The Seattle Chinatown International District Preservation and Development Authority (SCIDpda) is a community development organization whose mission is to preserve, promote, and develop the Seattle Chinatown International District (CID) as a vibrant community and unique ethnic neighborhood. Formed by the community in 1975, SCIDpda works to revitalize and preserve the neighborhood by providing services in three areas: affordable housing and commercial property management, real estate development, and community economic development and community engagement. We have over a 40-year success record of increasing neighborhood sustainability through innovative programs and projects that balance development and preservation.
As a neighborhood-based community developer, SCIDpda engages and mobilizes community members to develop collaborative solutions to meet neighborhood priorities–because a community’s strength comes from its members taking the initiative to shape its present and future.
SCIDpda Board
Cindy Ju, President, is currently a real estate professional with Hines focused on acquisitions and development. She is passionate about creating a positive impact on community economic outcomes and affordability via investing in urban development and real estate. She is an active member of the Young Leader’s Group within the Urban Land Institute (ULI) of Seattle.
Previously, Cindy was an investor at Oaktree Capital Management, a leading global alternative asset management firm with expertise in credit strategies. There, she was a member of the U.S. High Yield Bonds Fund with $20 billion under management. Prior to that, Cindy worked as an investment banker at Houlihan Lokey, primarily focusing on restructuring transactions and corporate M&A. She dedicates her time to community and non-profit organizations, with prior experiences on the board of directors for Girls on the Run and mentoring with Minds Matter.
Cindy received her bachelor’s degree in finance and operations & information management from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania and her MBA from the Harvard Business School
Miye Moriguchi, Secretary is the Development Manager at Uwajimaya, Inc., where she is responsible for all activities related to developing and designing new stores or ventures, remodeling and upgrading current stores and the visioning and development of company owned property. Prior to Uwajimaya, Miye was an associate at Mithun, an integrated design firm. Miye earned a bachelor’s degree in architecture from Yale University.
May Wu, Treasurer, is currently the Internal Controls & Change Management Director in the finance department at Holland America, and was previously at Starbucks Corporation and Deloitte & Touche, LLP. She obtained both her Masters of Professional Accountancy and Bachelors of Arts degree in Business Administration from the University of Washington, and is a licensed CPA.
Jerilyn Young, At-Large, is the Manager, PMO where she is responsible for building, improving, and ensuring adherence to the the Project Management framework at Vitalware. Previously, she has worked with Cerner Corporation, Northwest Hospital and Medical Center, and UW Medicine. She is a former IDHA and WAPI Community Services volunteer. Currently, she serves as a 501Commons Service Corp member and is on the UW MBA Diversity in Business alumni committee. Jerilyn received her MBA from the University of Washington Foster School of Business, her BA from the University of Hawaii, and is an alumnus of the United Way of King County Project LEAD (Leadership Effectiveness And Diversity) program.
Elliot Sun grew up in Seattle’s Mount Baker neighborhood and has enjoyed decades of memories in the International District with friends and family. After graduating from the University of Hawaii with a BAS in Economics and Information Technology, he spent eight years in the Bay Area. Elliot moved back to Seattle in late 2016 and is now with Jamestown LP, as the West Coast Lead | Americas, while overseeing Jamestown owned projects and partnering with Google Urban Development. Elliot enjoys working with public and private entities, specifically focused on supporting small minority owned businesses. Elliot brings a true passion for community interests, thoughtful urban planning, and social and community development. Elliot has been an active SCIDPDA Board Member since November 2019.
Kevin Cao is a Director of Acquisitions at Gemdale USA Corporation, where he is responsible for sourcing and executing office, residential and life sciences development land transactions, as well as value-add projects throughout the Pacific Northwest. He also leads leasing, financing, and asset management functions for Gemdale in the PNW region. During his tenure, he has acquired over $420 million in development projects. Prior to joining Gemdale, Kevin worked at Kinzer Partners, where he advised large corporations, public entities, and non-profit organizations on real estate portfolio management as well as various leasing and sales transactions in Seattle area. Kevin received a Bachelor of Laws degree from Xiamen University in China, and he holds a master’s degree in International Studies from the University of Washington and a Master of Finance from Seattle University. In addition to his involvement at SCIDpda, Kevin is serving as an Advisory Board Member of The Runstad Department of Real Estate at University of Washington.
