nwasianweekly.com
Jan. 19, 2008
‘Looking & Feeling Your Best’
What: A luncheon honoring women who have dedicated their career to issues of health and beauty, organized by Women of Color Empowered
When: Friday, Feb. 1, 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Where: Ocean City Restaurant, 609 Weller St., Seattle
The whole package
By Eleanor Lee
Northwest Asian Weekly
Everyone knows the first few lines of the song, “I Feel Pretty,” from the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, “Westside Story”: “I feel pretty/ Oh so pretty/ I feel pretty and witty and gay.”
But the rest of the lines are important, too. Maria isn’t just a silly girl basing her worth on her looks. She also feels charming, stunning and entrancing. She feels like running and dancing for joy. The girl thinks the city should give her a key.
And what is the source of all this newfound bliss? She is loved, by “a pretty wonderful boy.”
Now, some might interpret that as a woman needing a man, but I chose a more generous interpretation. Being loved gives you confidence, makes you feel beautiful. When you feel good, you look good. And yes, when you look good, you feel pretty good, too.
True beauty, born of health and confidence, is a sight to behold.
That’s what the honorees and panelists of the upcoming Women of Color Empowered luncheon are going to address when they give you advice on “looking and feeling your best.”
This event kicks off a year’s worth of events aimed at helping women of color take better care of themselves, inside and out. So come and learn what the panelists and honorees, all experts in their various fields of health and beauty, have to tell you about feeling pretty and charming and dancing for joy.
A discounted price of $20 is offered if tickets are purchased by Jan. 29. Thereafter, the full price of $30 applies, including walk-ins. Admission includes a multicourse Chinese meal and a gift bag.
A Nordstrom wardrobe consultant will be on hand to brief attendants on fashion trends and career dress choices. In addition, a random drawing will be held and two lucky winners will receive hairstyling and makeup services from Yuyi of Eastlake Hair Salon and Hannfy of Chiung-Hua Liao Salon. For tickets, call 206-223-0623 or e-mail rsvp@nwasianweekly.com.
Honorees
Meko L. Lawson
Meko
Lawson is the owner of M.L & Associates, an event marketing firm. In addition,
she is the founder and president of the Young Women’s Institute and
Professional Women of Color Network, and has created more than 100 events
for women of color, emphasizing optimal living through healthy lifestyle,
personal wealth and well-being, and professional success. Some of the events
Lawson has created are Celebrate, Commemorate and Educate, a breast cancer
awareness event for women of color and their families; Just Us Girls, an
expo for young women focusing on empowerment and etiquette; and an annual
spa networking event each July.
Xóchitl
P. Alvarez-Ponce
Xóchitl
Alvarez-Ponce owns and operates Flower of Life (Flor de la Vida) Massage,
based in Burien. Her mission statement is to empower her clients to
recognize themselves as limitless, valuable and whole. Alvarez-Ponce
annually donates massage gift certificates to the Northwest Immigrant
Rights Project, CASA Latina and the WA Hispanic Bar Association, among
other nonprofits. For the past four years, she has served as vice president
of membership for the American Association of University Women, Seattle
branch, and as newsletter editor for the AAUW Highline branch. She
also serves on the board of directors for Ten Thousand Villages, a
nonprofit fair-trade store.
Deirdre Yen Chiu, D.D.S.
Dr.
Deirdre Yen Chiu received her bachelor’s degree from the University
of Puget Sound and her Doctorate of Dental Surgery from the University
of California San Francisco. She is a member of the Seattle King County
Dental Association, Washington State Dental Association and American
Dental Association. Chiu is very active in community organizations, including
serving as a past president and present board member of the Seattle King
County Dental Foundation, a Seafair pageant judge and a PTSA volunteer
in Bellevue schools. She has also given presentations to local schools
on the importance of oral health. Chiu held the title of Miss Burien
1980, Miss Seattle Chinatown 1982 and Miss Seafair 1982. Her hobbies
are spending time with her husband and two sons, cooking, tennis, skiing,
hiking and eating.
