Our Team
ReWA is guided in fulfilling its mission by our accomplished and dedicated Board of Directors, comprised of individuals from a variety of professional and cultural backgrounds.
ReWA has a team of over 180 staff members with the capability of speaking over 65 languages and dialects. Most of our staff are refugees or immigrants, who work with program participants to deliver bilingual and bicultural services.
Shevanthi Daniel-Rabkin, Chair
Shevanthi (Shev) is the Deputy Director of Programs at the Democracy at Work Institute, a national nonprofit dedicated to building the field of worker-owned cooperatives through research, education and field-building. Her work ensures that the expansion of worker cooperative development in economically and socially marginalized communities is adequately supported, effective, and strategically directed. Shev immigrated from Sri Lanka with her family. Prior to moving to the United States, she lived in the hill-country tea plantations where she witnessed the challenges of civil war and poverty among the plantation workers. Those early experiences shaped her passion and commitment to equity and sustainable economic development. Shev has an MBA in Sustainable Business from Pinchot University and BA in History and Anthropology from University of Washington.
Samson Negassi, Vice Chair
Senior Structural Engineer, The Boeing Company
Samson is a Senior Structural Engineer at Boeing. His work focuses in the early stage design and analysis of Airplane Primary Structures. He has Master’s degrees in Software Engineering from Harvard University and in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Washington. He was born and raised in Ethiopia and migrated to the US from Eritrea. As is the case for many refugees, Samson had experienced displacement more than once; including deportation from his country of birth, forced military conscription, political persecution and imprisonment, and crossing international border in search of safety. Over the years, he has volunteered to help refugees and asylum seekers in his community resettle in the US by providing translation services, financial and legal assistance, educational and professional mentorship, and job placement by tapping into his network. He is excited to join ReWA’s board and help advance the organization’s mission which is life changing for many refugees.
Cynthia Chirot, Secretary
Chief Operating Officer (Retired) and Community Volunteer. A banking executive for much of her career, Cynthia served as chief operating officer at the Federal Home Loan Bank of Seattle. She later transitioned to nonprofit leadership roles at the American Red Cross of Western Washington, the Washington Women’s Foundation, and at several other nonprofits. She holds an MBA from the University of Washington, a BA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is a graduate of Leadership Tomorrow. Cynthia’s other board service has included PeaceTrees Vietnam (board chair), Capitol Hill Housing (board chair), the Seattle Rotary Service Foundation, International District Rotary (president), City University of Seattle, the Group Health Foundation and the University of Washington Business and Economic Development Program Advisory Board.
Teresa Cho, Treasurer
Chartered Professional Accountant, Camber Consulting. Teresa is a professional accountant and mother to two teens. She graduated from the University of British Columbia and holds a Chartered Professional Accountant designation. She has served a variety of finance and accounting positions over the past 20+ years both in public accounting and at various Fortune 100 companies and currently serves as a member of ReWA's Finance Committee. When she was young, her parents left their professional jobs in Hong Kong, as well as their family and friends to immigrate to Canada in the hope of offering their children opportunities not available in Hong Kong. Although her immigrant journey was somewhat eased by the support of family, she understands the struggle faced by immigrants to adapt not only to a foreign language but also to a new culture. What drew her to join the ReWA board was the opportunity to contribute in a direct way to assist with integration of refugees and immigrants in the Seattle area.
Board Members
Eileen M. Concannon, Member
Attorney (retired) and Community Volunteer
Eileen has been a community activist and attorney since 1980. A commercial litigator by training, her volunteer and community work have focused on serving marginalized populations. She has served on the Washington State Supreme Court Commission on Gender and Justice; the Initiative for Diversity Governing Council; the American Bar Association's Commission on Domestic Violence; as President of the King County Bar Association; Chair of KCBA's "Glass Ceiling Task Force", Vice-President of Washington Women Lawyers, Trustee of the King County Bar Foundation, and Chair of the University of Washington Women's Center. Her parents were Irish immigrants who taught their children that “success” comes with education, ambitious dreams, hard work and caring for others. Eileen's passion for justice, the rule of law, and opportunities for all is what inspired her to join ReWA’s board.
Kiran Dhillon, Member (sabbatical)
Executive Director, Cancer Vaccine Institute at University of Washington
Kiran Dhillon immigrated to the US with her family from India at the age of 9. She is a scientist, artist, and community volunteer. She has a PhD in Genetics from the University of Washington and studied chemotherapy resistance in breast and ovarian cancer at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center prior to joining the Rivkin Center as Director of Scientific Programs. She is currently the Executive Director of the UW Medicine’s Cancer Vaccine Institute where she directs the overall strategic program goals, philanthropic relations, and general administration of the institute in its quest to end cancer. Kiran is also actively engaged in the Seattle arts community. She was a film festival director with Tasveer, a South Asian film organization, and is the Vice President of the Board for Northwest Film Forum. In her free time, Kiran is passionate about honing her skills as a fluid acrylic artist.
Linda Higgins, Member
Linda Higgins (Retired) has recently returned to Seattle after caring for her elderly parents. She is a strategic leader with over 35 years of diverse industry experience in the Technology sector, with a professional background in Finance, Accounting, IT and Management. Linda has a track record of driving growth and operational efficiencies at several Puget Sound companies both public and private including Business Program Management / Product Manager, Finance & Professional Services at Microsoft and serving as Director of Accounting Services at Attachmate. Linda has a BS in Finance from Arizona State University.