Lisa Nitze is V.P., Marketing, Investment and Community Partnerships for Nitze-Stagen & Co., an integrated real estate investment, development and management firm with a portfolio of properties located in Seattle including the Union Station Garage in the CID. Previously, Lisa was CEO of Social Venture Partners Seattle an organization comprised of philanthropists who pool approximately $1M each year to contribute to local social enterprises and collective impact initiatives. Lisa has 30 years of experience leading public/private partnership organizations and initiatives, working with government, corporations, foundations, nonprofits and educational institutions, to develop and implement strategies for building sustainable social systems change and for maximizing social impact. She has started and led four nonprofits. As Washington D.C. Managing Director of Mission Measurement LLC, Lisa worked with leading organizations in many sectors to advise them on measurement, evaluation and reporting of social impact. A former CEO of the U.S. Social Enterprise Alliance and Speaker Specialist for the U.S. State Department on social entrepreneurship, Lisa has traveled extensively abroad and across the U.S. speaking and consulting on the power of social enterprise for social and economic development. As V.P. Global Engagement for the Ashoka Foundation, Lisa led a team working with corporations, foundations and philanthropists to secure investment in social enterprises around the world. Lisa has a BA from Harvard and an MBA from Stanford University.
Mindy Au is a manager at 71 & Change, a strategy and execution consulting firm specializing in change management. Mindy is not new to the CID; she previously worked for the International District Housing Alliance during its merger with InterIm CDA and worked for International Community Health Services in the early 2000s. Mindy earned a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Dartmouth College and Master of Public Administration in International Development from the University of Washington.
Regina Wang is a Vice President with CBRE Capital Markets in the Seattle office, where she works with the team to place debt and equity for all types of commercial real estate asset nationwide. Since joining CBRE in 2019, she has underwritten/originated over $1 billion debt, and co-led the efforts with other senior producers on raising equity of over $300 million for multiple multifamily/mixed-use development projects in Pacific Northwest. She is a member of the Urban Land Institute (ULI), as well as the National Association for Industrial and Office Parks (NAIOP).
Prior to joining CBRE, Regina worked at Fortress Development on Avenue Bellevue, a mixed-use development project consisting of 1.1 million SF (365 Condo homes, 92k SF retail space, InterContinental Hotel of 208 rooms) in downtown Bellevue. Before moving to Seattle, she lived in San Francisco Bay Area, working at Brilent – a technology startup company, and GD Commercial – a boutique commercial real estate brokerage firm.
She obtained her master’s degree from the Sol Price School of Public Policy at the University of Southern California, and bachelor’s degree in Economics from the UIBE in Beijing. She is a Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM).
Samuel Lee
Casey Huang, a Partner at Mithun and an architect with 34 years of design experience. With a passion for affordable and workforce housing, as well as mission-based projects, Casey brings a strong contextual approach to the design and development of place-based housing that amplifies diverse voices and enriches communities. Her recent affordable housing projects include Little Saigon Landmark, Uncle Bob’s Place and Hirabayashi Place in the CID neighborhood, as well as 13th & Fir Family Housing, Liberty Bank Building and Maddux North & South.
Casey attended Tsinghua University in Beijing, one of the premier architecture schools in China, and her international professional relationships bring new partnerships to projects and a perspective that informs her work with diverse populations. Her design talents have resulted in many award-winning projects including Liberty Bank Building, Goodwill Job Training & Education Center, Marina Building at Shilshole Bay Marina, Thea’s Landing and REI Flagship Store.
As a first-generation immigrant, Casey has been actively involved in the Asian community. She was a board member for SCIDpda for 9 years from 2014 to 2022, and she previously served on the board of the National Association of Asian American Professionals (NAAAP).
Kyle Igarashi is a financial advisor with Edward Jones, where he works with individuals, families, and small business owners to develop financial goals, build investment strategies, and manage investments. His primary focus has been on retirement planning, living in retirement, asset consolidation and diversification, and serving small businesses.
Before joining Edward Jones, Kyle spent nine years in business management and strategy consulting with Navicet, Concentrix Catalyst (formerly Lenati), and Hitachi Consulting. As a practice lead, manager, and consultant, he served Fortune 500 companies in technology, retail, and communications, delivering projects in service design, product marketing, change management, and program management. During his time with Navicet, he helped develop and launch Lunous, a non-profit that serves as a catalyst for organizations working to end homelessness in the Pacific Northwest. Kyle also has a background in telecommunication equipment engineering. He graduated from Seattle Pacific University with a BS in Physics.
