Compiled by Andrew Kim
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
The Women of Color Empowered is proud to honor women in the Pacific Northwest who have made significant contributions to our communities.
We are honored to present the nominees for “Women and Money” at the China Harbor Restaurant, Seattle, Sept.18:
Fawn Sharp
Fawn Sharp is the President of the Quinault Indian Nation, serving since 2006. She is an attorney with an academic background in Criminal Justice who also holds an advanced certificate in International Human Rights Law from Oxford University. Ms. Sharp formerly served as Managing Attorney and Lead Counsel for the Quinault government as well as Associate Judge and Administrative Law Judge for the Washington State Department of Revenue Tax Appeals Division.
Lacie West
Lacie West is the Area Development Director for the United Negro College Fund (UNCF). As the Area Development Director, Lacie is responsible for all fundraising and outreach efforts in the Pacific Northwest Region. The UNCF Pacific NW office has raised nearly $2 million dollars and supported over 3,000 local UNCF students and scholarship recipients. Lacie is a University of Washington graduate and has been heavily involved in several local community organizations including serving on the Board of Directors for the Accounting Career Awareness Program (ACAP) and the Mercer Island Youth and Family Services.
Carmen Gayton
Carmen Gayton is a realtor in Seattle who continues to make incredible contributions to the Seattle community. Carmen was appointed by Governor Inslee to the Seattle Colleges Board and is currently board chair. She also serves as Gala and Auction Co-Chair for the Achievement Rewards for College Scientists (ARCS) Foundation, Inc. Her past board memberships include YWCA, PONCHO (Patrons of Northwest Civic, Cultural and Charitable Organizations), and The Lakeside Board and Northern Trust. In 2014, Carmen was presented with the Dorothy Stimson Bullitt Community Service Award by the Junior League of Seattle.
Barbara Banon
Barbara Banon is an Associate Vice President and Financial Advisor at Morgan Stanley. With over 20 years in the financial services industry, she is a seasoned professional that brings years of experience and knowledge in managing assets as well as providing guidance that helps clients preserve and grow wealth. Ms. Banon is currently involved with Invest in Youth as an afterschool tutor, and as a board member of the Washington Rhinestone Club, an organization that provides mentoring, cultural experiences, and college scholarships for young women. She is also an active member of the Historic 1ST A.M.E. Church in Seattle and has roles in the Stewardess Board as well as the Aids Care Team Ministry.
Marinilka B. Kimbro
Professor Marinilka B. Kimbro received her PhD in Accounting from the University of Maryland in College Park and has held research appointments at numerous academic institutions. In addition, her research has been recognized by publications such as the Wall Street Journal, Roosevelt Institute, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Dr. Kimbro is currently a Director of the WSCPA’s and she has been actively involved in executive training at WSCPA, SFC Hong Kong, and Goldman Sachs Asia among others. She has received numerous teaching awards and her students rave about her passion and ability to “bring real-world contemporary issues to the classroom” and by making accounting “relevant, intellectually challenging and fun”.
Chrissy Yamada
Chrissy Yamada is currently Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for EvergreenHealth. She is responsible for directing EvergreenHealth’s fiscal and facility construction operations. Yamada earned her Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from Central Washington University, and has been a Certified Public Accountant since 1985. She is a member of several national and state organizations, including the Healthcare Financial Management Association, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Washington Society of Certified Public Accountants. She serves as a board member for the King County Project Access and Hospital Shared Services Association. Chrissy was also recognized as one of the Puget Sound Business Journal’s 2015 CFOs of the Year, being honored as one of the “financial super-strategists of Washington companies and organizations.”
Patricia Edmond-Quinn
Patricia is currently the Chief Clinical Officer at Therapeutic Health Services. As the Chief Clinical Officer, Patricia provides administrative oversight to Therapeutic Health Services psychiatric and medical departments and has responsibilities for achieving and maintaining the agency’s accreditation with CARF International. She is a native
of the Pacific Northwest where she attended the University of Puget Sound and received her undergraduate degree in Psychology and Business Administration. She also attended Antioch University where she earned her graduate degree in Education. She began her career in business and has worked for major corporations such as New York Life, Allstate Insurance, and Reliance Insurance. Patricia has been involved with various community programs such as the First Hill Improvement Association where she served as a board member and has actively directed an inner city youth golf program in Seattle.