Annette
Squetimkin-Anquoe
Annette
Squetimkin-Anquoe, a member of the Colville Confederated Tribes, has
been working in native communities for more than 23 years to address
health disparities. Currently, she is employed at the Seattle Indian
Health Board and leads the Washington State Urban Indian Tobacco Prevention
and Control Program. Squetimkin-Anquoe has previously served as prevention
director for a national American Indian substance abuse prevention
program and as a project director for a tribal mental health program.
She is the president of an American Indian youth theater organization
and the host of a weekly community radio program that features American
Indian music. Squetimkin-Anquoe has a master’s in psychology from Antioch
University and is a doctoral student in the Leadership & Change program.
Tama Murotani-Inaba
Tama
Murotani-Inaba is exceedingly well known in the area. She has served
the local Japanese American community with her volunteer work for many
years, including her longtime commitment to Blaine Memorial United
Methodist Church. She has also worked as a hostess at the dining room
of Westin Hotel Seattle for 30 years. Murotani-Inaba knows about looking
and feeling her best — she was a winner in Macy’s fashion contest last
year. Friends say that the 87-year-old always looks “drop-dead
gorgeous!”
Panelists
Diane Chiu, M.D.
Dr.
Diane Chiu is a board-certified dermatologist who specializes in cosmetic
and laser surgery. She received her medical degree from the University
of Washington Medical School, completed her dermatology residency training
at Harvard Medical School in 2001 and was a clinical instructor for
Harvard Dermatology residents and medical students at the Beth Israel
Deaconess Medical Center in Boston from 2001 to 2004. She is currently
practicing at the Virginia Mason Medical Center in downtown Seattle.
In July 2008, she will join the private practice of Pacific Dermatology
and Cosmetic Center in Northgate. Chiu has given numerous presentations
about skin care, including “Non-surgical Ways to Improve Your Appearance” to
the Seattle Chinese Women’s Club.
Carmen Palomera
Carmen
Palomera concluded a 40-year government career with the federal government
in 2002, having worked for six different agencies in the Department
of Health and Human Services. Her last position was regional manager
of the Office for Civil Rights, which protects the civil rights of
recipients of health and social services. Palomera is the first and
only director of Seattle’s
Rainbow Bookfest, an annual festival that celebrates and showcases
works by authors of color. It is the only bookfest of its kind in America.
She received her Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Georgia
State University in Atlanta and her Master of Science from George Washington
University in Washington, D.C.
Mandy Mullens-Williams
Mandy Mullens-Williams is the director of Dress for Success Seattle,
an affiliate of a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to
promote the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing
professional attire, a network of support and the career development
tools to help women thrive in work and in life. Williams is also a certified
life coach, consultant and trainer focused on partnering with leaders
in non-profit organizations who want to reignite their creative fire.
She is a proud mother of two sons, a wife and a devout Christian.
Ellen York
President
and CEO of Ellen York Image Institute, Ellen York is a well-known image
consultant and successful former dress designer. York helps people
develop a wardrobe that enhances their career and social life. She
also teaches table etiquette, social graces and public speaking. Many
of her clients have told her, “The only thing you changed in my life was
everything.” Upon the diagnosis of stage II breast cancer in 2004,
York wrote her first book, “Dressing the Petite Woman.” She
has been on the advisory board of Northshore School District since 1989.
Mistress of ceremonies
Amy Ng
Amy Ng is a local Seattleite of 24 years. She grew up in Tukwila, graduated
from Mt. Rainier High School and earned her bachelor’s degree
in finance from UW. Currently, she is employed at Amazon.com as a financial
analyst in digital media. After work, Ng coaches a high school girls’ basketball
team for the local Seattle Chinese Athletic Association and is a Big
Sister of the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization. In 2005, she served
the Seattle Chinese community as Miss Chinese Seattle Queen and represented
Seattle in Miss Chinese International Pageant and Miss Chinatown USA — obtaining
the title of 2nd Princess.
Eleanor Lee can be reached at e.lee@nwasianweekly.com
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