Peninsula tribal leaders nominated for Women of Color Empowered award

Published 12:01 am Sunday, September 13, 2015

SEATTLE — Two tribal leaders from the Olympic Peninsula have received nominations for Women of Color Empowered recognition from Northwest Asian Weekly magazine.

Meredith Parker, general manager of the Makah tribe, and Fawn Sharp, president of the Quinault Nation since 2006, are among the 13 nominees for the Women and Money Award.

Parker, who lives in Neah Bay, worked for 25 years in the forestry sector and retired after serving 13 years as CEO of the Makah Forestry Enterprise.

She also serves as president of the Makah Cultural and Research Center, president of the Neah Bay Chamber of Commerce and vice president of the philanthropic Potlatch Fund, which operates in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana.

Parker, a photographer, has had images featured in regional, national and international exhibits.

“I am truly honored and humbled for the nomination and recognition and to be included among so many amazing women who contribute so significantly to their communities,” she said in an email.

“I certainly appreciate the working relationship and friendship that I have shared with you as you have inspired my life’s journey through your own walk and enriched my life with your friendship.”

Sharp, who lives in Amanda Park, is an attorney with an academic background in criminal justice who also holds an advanced certificate in International Human Rights Law from Oxford University.

She formerly served as managing attorney and lead counsel for the tribe as well as associate judge and administrative law judge for the state Department of Revenue Tax Appeals Division.

‘An honor’

“It is an honor to receive this acknowledgment,” Sharp said in a statement.

“I wish to thank Northwest Asian Weekly magazine for its thoughtfulness in recognizing the importance of women of color in today’s world.

“We are, indeed, empowered, and it is more important than ever for us to get involved, to take leadership roles, to speak up and to do whatever is necessary to help improve the lives of our people, today and tomorrow,” Sharp said.

“If we set good goals, work hard, and work together, we can achieve anything.”

The award nominees will be honored at a luncheon in Seattle on Friday.

Other nominees include Lacie West, area development director for the United Negro College Fund; Carmen Gayton, chair of the Seattle Colleges Board; Barbara Banon, associate vice president at Morgan Stanley; Marinilka Kimbro, director of the Washington State Society of CPAs; Chrissy Yamada, chief financial officer for EvergreenHealth; Patricia Edmond-Quinn, chief clinical officer of Therapeutic Health Services; Rosario Carroll, director of diversity banking at Plaza Bank; Debbie Killinger, philanthropist; Rakhi Samant, district manager for Wells Fargo Bank; Me-Ling Woo, State Farm agent; and Noble Chan, a founder of Sound Savings and Loan Association.

Northwest Asian Weekly is the only English-edition newspaper serving Asians in Washington state.

It has a circulation of about 16,000 and a readership of around 25,000, according to its website. It is published in Seattle’s International District.