Rosario Carroll
Rosario Carroll was born and raised in Lima, Peru. She started her banking career in 1984 at the Greens Family Peoples Bank, two years after she immigrated to the United States. Peoples Bank was later acquired by US Bank where she had the opportunity to be part of their credit-training program. In 2006, she was recruited to Plaza Bank as a Commercial Relationship Manger as one of Plaza Bank’s founding employees. She later became the Senior Lending Officer in 2011 and at the beginning of 2015, due to the introduction of an initiative she developed, became their Director of Diversity Banking. Rosario has devoted many years volunteering in the Hispanic Community advocating financial education. Her efforts in the community were recognized when she was awarded the 2014 Small Business Administration Financial Services Champion of the Year award.
Debby Killinger
Debby Killinger was born in Des Moines, Iowa, but her lifetime of service has not been isolated to Iowa. She has supported scholarships for Morehouse College, Washington State University (WSU), Bellevue College, Bellevue Lifespring, North High School (Des Moines, Iowa) At WSU she supported scholarships for first generation students, single parents, Future Cougars of Color, all in the college of education. At Bellevue College she supported scholarships for first generation students, single parents and veterans.
She is also active in the Seattle community, where she contributes to the Wing Luke Museum, the Seattle Men’s/Women’s Chorus, Bailey Boushay, Seattle Rep, ArtsFund, Washington Women’s Foundation, and the Holocaust Center for Humanity.
Meredith Parker
Meredith Parker is an enrolled member of the Makah Tribe and lives in Neah Bay. She worked for 25 years in the forestry sector and retired after serving 13 years as CEO of the Makah Forestry Enterprise. She now serves as General Manager at Makah providing administrative, programmatic, and operational supervision to all tribal departments, programs, activities, and business enterprises. She is very actively involved in her community serving as the President to the Makah Cultural and Research Center, President of the Neah Bay Chamber of Commerce, and Vice-President at the Potlatch Fund. She has a passion for photography and captures the moments in history that take place at Makah and west coast potlatches and other cultural occasions like the annual canoe journeys and Makah Days. Her images have been featured in a number of regional, nationa,l and international exhibits.
Rakhi Samant
Rakhi Samant is a District Manager for Wells Fargo Bank who oversees nine banking locations and approximately 100 team members in the North Puget Sound area. Rakhi moved to the U.S. in her mid-twenties from Bombay, India. Two years ago, she joined the board of directors for the Red Cross of Snohomish County and immediately made an impact by volunteering her time in call centers during the Oso mudslides and also spent countless personal hours reaching out and thanking donors. Her dedication immediately shined through to the Red Cross and this past year, she was elected to the executive board. She is a strong leader who inspires those around her.
Me-Ling Woo
Mei-Ling started her State Farm career as an agent in 2006 in Redmond, WA. She quickly became a “who’s who” among her peers. In ten years, Mei-Ling qualified for nearly every State Farm award, including those for excellence in life insurance and mutual funds. She was also an aspirant for the Million Dollar Round Table – an international, independent association that represents the world’s best sales professionals in the life insurance-based, financial services industry.
Prior to joining State Farm, Mei-Ling earned a Master of Science worked as a biotechnology scientist. Her research results have been published in many scientific journals. She has also has helped launch the Seattle Biotechnology Foundation.
Mei-Ling’s community involvement includes serving as a past board member of nonprofit organizations including the Organization of Chinese Americans and the Wing Luke Asian Museum, as well as serving as a past national board member of 80/20 Initiatives and a co-producer of a PBS documentary.
Nobie Chan
Sound Savings and Loan Association was the first female-directed savings and loan west of the Mississippi, and was established in May 1977 by a group of Seattle businesswomen, including Nobie Chan. With assets of $27.5 million, Sound has one location in Seattle at 1000 Second Ave. Washington Mutual, with assets of $7.1 billion, and its federal savings bank subsidiary, Washington Mutual, a Federal Savings Bank, operates in 84 financial centers, and 18 home-loan centers in Washington, Oregon and Idaho.
She has been a Board of Trustees Member for Seattle Community Colleges, District Trustee for Seattle Community Colleges a member of United Way Advocates and a Member of Board of Trustees for South Seattle Community College.
For reservations, call 206-223-0623 or email at rsvp@nwasianweekly.com (end)