Co-Executive Sponsors
Contact Denise | Contact Kennly
Denise Ross (she/her) is the Workplace Culture and Development Manager at the Puget Sound Partnership. She leads the cabinet agency in creating more human-focused employee experiences grounded in belonging and inclusion. Denise holds a Bachelor of Science in Human Resource Management and has been a public servant since 2011. She is one of the founders of HAPPEN, along with Nicholas Vann and other leaders, who helped transform a group of three passionate state employees into an official business resource group with hundreds of HAPPEN members now advancing that mission.
Denise grew up in the Pacific Northwest in a multi-generational home infused with proud Japanese culture, food, and values of honor and respect. She is a Japanese American (Nisei Generation) and the daughter and granddaughter of Issei Generation immigrants. She also has ancestry roots from the island of O'ahu, including a grandfather born and raised there who witnessed the infamous bombing of the 1941 Pearl Harbor from a coconut tree. He later proudly served in the US Army for over 20 years and then retired as a Washington state employee after 21 years of service.
Some of Denise’s passions include awareness for early detection of breast cancer screening, supporting veterans, spreading domestic violence awareness, and social justice. I am proud and honored that I can continue a role in HAPPEN’s legacy.
Kennly Asato (she/they) was born and raised in Hawaii and currently serves as the Interim Assistant Director for the Housing Division at the Washington State Department of Commerce. She is passionate about helping others and serving her community, whether through professional, volunteer, or personal capacities. Kennly has worked in state government for the last 13 years and is an accomplished public sector leader, continuously seeking opportunities to center people in refining systems and improving outcomes. Kennly has created internship, fellowship, and mentoring programs at two state agencies and currently serves as chair of the South Puget Sound Community College (SPSCC) Office Technology Advisory Committee and as a committee member for the SPSCC Worker Retraining Advisory Committee. In 2023, Kennly launched HAPPEN's mentorship program as the first Mentorship Lead with our amazing mentorship committee.
Kennly enjoys dancing hula, swing dancing, traveling, reading, writing (except for bios about herself), and spending time with her family and friends.
Co-Chair
VACANT
Co-Chair
Mabuhay! Rachel Friederich (she/her) was born in the Yakima Valley am the proud daughter of Filipino immigrants. She's a first-generation college graduate and an award-winning journalist who made the leap state service. She began my state career in 2025 as a communications consultant for the Department of Corrections and now work as a communications lead for the Serve Washington Division of the Office of Financial Management. She loves using my multi-media talents to tell stories about the amazing work government employees are doing to make Washington a pro-equity and anti-racist state. In addition to her work in communications, she served as her agency’s representative for the Interagency Committee of State Employed Women. She spent one year as their professional development chair, fostering new and strengthening existing relationships with community members to give presentations and trainings at meetings and their statewide professional development conference. She was founding member of the Hawaiians, Asians, and Pacific Islanders Promoting and Empowerment Network, HAPPEN, business resource group. She was on the steering committee to establish HAPPEN as a BRG and co-chaired its launch event in 2022. HAPPEN is where her heart is. This group has given her inspiration to learn about my ANHPI heritage and history. It’s given her strength to acknowledge her own intergenerational trauma, tools to identify and confront white supremacy culture, and the courage to talk about it. As she continues to explore and share her own lived experiences as a Filipina-American, She realize they are a drop in the bucket of the distinct, diverse experiences of people who make up the 50+ ethnicities of the ANHPI community. As HAPPEN’s community outreach lead, she wants to use her desire to learn and create connections to engage with all members of our ANHPI community and our allies. She wants to shed light on issues impacting ANHPI communities that for generations, we’ve been taught to keep silent about. It’s only when we speak up, that we can ignite change. Together we can raise our voices to shatter the bamboo ceiling, create brave spaces to be our authentic selves at work, and increase ANHPI representation at all levels of state government.
Co-Chair
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Evelyn Tuiaana (She/Her) or better known as Eve is a native of Carson, California. Eve is a Pacific Islander of Samoan and Tongan descent. She is a combat Veteran of United States Army with more than 20 years of active-duty service. She retired from Joint Base Lewis-McChord and has made Washington her home where she is raising her family. She serves as a Veteran advocate in Pierce and Thurston Counties. She devotes her free time helping Veteran Service Organizations in her community. Eve is currently the VFW Post Commander 11402 Lacey-Tumwater for the Veterans of Foreign Wars. She currently works with the Department of Enterprise Services as a DEI Learning Design and Delivery Professional training our state employees on DEI. Eve served her country and continues to serve her community by assisting the homeless, passing out supplies or delivering food from the food bank. Wherever there is a need she continues to be a true servant leader. She is humble and believes that her actions will always speak louder than her words to get any job done. Eve proudly joined the HAPPEN Leadership Team as a Co-chair in 2024.
