ACLF Community Voice June 2008 Newsletter

ACLF Meet & Greet Happy Hour!

Welcome ACLF's First Executive Director
Cherry Cayabyab and the CLP Class of 2008!

Tuesday, June 24
5:30pm - 7:30pm
O'Asian Kitchen
800 5th Ave
Seattle, WA 98104
RSVP to aclfnw@aclfnorthwest.org

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ACLF Hires First Executive Director
By Christina Twu

ACLF is proud to announce the hire of our first ever Executive Director, Cherry Cayabyab. "I'm honored and humbled to serve an organization that has so richly contributed to strengthening and building the leadership of Asian Pacific Islanders in the Northwest," says Cherry.

Since November 2007, Cherry has served as interim executive director, managing ACLF's program and curriculum development, as well as fundraising and community engagement efforts. ACLF is proud to have her continue her role in a permanent capacity. "We thank Cherry for all of her hard work during the past months as our interim ED. The board looks forward to our further growth as an organization under Cherry's very capable leadership", says board member Darlene Lee.
Cherry was an ACLF board member and curriculum committee member for two years. Having staffed organizations serving low-income immigrants and workers such as Inter*Im Community Development Association, Legacy of Equality, Leadership and Organizing (LELO), and the National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development, she brings a decade of experience engaging in social justice organizing, research and policy advocacy with communities of color in the nonprofit/public service field.

"Hiring our first Executive Director is a step towards ACLF's strategic direction to expand our community impact and organizational capacity. We are excited to have Cherry's fresh and energetic leadership at ACLF," says ACLF president Mai Nguyen.

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ACLF Welcomes 2008 CLP Class
By Julien Loh

ACLF welcomes its 2008 Community Leaders Program (CLP) class! On May 16 at the opening retreat, 14 dynamic participants began the challenging six-month leadership program. "I believe that challenge prefaces opportunity," says
2008 participant Jamie Badilla. "Social, economic and political injustice still exists in our community and I'm excited to discover what we can achieve as a group that not only recognizes important differences while uniting similarities, but also cohesively speaks for those who cannot."

In addition to board members and staff getting to know the new participants, the weekend-long CLP retreat brought the participants team-building and bonding activities around social justice and shared experience, thanks to committed faciltators Soya Jung Harris, Brian Hsi, Ann Kim Novakowski and Cherry Cayabyab.

At the end of the retreat, one participant shared, "I can't wait to get to know participants, staff and board more. I'm excited about our group project, the skills I will gain and experiences I will have. This program is so empowering and I look forward to experiencing the rest!"

ACLF uses its extensive network of community leaders, board members, and alumni to encourage emerging leaders to apply to the Community Leaders Program. Each year, participants from all across the Puget Sound region submit applications for the program. ACLF staff and board members review applications and make recommendations on who should be invited for interviews. Applicants that are invited for interviews articulate thoughtful answers on what community means to them, how they will benefit from participating in the program, and discuss their contributions to the CLP.
Like previous classes, the 2008 applicant pool included many who demonstrate a strong interest in social justice and community empowerment.

To learn more about the Community Leaders Program, how to apply or volunteer opportunities, contact the ACLF office.

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Invest in Our Future API Leaders with Less Paper and Less Hassle

Give Online!
www.aclfnorthwest.org/donate.htm
No more envelopes or postage stamps!

Celebrate the 2008 CLP class through our new expanded online giving function. With a convenient click of a mouse, give directly to the program that will shape these future leaders in our community.

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Tasveer, Our Community Project Partner!

We are excited to announce that ACLF has partnered with Tasveer on a media project this year! Tasveer, "picture" in Hindi/Urdu, is a grassroots, community-based organization that is committed to bringing independent progressive films from South Asia and the South Asian Diaspora to the Pacific Northwest. The community project, proposed by Neelu Bhuman, will be exploring mixed orientation relationships within South Asian communities, these relationships whose members' sexual orientations differ. Uma Rao, CLP 05, has graciously accepted the role of lead community liason/project advisor. Rita Meher is providing filming/media and production expertise. The CLP class will work closely with Uma, Rita and Anju Ganti (ACLF board
member) for the next five months to create a media piece, which they will present and discuss at this year's Independent South Asian Film Festival (ISAFF).

In continuing the tradition of engendering social change through the powerful medium of film and media, Tasveer adopted this year's 5th ISAFF to encompass queer themes from South Asia and its diaspora. Tasveer wanted to take this opportunity to consider a broad range of queer topics. A topic which has a dearth of exposure is that of mixed orientation relationships, which refers to relationships whose members' sexual orientations differ.
Tasveer is looking to include a program that provides visibility for these relationships, the people in them and the issues they face in a predominantly polar society.

We view this as a unique opportunity for ACLF to strengthen relationships with South Asian and LGBTQ (lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender/queer)
communities and for Tasveer to connect with the greater Asian Pacific Islander community. This community project may well be ACLF's most challenging yet, given the complexity of political identities, cultures and dynamics that promotes the need for strong cultural competency. ACLF and Tasveer are committed to supporting each other to ensure a positive partnership experience. For more information about the project, please contact the ACLF office.

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ACLF Administrative Assistant Position

ACLF seeks an energetic & organized Administrative Assistant to play a key role in ensuring the efficient operation of the organization. The Administrative Assistant will provide administrative and program support to the Executive Director and Board of Directors. The Assistant will coordinate and provide support for programs, fiscal operations, board and committee activities, events, communications, and overall administrative functions.
This position reports to the Executive Director. Please contact aclfnw@aclfnorthwest.org for more information and to learn how to apply.

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Save the Date!
ACLF's 9th Annual Graduation Dinner

"The Face of Leadership, The Heart of Community"
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
McCaw Hall, Seattle Center

Gathering over 300 community leaders, professionals, and ACLF alumni to celebrate our CLP participants' accomplishments.

Contact aclfnw@aclfnorthwest.org to get on our mailing list and receive an invitation!