Carllene Placide-Edwards, Member
Current Leadership Position with The Boeing Company. Carllene serves in a leadership position with The Boeing Company, focusing on commercial aircraft contracts. She is the former Director of Safety & Operations at First Student Inc./First Group America and is a former Amazon Logistics Leader of the Global Expansion and Emerging Markets Team. She is a graduate of Cornell University and Seattle University School of Law and was partner at several national and international law firms before founding her own firm, Placide Law Group, P.S. where she practiced labor, employment and international business immigration law. Carllene was born and raised in Trinidad, West Indies and immigrated to the United States with her family. She studied ballet from a young age and is currently a competitive international ballroom dancer. Carllene serves on the board of the Suzuki Institute of Seattle, and formerly served on the boards of the Epiphany School, Forest Ridge School of the Sacred Heart, the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, The Pacific Northwest Ballet Association, Washington Lawyers for the Arts, and the Corporate Council for the Arts.
Sheila Kelley Fernandez, Member
Finance Manager, Sustainability at Amazon. Sheila supports finance for Amazon's sustainability initiatives including carbon and biodiversity innovations. Previously, she worked in nonprofit finance and operations. She holds a MS in Business Analytics from University of Washington, BAs in Global Development Studies and Business Administration from Seattle Pacific University, and graduated from Leadership Tomorrow. She is a founding member of employee Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives and currently serves on Amazon’s Women in Finance committee focused on employee retention. Passionate about maximizing financial support for those in need, especially immigrant and refugee families, she is honored to serve on ReWA’s Finance Committee.
Alan Caplan, Member
Alan Caplan is a business executive and community volunteer with more than 30 years’ experience at companies such as Amazon.com, Blue Origin, Vulcan, and ATT Wireless. He currently is COO at ACME Brains, Inc., a start-up developing human-focused AI services. Alan’s past positions have included a variety of business, strategy, legal, and product development roles, with an overarching focus on organizational resilience and operational excellence. Alan also serves as a board-member of Northwest Harvest, a food justice organization working to end food insecurity in Washington State. He holds a BBA in Finance from the University of Michigan and a JD from the University of Chicago Law School.
Chris Baird, Member
Founding Partner, Corvid Law PLLC
Chris is a lawyer who advises clients on all manner of environmental disputes concerning hazardous substances. Before founding Corvid Law, Chris was a Partner at Perkins Coie LLP in Seattle, where he had practiced since completing a clerkship with the Honorable Ronald M. Gould, United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. In his pro bono practice, Chris has represented juvenile defendants in contested removal proceedings, including at the Ninth Circuit. Chris earned his J.D. from the Duke University School of Law, and holds a M.S. (Environmental Science) from Western Washington University and an A.B. (Environmental Studies) from the University of Chicago.
In addition to serving on REWA’s Board of Directors, Chris is the Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Rave Foundation, the charitable arm of Seattle Sounders FC. Chris previously served on the Board of Directors for the Rainier Valley Food Bank, the busiest food bank in Seattle, and is a graduate of Leadership Tomorrow (2017).
Valentina Montecinos, Member
Valentina Montecinos brings over 20 years of strategic finance and operations expertise to the board, with deep experience across nonprofit, philanthropic, and private sectors. She currently serves as Director of Finance at PROTEC17, where she leads financial planning and analysis for the labor union. Previously, she founded Montecinos Financial Consulting, serving mission-driven organizations. She holds an MBA in Sustainable Business from Presidio Graduate School and is a Certified Nonprofit Accounting Professional. As a Chilean immigrant, fluent in Spanish, Valentina understands the importance of building community for new arrivals to the US, and across cultures. She values civic engagement and has served as Co-Chair of the Seattle Human Rights Commission and as a coalition member of the Garfield Super Block. Having participated in ReWA events for over 15 years, she has seen firsthand how vital its work is and is eager to help strengthen a sustainable, supportive community where refugees can truly thrive.
Anne Shukla, Member
Ekin Yasin, Member
Ekin Yasin, Ph.D. is a Teaching Professor in the Department of Communication and Director of the Master of Communication Leadership program at the University of Washington. She earned her Ph.D. in Communications, Media, and Culture from New York University and has over a decade of experience leading graduate programs focused on leadership, emerging technologies, and strategic communication.
Ekin has served on and chaired boards and committees, contributing expertise in communication, outreach, and strategy.
An immigrant from Turkey and the daughter of immigrants, Ekin brings both lived experience and professional commitment to advancing equity and access. Having mentored many students who arrived in the United States as immigrants, she understands the challenges and possibilities immigrant and refugee communities navigate.
Kathryn Weber, Member
Key Staff
Kathleen Cloutier, Executive Director
Crisann Brooks, Senior Director, Family Empowerment Services
Carlin Yoophum, Director, Domestic Violence Program
Lisa Bowie, Director, Center for Social Emotional Wellbeing
Susan Lee, Ed.D., Senior Director of Education
Margarita Seeley, Director, Finance
Steve Rodgers, Human Resources Manager
Kirk W. Laughlin, CFRE, Chief Development Officer