Administrative Liaison
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As a dedicated advocate with a rich multicultural background, Leilani Martinez brings a unique perspective to her work. Being Japanese/Hispanic and a Child of a Deaf Adult (CODA), she has a deep understanding of diverse cultures and the challenges faced by the deaf community.
For the past nine years, Leilani has served with a state agency, where her passion for advocacy and helping others has flourished. Her colleagues and friends often rely on her for her empathetic listening skills and insightful advice. She is known for her ability to lift others' spirits and make them feel valued and appreciated.
Leilani has an insatiable curiosity and a love for learning that drives her to delve deeply into subjects that intrigue her. Whether through reading, researching, or experimenting, Leilani immerses herself in gathering comprehensive information. This dedication to understanding is not just a personal trait but a professional asset that enhances her ability to advocate effectively.
Leilani's approach to life and work is grounded in the belief that hard work and preparation create opportunities. She meticulously plans and executes her goals, linking together facts, incidents, and resources to understand and achieve success. Leilani rejects the idea that life is merely a game of chance; instead, she creates her own good fortune through diligence and determination.
Leilani accepted the role of HAPPEN Administrative Liaison in 2024. With a focus on thoroughness and a knack for making others feel heard and valued, Leilani strives to make a positive impact in her community and beyond.
Communications Coordinator
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Jina Pak (She/her) is a Korean immigrant - First generation. She's immigrated in 2020 with 2 babies and invited my husband from Korea next year in 2021. She's worked as a CPA in accounting firm for about five years and as a tax examiner in estate tax unit of WA dept of Rev for 2.5 years. She's been in Compassion Korea NGO as a volunteer translator and fieldtrip to the countries in poverty for kids in need for about 10 years. Basically, she has a heart for DEI value in WA and She has a very suitable background to contribute and understand the people in need of tax help and communications coordinating. Because she truly appreciates WA, US, she hopes she can contribute to become better communities.
Community Outreach Lead
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Naghmana Sherazi is a scientist, an educator, a medical professional and a community leader; Naghmana is also single mother to an amazing son, an immigrant of South Asian descent, and loves to connect with people on the basis of food, music, culture, art, ethnicity, religion, the environment, and social, racial and climate justice issues. She made history by being the first Muslim immigrant woman of South Asian descent to run for office and win in a primary in Spokane City. She has an MA in English, BA in Economics as well as an AS in Biotechnology and a second BS in Cytogenetic Technology, She moved to Spokane in 2012.
She serves on the steering Committees of Peace and Justice Action League of Spokane (PJALS), as first VC on the Sustainability Action Subcommittee’s Steering Committee for the City of Spokane, is a Board member with 350Spokane, Earth Ministry, and Board Chair of Greater Spokane Progress. She is Co-Chair for Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom and writes a column for Spokane FāVS – a faith based internet publication. She is one of the founders of a small non-profit, Muslims for Community, Action and Support (MCAS) - working to dispel Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, Xenophobia and Misogyny in Spokane by educating and creating awareness about Muslims and specifically Muslim immigrants and Refugees and the benefits they bring when they become part of your community.
Naghmana is passionate about climate justice, equity, social and racial causes, immigrants and refugees, and works hard to be a voice for marginalized communities of color. She is a renter, and being an immigrant and a woman of color acknowledges that she lives with racism and social/racial/religious biases every day. She is an untiring advocate for affordable housing, looking to end structural racism enabling people of color to have ways and means to access and create wealth and abundance. Naghmana Sherazi currently works part time as Climate Justice Program Director (Interim) with the Lands Council, a well-regarded nonprofit in the Spokane area that promotes conservation and environmental causes, and her full time work is with the Washington State Office of Equity as Pro-Equity Consultant.
Naghmana is well known for being a collaborator, connector and communicator. Her organizing background and skills are a distinct advantage as she works with underrepresented and marginalized communities and especially with communities of color. She has built a good network due to her relational work within the immigrant and refugee communities, and especially those of NHAPI affiliation. Elected to the position of HAPPEN Community Outreach Lead in 2024, she hopes to expand the HAPPEN network and work with as many groups as possible to amplify this BRG.
Leadership Development Lead
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Hannah is the Organizational Equity Manager at the Department of Ecology. She supports and provides leadership on civil rights compliance, language access, accessibility, and workforce diversity, equity, and inclusion.
As a Certified Master with The Leadership Challenge™, Hannah leads a group of facilitators and coaches at Department of Ecology and consults with other government and private sector organizations. She believes that successful organizations require courageous and thoughtful leaders at all levels, and that leadership is a learnable set of behaviors and skills we develop over our whole lives.
Hannah has her Ph.D. in Environmental Health, Science, & Policy from U.C. Irvine, with a focus on environmental justice.
