Executive Sponsor
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 rograms 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
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Raised in Kitsap County in a Japanese American household, Mark Metzger has been a Washington resident for most of his adult life. As a multi-racial individual, he is no stranger to navigating the balance between embracing and honoring his heritage—learning the language, customs, and traditions—while also living in a country where the pressure to assimilate can be subtle yet pervasive. His husband is Chamorro and, over the last four years, has been on his own journey of self-discovery and cultural reconnection through both passed and living Chamorro ancestors, the diaspora, and global community networks. Together, their shared values inspire them to learn about, uplift, and support the communities they are part of—physically, digitally, and ancestrally—while recognizing the interdependence of all cultures and communities, especially those subjected to colonization and those actively suffering from or recovering after the impacts of imperialism. They believe that a shared fate necessitates working together to manifest the future all communities deserve.
Mark has worked in state government for the State Human Resources division at the Office of Financial Management for the past three years. In his first year, he served as Co-Chair for the OFM DEI Council, and for the last two years, he has served as Co-Chair for the RAIN BRG. He was grateful to be in state service when HAPPEN was formed and has supported the HAPPEN mission since its inception. He recognizes the meaningful work done by past leaders and members of the HAPPEN BRG and is excited about the opportunity to maintain that momentum and continue building on that strong foundation. Mark is committed to using his positionality within state government and leveraging his social location and relationships to further this effort. It is with deep humility and honor that he has accepted this role as a HAPPEN Co-Chair
Co-Chair
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Mabuhay! Rachel Friederich (she/her) was born in the Yakima Valley and is the proud daughter of Filipino immigrants. She is a first-generation college graduate and an award-winning journalist who made the leap state service. Friederich has worked as a communications consultant for the state of Washington since 2015. She has worked at the Department of Corrections and 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.
Her previous leadership experience includes serving as a representative for the Interagency Committee of State Employed Women, ICSEW, serving as a past professional development and communications chairs, helping cultivate new relationships with community members and playing a key role in managing strategic communications project.
Friederich is also a 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-planned its launch event in 2022.
"HAPPEN is where my heart is," says Friederich. "This group has given me inspiration to learn about my ANHPI heritage and history. It’s given me strength to acknowledge my own intergenerational trauma, tools to identify and confront white supremacy culture, and the courage to talk about it." As a HAPPEN co-chair, she wants to shed light on issues impacting ANHPI communities by encouraging them to share their lived experiences. "It’s only when we speak up, that we can ignite change." Friederich says. "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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Davida Miller is a passionate advocate for community, inclusion, and cultural empowerment. She is excited and honored to be a part of the HAPPEN Leadership team. With 30 years of dedicated service as a state employee with the Division of Child Support, she brings a wealth of professional experience, compassion, and commitment to supporting others. Understanding and recognizing that we are all unique and different, and that by embracing those differences, we can inspire more creativity and maximize our potential.
Proud to identify as Native Hawaiian, Chinese, and white, she brings a deeply personal connection to the mission of uplifting an empowering our employees and communities. Through involvement with the HAPPEN BRG, she has helped cultivate a supportive network that celebrates cultural heritage while fostering meaningful connections across the organization. She works to embed efforts to create spaces where individuals feel seen, heard, and valued.
In addition to her professional contributions, Davida is a devoted mother to five adult children and proud grandparent to three grandchildren. Her dedication to family and heritage reflects the same care, strength, and guidance she extends to her colleagues and others.
Known for her authenticity, collaborative spirit, and commitment to mentorship and advocacy, She continues to inspire others and strengthen the BRG’s mission of empowerment and belonging.
Administrative Liaison
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Communications Coordinator
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Community Outreach Lead
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Minnette Mason (she/her) is the Family & Community Navigation Supervisor at DCYF. She is a Mom and “Lola” (Tagalog for “grandmother”), as well as a Woman Veteran who retired after serving 20+ years. Her work in state government is a culmination of her service in the military coupled with her career path in high quality early care and education as a prevention strategy for child abuse and neglect.
