: Girmay Zahilay, LT'19, and Sam Cho, LT'21, were named among the top 100 most influential people in Seattle by the Seattle Met. Read the article HERE.

2019: Kaila Davis Nsimbi was named Associate Executive Director of Rainier Scholars.

2019: Sielen Namdar was promoted to Industry Executive | Global Sustainability Lead for Industries at Cisco.

2019: Sofia Voz has accepted a new position as Senior Program Manager, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Zulily.

2019: Girmay Zahilay recently shared his office's top 21 accomplishments in 2021. Read about his work HERE.

2020: Eric Berlinberg was promoted to Senior Manager, Program Management Office, Amazon Prime Air.

2020: Nykeesha Griffin was promoted to Global Diversity & Inclusion US & Canada Geography Leader at Microsoft.

2021: Paul Heer was promoted to Principal at Foster Garvey.

2021: Sara Lazkani was promoted to Public Policy and Community Engagement Manager, State & Local at Meta.

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