Membership Coordinator
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As a proud 1st generation, Vietnamese-American woman born and raised in Northern California, Sandra House (she/her)'s roots are deeply grounded in a culture of resilience, community, and adaptability. Growing up in the vibrant Bay Area, she was surrounded by diversity and opportunity, which helped shape her passion for connecting with others and building meaningful relationships. That passion eventually guided her career path and continues to be the driving force behind everything she does today. Her journey to Washington started when she joined the U.S. Navy. It was one of the most transformative chapters of her life. The Navy brought her to the Pacific Northwest, where she discovered not only a beautiful place to live, but also a deep sense of community and purpose. After completing her service, she made the decision to stay—and it’s been home ever since. These days, she works as a Talent and Outreach Consultant at the OIC, and she truly loves what she does. She's passionate about recruiting because it’s all about people. She thrives on building relationships, learning people’s stories, and helping them find the right roles where they can shine. Whether it’s sourcing top talent, improving outreach strategies, or championing inclusive hiring practices, she brings energy, empathy, and intention to every part of the process. Outside of work, her world revolves around her family. Being a bonus mom to three amazing kids keep me busy! Her weekends are often filled with laughter, good food, and family movie nights—moments she treasures deeply. She also finds comfort in the quieter things: spending time with her husband over a home-cooked meal, getting lost in a good book, or simply enjoying the company of her cat, Jayde, who rules the household with tons of sass and charm. As she continues to grow personally and professionally, she remains committed to giving back, lifting others up, and creating inclusive spaces wherever she goes. Whether it’s through mentorship, community outreach, or simply sharing her own journey, she believes in the power of connection and the importance of showing up fully—for ourselves, our families, and our communities.
Mentorship Lead
Position Description | Committee
Noemi Cagatin-Porter As an immigrant Filipina woman and lifelong advocate for community empowerment, she knows firsthand the transformative power of mentorship and representation, especially in spaces where equity, access, and belonging are critical to both personal and professional success.
Throughout her career, she has worked at the intersections of housing, education, financial literacy, and community development. Currently, she serves in a leadership role with DSHS overseeing housing programs that support individuals with developmental disabilities,
She is the founder of CJK Community Homes, a nonprofit that combines culturally rooted support with wraparound services, housing more than 135 individuals across Pierce County. Half of our staff come from lived experience, and many are now mentors themselves, proving what is possible when we invest in people.
She is passionate about creating pathways for others to rise. That’s why mentorship has always been at the heart of her leadership. She's led youth financial literacy cohorts, supported BIPOC and immigrant women into homeownership, and guided young adults through education and employment transitions. She bring a trauma-informed lens and antiracist framework to this work, rooted in humility, curiosity, and a deep belief in human potential.
She will leverage my organizing and facilitation experience to build a mentorship program that is structured, inclusive, and responsive to the needs of our membership. She will ensure mentors and mentees are equipped with toolkits, matched with intention, and supported throughout their journey. She is also committed to cultivating a culture of learning through regular cohort meetings, peer support, and growth-oriented feedback loops.
Serving on the Executive Committee is not just a responsibility she would uphold, it’s a commitment she makes to advocate for our members and their communities. She is prepared to foster trusted relationships, elevate critical issues, and help advance HAPPEN’s mission with integrity, transparency, and care.
She's ready to listen, lead, and serve.
Policy Lead
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Courtney Potter is a proud Korean and Okinawan American, born and raised in Hawaii. She now lives in Tacoma with her husband of seven years, a nearly-two-year-old daughter, and their poodle-terrier. With deep family roots tied to Hawaii’s plantation history, she strives to uphold her family’s legacy of resilience and community.
She has dedicated her career to state service for the last 13 years and has a master’s in interdisciplinary studies from the University of Washington and a bachelor's in criminal justice from Saint Martin’s University.
As a working mom to a vibrant toddler, Courtney balances public service with a love for yoga, family, and cultural connection. She is passionate about advancing ANHPI representation, intergenerational empowerment, and inclusive leadership.
Special Projects Lead
VACANT
Treasurer
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Titu Hariharan (she/her) is an Information Technology Project Manager Senior Specialist/Supervisor for the IT Division PMO at the Department of Natural Resources. Titu began her state service in 2022 at DSHS/BHA and prior to that worked as an IT Project Management consultant for the government, healthcare, education, and defense sectors for over 15 years.
Titu accepted the position of HAPPEN Treasurer in 2024. looks forward to contributing to advocating policies that promote anti-racism, diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in the workplace, being a part of HAPPEN, serving the community and Washingtonians. She is an immigrant of South Asian descent, and loves to connect with people, from diverse backgrounds and experiences. “It is time for parents to teach young people early on that in diversity there is beauty and there is strength” – Maya Angelou.