Writing has always been a source of healing and truth-telling for Minnette, so it’s no surprise that she spent more than a decade of her military service in Air Force Public Affairs. (Hint: If you Google “Master Sgt. Minnette Mason,” you may discover some of her published articles!) She transitioned to the Air Force Reserve and had the privilege of mentoring early- to mid-career Airmen as a Career Assistance Advisor. Before retiring in 2021, she earned her degree in Children’s Studies and started her second career as an assistant teacher in childcare and preschool.
Minnette is “1.5 generation” Filipino, and she was grateful to visit the beautiful islands earlier this year and celebrate her grandmother’s 90th birthday. While there, she also had the chance to visit sites such as Intramuros, the Philippines National Museum of Fine Arts, and the National Museum of Anthropology. Of course, she also visited her parents’ hometown of Vigan, Ilocos Sur. Learning some of her rich history instilled this sense of pride that she holds close to her heart—especially here in the States, where much of her people’s history and influence is untold and undervalued. Nevertheless, she hopes to inspire change as a Community Outreach Lead for HAPPEN.
Leadership Development Lead
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Angela Kleis is interested in this role because she cares deeply about strengthening leadership pathways and making sure the community has access to the support, tools, and development opportunities needed to grow. Throughout her career in Washington state government, across both the Legislature and multiple agencies, she has seen how much difference it makes when people have clear guidance, practical training, and a supportive network. Her own career has been shaped by colleagues and leaders who invested in her, and she feels a strong responsibility to give that back.
Angela especially values identifying what people need to lead confidently, whether that’s skill building, mentorship, connection, or clarity on navigating state systems. She enjoys helping others develop their leadership voice and seeing emerging leaders grow into their strengths. Her work with HAPPEN has deepened her belief that representation and culturally grounded support matter, but her interest in this role is really about building structures that help people advance. She believes people rise together when they intentionally create spaces where individuals can build skills, gain confidence, and see a path forward.
Membership Coordinator
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Mentorship Lead
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Alyssa P. Au (she/her) is the proud daughter of Vietnamese immigrants who settled in South Seattle. She learned about the importance of community advocacy early on when she attended Wing Luke Elementary School, and continues to advocate and fight for marginalized Washingtonians as an Assistant Attorney General with the Wing Luke Civil Rights Division of the Attorney General’s Office. Alyssa also served as an intern, membership chair, and is now the Secretary of OCA-Greater Seattle, one of the largest and most active chapters of the national OCA – Asian Pacific American Advocates nonprofit that works to unite and empower the AANHPI community through education, organizing, and intergenerational bridge-building.
With her long-standing experience as a mentor and supervisor in multiple internship and law clerk programs, Alyssa is excited to serve as HAPPEN’s Mentorship Chair. She hopes to build bridges among different generations and work to connect state employees from multiple agencies to learn and grow together. Some of Alyssa’s closest relationships today are either her mentors or mentees, and she intends to help facilitate more meaningful connections among our AANHPI state employee community.
Alyssa loves gardening, eating dim sum, and spending time with her large extended family, OCA family, and friends. She is the cat-mom of two very special, senior cats: Tina and Luna.
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
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Sundy Ballester currently works for DSHS, Home and Community Services, under the Home and Community Living Administration. After much thought, Sundy has decided to run for an elected position with the HAPPEN BRG, hoping to contribute to strengthening the organization and supporting the HAPPEN mission.
Sundy has been involved with HAPPEN since its founding and continues to attend monthly meetings because of the important work being done to increase AANHPI representation in leadership and government while promoting equity and inclusion. Believing that now more than ever it is essential to get involved and show up to help shape the world we hope to see, Sundy aims to apply experience in project planning and managing initiatives from start to finish to support HAPPEN’s growth. Sundy is committed to fulfilling the responsibilities of the role and contributing meaningfully to the HAPPEN BRG and its community.
Treasurer
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Ex-Officio
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.
Ex-Officio
Nicholas Vann (he/him) was the first Executive Sponsor for Washington State Business Resource Group HAPPEN. He is Chinese American, and is the son, grandson, and great grandson of immigrants. Nicholas is dedicated to public service and prioritizes putting people first to ensure systems are serving Washingtonians equitably. He began serving the public in Washington state government in 2011 with the Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, where he served as the State Historical Architect and Deputy Director. He believes that every Washingtonian deserves the dignity of feeling a sense of belonging regardless of their identity, and that the future of state government models relational partnership by empowering the voice and lived experience of people.