By Chris S. Nishiwaki
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
Lisa Chin, PhD
The Pike Place Market Foundation has hired veteran technology and nonprofit executive Lisa Chin, Ph.D., as its new interim executive director. The move comes after the previous permanent director left following the cancellation of a Day of Remembrance celebration in February.
Patricia Gray, director of philanthropy and community relations, said there are no immediate plans to start a search for a permanent executive director. Chin said she is not a candidate for the permanent job.
“My goal for the organization is to support this incredible team in finding that next leader, finding that person who is going to be excited for the Market,” said Chin, who has been coming to the Pike Place Market as a tourist and became a regular patron when she moved to the Seattle area for a job at Amazon in 1998.
“In the 30-plus years that I’ve been coming to the Market, the seasonality, the people who are happy to be here, every day there’s something beautiful to discover.” Chin continued, “The Market is an iconic place. Most importantly, it’s a human place. You ask anyone what they want to do when they are in Seattle, they’ll say the Space Needle, then they’ll say the Pike Place Market. It is truly an honor. I am so humbled. When it is so foundational to people’s memory, it is something to steward and something to love.”
Chin has nearly 30 years of executive and senior leadership experience in technology companies and nonprofits in the Seattle area. Most recently, she was the Chief Legacy Officer for the Seattle FIFA World Cup 2026 Organizing Committee.
Among the first tasks for Chin will be to mend relationships between the Pike Place Market and Tsuru for Solidarity, the nonprofit that organized the Day of Remembrance celebration, and the broader AAPI community.
“We will be circling back with Tsuru,” Chin said. “In the Market’s long history of serving the elderly, children, and the community, I know that what’s ahead of us … we will have intensive dialogue on how to move forward. We are going to have to repair relationships. How do we show up authentically? That is what is coming up in the near future.
“The community here is a group of individuals deeply committed to everyone thriving. As an Asian American, nonprofit director, a mother, a wife to a sansei (Tom Nakamichi), my goal is to showcase everything the Market stands for. I look forward to getting back to the work that they are doing.”
Gray did not give specific reasons why the Pike Place Market cancelled the Day of Remembrance rally, instead repeating refrains of wanting to keep the market community “safe and healthy,” referring to the Market’s broader mission of providing essential services to the downtown Seattle community.
Stan Shikuma, a member of the National Leadership Council of Tsuru for Solidarity and one of the organizers of the Day of Remembrance celebration, said he was miffed at the Market’s concerns for its “safety and health.” Shikuma emphasized that Tsuru for Solidarity is a pacifist non-violent organization.
“We were kind of surprised when they canceled on us,” Shikuma said. “It came as a shock. We don’t really understand what their rationale is and their concern about safety. We weren’t planning to march, shut down traffic, or shut down the federal building. Nothing that would attract law enforcement. Based on what we told [the Pike Place Market leadership], there was nothing that suggested that we would start a fight, or cause property destruction. We weren’t going to exhort the crowd to take power in their own hands.”
While Shikuma voiced frustration over the Market’s decision, Chin remains focused on navigating these challenges and guiding the organization forward. With a wealth of experience in both the nonprofit and tech sectors, Chin has held significant leadership roles in various organizations, including as the CEO of Treehouse and the Boys & Girls Club of King County, where she became the first woman to hold the top spot in that organization’s 75-year history. She was also the founding executive director of Year Up Seattle and executive director of Jubilee Women’s Center.
Chin came to work at Amazon and moved to the Seattle area in 1998 after the start-up where she worked, Junglee Corp., was acquired by the online retailing giant.
Chin also has extensive nonprofit governing board experience. She currently serves on the board of directors of United Way of King County. She has also served on the board of directors of the Asian Counseling and Referral Services, where she co-chaired the capital campaign. In addition, she served on the board of directors of the Seattle Chamber of Commerce, Social Venture Partners, the Bellevue Art Museum, and Project Alchemy, among other organizations.
In 2011, Gov. Chris Gregoire appointed Chin to the Bellevue College Board of Trustees. Chin would go on to chair the college’s board of trustees.
Chin earned bachelor’s degrees from Wellesley College in Political Science and Studio Art. She earned a Ph.D. in Education from UCLA.