Program | wccda

LET'S GET READY TO PARTY!

Sili Savusa

BADASS LEVEL

GOOD LOOKIN OUT

I GOT FIVE ON IT

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SUPPORTERS

MINGLING HOUR

FEATURING THE OBG BAND

WELCOME BLESSINGS

DUWAMISH TRIBE

OPENING PERFORMANCE

KHMER COMMUNITY OF SEATTLE KC

DINNER

NARRATIVE ONE

KEVIN BUI

NARRATIVE TWO

ELIZABETH HO

NARRATIVE THREE

MARK UFKES

RAISE THE PADDLE

LINA THOMPSON

CLOSING REMARKS

SILI SAVUSA

KEVIN BUI

Kevin Bui and his partner, Phuong Nguyen are the owners of Huong Xua Deli, located in the central business core of White Center. Kevin purchased this legacy business in 2019 and faced many challenges throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and the commercial core fires that occurred in 2021. Despite these challenges over the past 3 years, Kevin has continued to show his leadership and his passion for building community in White Center, a place where he deeply feels a sense of home, belonging and pride.

ELIZABETH HO

Elizabeth Ho, I grew up in white center, and I'm an incoming freshman, class of 2026. I'm a very community oriented person, trying to do whatever I can to improve class consciousness and solidarity. I'm a proud vietnamese trans woman, and in my spare time I watch Tokusatsu, read, and creatively/politically write. I'm in the first generation of Vietnamese Dual Language, and lastly I aim for an autonomous society, based on solidarity and liberation.

MARK UFKES

Mark and his remarkable wife Lois Schipper raised their family in White Center. Mark was a 3-year President of the White Center Chamber of Commerce, was a founding member of Friends of Hicks Lake, and was on the North Highline Council for four years. Lois managed the White Center Public Health Clinic and their boys, Patrick and Henk, were graduated from Highline Public schools and both are now college graduates and gainfully employed, paying for their own phones and car insurance!! Yeah!!

As Chamber President, Mark coordinated the five "Welcome to White Center" signs with "welcome" in 50 languages, coordinated over 15 murals in White Center, and has organized many, many Eagle Scout and other community projects here, including siting our new White Center library at its location on SW 107th.

Mark is a three-time W.S.U. Cougar, including a graduate degree (M.A.) in Development Economics, and also has a graduate degree (M.A.) in Government from Harvard University. Mark studied Arabic at the American University in Cairo (Egypt) and had a Top Secret security clearance while working in many countries on behalf of the U.S. government. Mark was on one of the first technical assistance teams into the former Soviet Union, working on food security, NGO development, and democratic pluralism. He has also developed and worked on United Nations, World Bank, and many major Foundation projects. Another project Mark is very proud of was developing a strategy outline for a "peer lending" program for women who live in isolation along the Afghan border with Pakistan, that was eventually funded with an over $10 million investment.

For the last 15 years, Mark has worked as an executive for Northwest Indian County, and as an advisor to Tribal Councils across a six state region. He helped develop the first regional Indian Country Revolving Loan Fund and was publisher/coordinator for the first ever Indian Country culturally-appropriate tourism guides in Washington and Oregon.

Mark has worked or studied in 31 countries, in over 50 Indian Reservations, and traveled to all 50 states, working successfully with people from well over 100 cultures. His entire life focus has been to nurture the human condition and try to make the world a better place.

OUR EMCEES

Frank Johnson

Grew up in White Center. Graduated from Evergreen Highschool (AAA) class of 2010. Fresh out of high-school worked for Community Schools collaboration as well as other non profit orgs such as YES Foundation of White Center and the King County Parks Log Cabin. In 2016 I graduated from Year Up and have been working in Information Technology for the past 7 years. Currently, working for First Financial NW Bank in renton doing system administration. When I'm not working, I'm either cooking, making music or Hosting Inside White Center podcast with Lisa! Always up for some fun and new experiences (especially if its culinary related)

Lisa Nguyen

I grew up in White Center and graduated from Evergreen/HS3 in 2015. Left for college at WWU and graduated in 2019 with a business and communications degree. I currently work in Seattle in Marine Transportation/logistics. On the side, I like to hang out in White Center, I co-host an awesome podcast with Frank, I like to cook, I like to go rock climbing, and I love to try new things. Lastly, I hope to spread kindness and knowledge where ever I go.

DUWAMISH LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Performed by our Board Vice President Patricia Allen.

KHMER DANCE GROUP

Khmer Amarak Performing Arts is our FREE all ages, youth focused traditional Khmer dance and music program. Students learn to dance Khmer classical and folk robam and/or to play traditional Khmer instruments. Our students may perform at public events, festivals, and Khmer New Year.

LINA THOMPSON

Lina Thompson is the Pastor and Teaching Elder of Lake Burien Presbyterian Church where she has served since 2012. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Communications degree from Washington State University and a Masters of Divinity degree from Fuller Theological Seminary.

Prior to coming to Lake Burien Presbyterian Church, Lina spent 15 years with World Vision directing both local and national initiatives focused on training and building the capacity of urban youth workers, organizations, churches and communities.

Lina's work experience also includes having served on the staff of the Northwest Leadership Foundation and Young Life.

Lina's Samoan heritage taught her the values of community - particularly rising together, service, concern for others and sacrifice.

In the late 1950's, her parents, Jack and Sala Thompson moved from American Samoa and settled in White Center. They were focused on giving their 5 children (along with a whole host of nieces and nephews who came to live with them) a chance at a "better" life. Theirs was an unwavering message to all of their children about the priority of education. That message is the foundation of Lina's work in the Pacific Islander community as an organizer and advocate for equity in education.

Lina's ministry as pastor, teacher, trainer, mentor, advocate and community organizer is rooted in a holistic vision of reconciliation, hope and justice that can be best described in this way:

“This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Once again men and women of ripe old age will sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each of them with cane in hand because of their age. 5 The city streets will be filled with boys and girls playing there.” Zechariah 8:4-5

THE OBG's

The Oldies But Goodies are a 10 piece horn band with 3 vocalists playing 70’s 90’s dance music based in Bellevue. Performed concerts, corporate events Seattle center other venues as well as private parties like Microsoft and the bite of Seattle.