Board of Trustees

The KWA Board of Trustees brings a passionate commitment to KWA’s mission of providing multi-cultural services to meet basic human needs through education, socialization, advocacy, and support. In recognition of KWA’s roots and history, the Board seeks to develop other Korean women as leaders and volunteers to their communities. In doing so, it shall foster Korean cultural values and traditions, develop Korean women as leaders, and pass this history down from generation to generation (Article II, Purposes, KWA Bylaws). As a whole, the board is committed to finding new ways to transform the Western Washington communities and places beyond while assuring the transparency of our operations and wise allocation of resources.

myuang lae park

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 motived 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.

yoni

Vice Chair

Yoni Yi is a retiree with 41 years of public service in Washington State government. Her primary duties include supervising staff as an office manager for over six years in state government, and 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.

kyang ja shin

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. Her over 20 years of teaching experience from kindergarten through college has led to her commitment to social justice in education. Kyung Ja is passionate about educational equity and community service, which is reflected in her founding of Music for the People, a charity that raises funds to help people pay their medical bills. She is the NW Chapter Chair of the Korean Language Teachers Association of Public Schools and also serves on the board of the Washington Association for Language Teaching. She holds a 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 is a National Institute on Aging-funded postdoctoral fellow at the University of California, San Francisco. She 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. 

kelly lui

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.

young goering

Member

Young Goering began her nursing career at a military hospital for 12 years before transferring to Western State Hospital in 1995. She retired in 2020 after serving 25 years at the Western State Hospital. For the past 22 years, she has served as Treasurer on the Board of the National Association for Korean School Northwest Chapter. she also served twice as President. She has been a member of the Tacoma First Baptist Church since 1987. she has served in the church as a Korean School teacher and principal for past 35 years. At KWA, Young previously served as a Volunteer Committee member for 13 years and once as Volunteer Committee Chair. She rejoined KWA Board in 2022. She holds a Science Nursing degree From NYSU.

kelly sim

Member

Kelly Sim has worked for 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 a wide range of charitable organizations outside of KWA. 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, she volunteers weekly at an overnight shelter for young adults, and she is an active Elder at Encounter Church. Supporting and partnering with people of all backgrounds, especially the underserved and historically oppressed, is a lifelong commitment for Kelly.

chongsun abbott

Member

Chongsun Abbott has served 45 years of public service, retired from the U.S. Army, the WA Department of Financial Institutions, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. She supervised large banks and credit unions as a senior financial and compliance law examiner for 20 years. She is a certified financial fraud examiner and financial examiner, specializing in identifying financial fraud, analyzing complex financial conditions, and analyzing compliance requirements of financial institutions. She serves the WA Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs; a Board member at the Lakewood Multicultural Coalition; and the Treasurer at the Joyful Mission Group. She holds an MBA. 

Board Nomination