Sili Savusa took over the executive director position for the White Center Community Development Association in April after Aileen Balahadia resigned.
The West Seattle Herald/White Center News spoke with Savusa about her long history working as an advocate for White Center families, and her goals leading CDA into the future.
Savusa’s history
Sili Savusa was the first of her parent’s children born in Seattle. Her parents moved to the area from Samoa in the mid-1950s at the pleading of her father’s brother (who was in the Navy, stationed in Bremerton).
Once in Seattle, Savusa said her parents quickly became advocates for the Samoan community, instilling a public service ethic in her at an early age.
“My mom and dad were activists in the Samoan community,” she said. “I remember growing up, people were always in our house … as people transition to the Puget Sound they came through our home. As I grew up parents helped organize relief efforts for hurricanes back home in Samoa.”
She said her parents helped other Samoans moving to the region connect with resources for housing, jobs and became active in a number of non-profits.
Her father’s mantra was, “It’s not about you; it’s about how you help others,” she said. “Your role in life is to serve in any way that you can.”
And with that upbringing, Savusa set out for a professional and volunteer life devoted to helping diverse families in North Highline.
Savusa moved to White Center with her husband and three children in 1996 and was working for Seattle’s Human Services Department at the time. In 2001, the Casey Foundation’s Making Connections Initiative came to White Center, infusing funds into the community to help families out in partnership with the newly formed WCCDA. Savusa started volunteering her time to help the initiative take hold.
In 2004 she left the city job and became family center director for the SW Youth and Family Services, allowing her to commit full-time to helping out locally.
In 2008 she ran for the Highline School Board’s White Center seat and won. She held that position until 2011 (and was president of the board that final year) before losing an election to Tyrone Curry. During her tenure, Savusa said she was focused on “elevating the work of the district overall to help strengthen their community engagement … and figure out how to best to support schools, principals teachers in helping to connect with parents in creating an environment where everybody, all families, felt like they were connected.”
The White Center CDA and Savusa’s role
“When the CDA was being developed it was with the intent of building a strong business district, … making sure there is affordable housing in White Center, creating a safe environment and safe streets for our families and our children that reside here, working with the institutional partners that exist (such as the King County Sheriff’s Office, schools, DSHS, and community organizations), and helping to connect families to neighborhood revitalization,” she said. “That is my vision of the CDA.”
Savusa defines her executive director role as “continuing to find and ensure resident voice in our values and mission, to elevate the exposure of White Center throughout the region, to help influence policy in the housing and business sectors, to develop strategic partnerships throughout our communities, to work with local governments, our UAC (North Highline Unincorporated Area Council), our county government, and, on the state level, on policies that help to support families in this region.”
Savusa sits on Governor Gregoire’s council to close the achievement gap for disadvantaged communities, and said that role will help her influence policy at the state level.
She plans to spend the early days of her tenure going out in the community, meeting with residents, business owners and other community organizations including the NHUAC and Chamber of Commerce.
“I need the UAC and I need the Chamber as a partner,” she said. “I care about their success just as much as ours … what makes us work is our partnerships … with all the community groups because families are hurting and so we need to figure out how to come together and work with each other.
“We need to get to the place where we can agree to disagree on certain issues … that is how communities are,” she continued. “We all care about White Center; we all care about families and the more we can work on that in partnership, the better.”
Savusa said she looks forward to Susan Enfield coming in as the Highline School District Superintendent from Seattle Public Schools.
“If you just look at Seattle Public Schools data, (Enfield) has made strides, she has moved the needle on school improvement and I think that is a good thing for this community,” she said.
Affordable housing, employment, covering basic needs and health care needs for immigrant populations will continue to be a challenge in helping White Center families, she said, in part “because of the state of our economy.”
What happens to the CDA if Burien annexes North Highline?
“I don’t think we are going anywhere,” Savusa said of the possibility of North Highline becoming part of Burien (North Highline residents will vote on annexation in November). “White Center isn’t going anywhere. We (will) need to figure out how to support the city of Burien to maintain what we have here in this part of the city. How do we make sure that 16th Ave is just as important as downtown Burien .. and how do we make sure places like White Center and Boulevard Park are not marginalized because we are way on the end of the city?”
If annexation goes through, she said she hopes to “Build that conversation (with Burien’s government): frank conversations on maintaining lifestyle, safe communities, thriving schools in our part of the district and that we create some equity for the city of Burien … and continue to build on the partnerships that we have north of Burien.
“As the city develops, as they put together their work plans … how do I make sure that White Center’s voice is at the table?” she said.
An open invitation
Savusa wished to share an open invitation to North Highline residents and business owners:
“If you don’t know me, I would love to sit down and have coffee with you … or a hamburger. Please call the CDA and I would love to find out what other people’s ideas are for the CDA to get involved and help improve the quality of life here in White Center.”
Sili Savusa can be reached at sili@wccda.org or 206-658-8344.
