Cristina Vasconcelos, Executive Director

• Brazilian American with more than 25 years of management, marketing and fundraising experience in the fields of social services and non-profit organizations. She has extensive experience in the areas of human services working with various age groups and ethnic communities.
• Graduated from the University of Washington Summa Cum Laude in Health Education, she was Director of Senior Services for VOA/SCP for 21 years, she was also Director of Patient Services and Education for the Arthritis Foundation, Health Educator for Boeing Medical Department and Clinical Research Coordinator for Virginia Mason Medical Center, as well as Activity Director for Senior Retirement Community and Adult Family Homes.
• She speaks fluent English, Portuguese, French and Spanish.

• As Executive Director of PAEP Seattle since July 2013, she has successfully negotiated contract, grant renewals for the Congregate Nutrition Meals Program, The Enhance Senior Fitness, Senior Transportation, Food Lifeline Food Bank Services and United Way Community Investment project to assist seniors in leading healthy, active and independent lives. She has been instrumental in receiving new community grants and in re-organizing the agency to be more efficient in delivering its services and in cutting expenses.

Ratana Phoulaiat, Administrative Assistant

• She joined PAEP in December 2013 to assist with the Congregate Meal Program, the Fitness Project, the Citizenship Classes, the Food Bank, as well as other administrative aspects of the agency.

• As a native of Laos she speaks Laotian and understands the culture well allowing her to be of great assistance to clients.

• Prior to joining with PAEP, she worked at Bank of America for four years assisting clients with loans. She also worked as public outreach worker liaison as a subcontractor under the City of Seattle, assisting with translations from English to Lao.

• She has an AA degree in word processing from Spokane Falls Community College. She speaks Laotian and English.

 

Yao Fou Chao, Site Coordinator for the Lao/Hmong/Mien Community

• Born in Laos, he worked for the CIA from 1970 to 1975 and moved to the USA in 1979.

• He works very hard as the liaison between the two Senior Clubs of Laotian and Hmong clients and PAEP. He ensures that the programs run well and according to the protocols, at the two sites. He completes the required paperwork, coordinates the details of the meal, exercise, Food bank and citizenship programs for the Laotian and Hmong/Mien groups.

• He speaks Mien, Laotian and English.

• Besides working part time for PAEP, he works for Washington State University, King County Extension as Horticulture Educator since 1988.  He is well respected in his community.

 

Sauimalae Strickland, Site Coordinator for the Sapo/ Polynesian Community

• She assists with the paperwork and reports for the Polynesian Group, completes registrations and is responsible for taking class attendance for the nutrition and Exercise programs.

• Her husband, Peter Strickland, is the Executive Director for SAPO and they both are very involved in the South Pacific Asian communities and are true leaders.