Senior Management
Jamie Lee
Co-Executive Director
jamiel@scidpda.org
Jamie (she/her) has nearly 20 years of experience in the non-profit and public sector, and has held leadership roles at SCIDpda for eight of those years. She most recently served as SCIDpda’s Director of Community Initiatives, overseeing external partnerships, fundraising, small business assistance, public space design, and neighborhood safety. Jamie is currently the Board Chair at International District Emergency Center, and has served on a number of other boards and committees, including Chinatown International District Business Improvement Area and Historic South Downtown. In 2021, Jamie received the Friend of Housing Community Crisis Response Award for her work supporting residents and small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jamie has a Master of Public Administration and a Master of Social Work from the University of Washington.
Jared Jonson
Co-Executive Director
jaredj@scidpda.org
Jared (he/him) has nearly 20 years of experience in the non-profit and public sector, and has served the SCIDpda on the board and staff for six years. Jared most recently served as SCIDpda’s Director of Property Operations, overseeing the department responsible for residential and commercial property management and maintenance, and prior to his staff role Jared served as Board President of SCIDpda’s Board of Directors for two years. Jared’s career includes roles in running political campaigns and building civic/political power for AANHPI communities, built environment policy and government relations roles at the King County Department of Transportation and the Urban Land Institute, and real estate development at Seattle Housing Authority. Jared has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science & Comparative Ethnic Studies from Washington State University.
Winston Samson
Director of Finance
winstons@scidpda.org
Prior to joining the team in November 2023, Winston (he/him) worked as the Finance Director for Malaria No More Fund, a Seattle based non-profit organization. Winston has nearly 30 years of experience in working with diverse cultures and environment in various industries, including non-profit, transport and delivery, farming, retail, and audit. He worked for 12 years in the Middle East, and 5 years in Singapore. He received his Bachelor’s Degree Major in Accounting at San Beda College Manila, Philippines and holds a Philippine CPA license as well. He completed his MBA in 2008 at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia.
Sophia Ni
Director of Property Operations
sophian@scidpda.org
Sophia (she/her) has been active in the real estate sector since 2007, with expertise in development, leasing, and property management. In her prior role at Wolf Bay Asset Management, a Windermere partner company, she managed a diverse portfolio of 30+ properties, spanning retail, office, and multi-family apartments. Notably, Sophai has also worked as the Associate Director at CBRE, Senior Consultant at JLL, and Store Development Specialist at Starbucks. Sophia holds a Master’s in International Business from Malardalen University in Sweden, and a Bachelor’s in English from Shanghai Maritime University in China. Outside work, she is a parent and resides in Shoreline, enjoying family activities and winter skiing.
Josh Sellers Park
Director of Real Estate
joshuap@scidpda.org
Josh (he/him) grew up in Mukilteo and attended the University of Washington to study Business Administration. He gained some experience working at Boeing before he pursued a graduate degree in Urban Planning from New York University, and during his time there participated in a fellowship with the Cooper Square Committee. His impactful experience with the committee shaped his belief that affordable housing is the cornerstone of any thriving community. Now, as the leader of SCIDpda’s real estate department, Josh is dedicated to overcoming the challenges of affordable housing development, ensuring that the communities in the International District have the opportunity to fully exercise self-determination.
An Huynh
Director of Community Development
anh@scidpda.org
Since 2016, An (she/her) has led place-based community empowerment and advocacy projects at SCIDpda. She currently oversees SCIDpda’s community and economic development programs, including small business assistance, public realm and creative “placekeeping” projects, and managing external partnerships. An served on the Transportation Equity Workgroup at Seattle Department of Transportation from 2019-2023 and is a member of the Equitable Transit Oriented Development Community Advisory Group with the Office of Planning & Community Development. An immigrated to Seattle with her family when she was 5 years old from her birthplace, Sài Gòn, Vietnam. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Community, Environment & Planning from the University of Washington.
For inquiries, please contact
Joseph Guanlao, Senior Development & Communication Manager
joseph@scidpda.org
