Board of Trustees

The KWA Board of Trustees is passionate about KWA’s mission of providing multicultural, multilingual human service, regardless of race or ethnic background, to diverse community members through education, socialization, advocacy, and support. This passion drives our work, inspiring us to recognize KWA’s roots and history and to develop other Korean American women as community leaders and volunteers. In doing so, we foster Korean cultural values and traditions, develop Korean American women as leaders, and pass this history down from generation to generation (Article II, Purposes, KWA Bylaws). The Board is committed to finding new ways to transform the Western Washington communities and beyond while assuring the transparency of our operations and the wise allocation of resources.

Chair

Myung Lae Park is an accomplished and dedicated higher education strategic leader with 30+ years of experience in serving students and faculty. She is motivated by the mission to empower people to realize possibilities and thrive. Her professional experiences include serving as executive director of international education for Pierce College, executive director for global programs and partnerships, and director for institutional research at Lake Washington Institute of Technology. “Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s perspectives.” Myung strongly believes that education is the most effective way to end oppression and realize one’s full potential. Myung has an MBA from City University of Seattle and an Ed.D. from Seattle University.

Vice Chair

Yoni Yi is a retiree with 41 years of public service in the Washington State government. Her primary duties included supervising staff as an office manager for over six years in state government. During her tenure she also acted as a Korean interpreter. Yoni’s involvement with KWA began in 2011 as a Volunteer Committee member, and in 2014 she became the Volunteer Committee Chair, leading the committee and members. Yoni joined the KWA Board in 2016 and served as Board Chair in 2020 and 2021. She currently chairs the Housing Committee in addition to being Vice Chair. Yoni is committed to helping those in need and is seen every year providing financial assistance and support to KWA and other social service organizations.

Secretary

Kyung Ja Shin, certified in Korean, French, and ESL teaching, is the lead Korean teacher and one of the world language leaders in Tacoma Public Schools. With over 20 years of teaching experience from kindergarten through college, she believes that one of the paths toward the justice our society needs is equitable education, and she currently makes this her mission. Kyung Ja is passionate about serving her community and founded Music for the People. She is the NW Chapter Chair of the Korean Language Teachers Association of Public Schools and serves on the Washington Association for Language Teaching board. She holds an M.Ed. from Seattle University.

Treasurer

Min Hee Kim is a dedicated researcher and advocate for health equity. In pursuit of her higher education, she moved to Michigan in 2010, where she completed her doctoral work in Social Work and Sociology. Her research focuses on describing and evaluating place-based characteristics that influence older adults’ health and healthcare quality. Min Hee actively publishes her academic work in gerontology, medicine, and public health to help communities confront health inequities and advocate for effective and just health and social policies. She is currently an Assistant professor at Rutgers, Center for Health Services Research and School of Nursing. 

Lifelong Learning Center Chair

Kelly Liu is one of two Co-Senior Pastors of Oasis Community Church of Tacoma, a Korean American church with a vision for the next generation. Kelly’s background is in education, and she has been a teacher in both private and public schools. Kelly has served on the KWA board since 2016 as Volunteer Committee Chair, as Vice Chair for several years and is currently the Chair of KWA’s Lifelong Learning Center (LLC).

Member

Young Goering began her nursing career at a military hospital for 12 years before transferring to Western State Hospital in 1995. She retired from the Western State Hospital in 2020. For the past 22 years, she has served as Treasurer on the Board of the National Association for Korean School NW Chapter. She has been a Tacoma First Baptist Church member since 1987. She has served in the church as a Korean School teacher and principal for over 30 years. Young previously served as a volunteer committee member and a chair, and rejoined the KWA as a board member in 2022. She holds a Science Nursing degree From NYSU.

Member

Kelly Sim has worked over 25 years to improve the foster care system and is a Senior Director of Strategic Consulting for Casey Family Programs. She has a M.S. in Marriage & Family Therapy and has worked as a therapist. Kelly is involved in charitable organizations. She is the founder and Chair of the JSIM Hope Foundation that built and continues to expand a secondary school in Zambia. Additionally, she is a long-term court appointed special advocate for children in foster care, and is an active elder at Encounter Church. Supporting and partnering with people of all backgrounds is a lifelong commitment for Kelly.

Member

Helen Kim brings over 35 years of experience in college planning, consulting, and youth leadership. A lifelong entrepreneur since her teens, she has worked across multiple industries, including education, aviation, finance, marketing, and sales. Helen’s dedication to community service has led her to serve on the boards of prominent organizations such as KAFLA. Driven by a passion for empowering the next generation of leaders, her commitment to uplifting underserved youth culminated in the founding of Next Generation Advocates, a nonprofit organization focused on fostering leadership, educational opportunities, and personal growth for young people in her community.

Board of Trustees