Nhan Nguyen, the Neighborhood Revitalization Program Manager with the White Center Community Development Association is leaving the agency saying only that he is "moving forward to a new adventure."
He has written a letter detailing his thoughts about his time with the agency and what has been accomplished.

Friends –

I am writing with the news that after 2 years at White Center Community Development Association, I am moving forward to a new adventure.

I am proud of what we have accomplished together in the White Center Business District. We have created a brand and a logo for our community: “White Center – Growing a Global Village.” We have created for ourselves the Business Attraction Package and the Business Resource Guide; the Shopping Guide is on the way. We have worked with numerous merchants to create business Facebook accounts. Our Storefront Improvement Matching grant assisted 14 businesses to make their businesses more safe and attractive to customers. Our implementation of the King County Food and Fitness and Healthy Food Here initiatives enables us to help promote healthy eating and shopping in our downtown. Our partnership with the White Center Food Bank helps numerous low-income families gain access to healthy and nutritious food at our own local produce stores. We had a record-breaking Spring Clean event with over 600 volunteers completing 21 cleaning and beautifying projects this year. Our Jubilee Days drew double the number of vendors participating this year as the previous ones. It’s a great feeling walking around and seeing planter boxes in bloom, street banners fluttering in the wind, and new colorful murals, new business signs/awnings and fresh paint glistening in the sun - the list of many good things goes on.

However, I am most proud of is seeing our businesses pulling for each other. We started our monthly business Mixer a year and half ago with the goals of providing a venue for businesses to network with each other, building camaraderie, building relationships between our businesses and community partners, gaining access to resources and discussing related issues and working on them together. Toward this common purpose, I think we are well on our way. I’m so proud to see how you have led on your own the effort of asking KC DOT to install bike rack, organizing the first downtown Halloween party, applying for grant to maintain planter boxes and working with the WC Chamber to install new Welcome to White Center signs and create the first Good Neighbor Agreement to curb sale of fortified alcohol – the list goes on.

However, there are still much to be done, as those who have attended the last Mixer meeting can testify. There are much that still needs our attention and collaborative efforts. The White Center CDA is committed more than ever to the effort of leading revitalizing work in our business district as this is a core business for the organization. We look forward to advertising and hiring this position in the near future. If you have any questions about the business district work moving forward, please contact Patricia Julio at patricia@wccda.org or 206-694-1082 x162.

This letter is long so let me wrap up by saying thanks to the White Center CDA for the opportunity to work with such a great organization, to my Executive Director, Ms. Aileen Balahadia, for her vision, commitment and belief in the White Center Business District revitalization work and to all my co-workers especially Ms. Patricia Julio and Mr. Peterson Chum for their tremendous support and cheers.

Sincerely,

Nhan H. Nguyen
Neighborhood Revitalization Program Manager
White Center Community Development Association
1615 SW Cambridge Street
Seattle, WA 98106
206.694.1082 ext 166 phone
206.658.8344 fax
nhan@wccda.org
www.wccda.org