From left: Tanya Woo, Michael Le, Nella Kwan, Chuo-Han (Hugo) Yang, and Gei Chan
SEATTLE — The International Special Review District (ISRD) Board is hosting its annual election of board members. The election will be held by mail-in ballot only. There will be no in-person voting this year.
Physical ballots must be received by Tuesday, Nov. 15. Community members who are registered for this election will receive a ballot and self-addressed stamped envelope by mail. Voters are encouraged to return their ballots early to make sure they are received by the deadline.
Two board positions are up for election:
- Position #3 for a Business Owner, Property Owner, or Employee
- Position #5 for At-Large
Nominations closed on Oct. 18 and the following five candidates were nominated.
Three candidates are seeking Position #3 for a Business Owner, Property Owner, or Employee
Michael Le owns multiple businesses within the Chinatown-International District (CID). He chose to locate his businesses in the neighborhood to support the community and sense of belonging. Issues of safety and displacement are important to him. He wants to make sure that the neighborhood’s history is not forgotten. He is currently serving his first term on the Board.
Tanya Woo grew up in the CID community. She and her family are part of the Louisa Hotel ownership group. She was involved with the rehabilitation of the building and the preservation of the historic jazz murals. She is active in the community, volunteering for several organizations, including the CID Community Watch. She is a current member of the King County Landmarks Commission. She wants to serve on the Board to help preserve the CID’s cultural legacy, while also being mindful about how the built environment is used today and how decision-making impacts the future of the neighborhood.
Chuo-Han (Hugo) Yang works in the neighborhood. He has two years of residential project development experience and more than five years of real estate development experience with a civil engineering background. He believes his experience will benefit the Board and help the CID to thrive.
Two candidates are seeking Position #5 for At-Large
Jane Gei Chan is a long-time advocate for the CID who has been active with issues that impact the neighborhood, including Sound Transit station planning and the proposed SODO shelter. She is a Cantonese-speaker who understands what residents and businesses face. She is a supporter of the Wing Luke Asian Museum and has participated in the CID night patrols. She would like to serve on the Board to help make sure the neighborhood remains vibrant and to preserve the deep historical roots of the Asian American community.
Nella Kwan has been active with the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce since 2013. She has helped host and serve as master of ceremonies for community events and family associations.
She is a board member of Kin On, a representative for Seafair, and a member of the Seattle Center’s Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month. She considers the CID her second home and wishes to continue to apply her knowledge, understanding of the community, and unbiased insight and perspectives to her work with the ISRD Board. She speaks Mandarin and Cantonese. She is currently serving her first term on the Board.
The current board members are Lizzy Baskerville (Vice-Chair), Ryan Gilbert, Nella Kwan, Adrian Lam, Michael Le, Andy Yip (Chair), and Ming Zhang. Kwan and Le’s terms will end on Nov. 30. Since an election could not be held in 2020, candidates elected to Positions #3 and #5 in 2021 are serving only a one-year term to retain staggered term limits.