Tri-County RPC Officers
Claudia Alvarado
Co-chair
Claudia has dedicated a large portion of her career to workforce development, particularly supporting employment and training programs that advance the economic well-being of immigrant and refugee communities. She is currently a program manager at Neighborhood House, a nonprofit organization that seeks to create housing, health education, and economic opportunity.
Crisann Brooks
Co-chair
Crisann Brooks has dedicated her adult life to helping others in nonprofit missions from young children, mentoring youth, family support and now family support for refugee’s and
immigrants the last 4 ½ year. Crisann has a BA degree in Social Services from Central Washington University. Her first job was as a residential youth counselor/supervisor, then Childcare Director at Boys and Girls Clubs of Snohomish County, Vice President of Programs and Recruitment Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound, Director of Family Support Centers
Lutheran Community Services N.W, and now Senior Director of Family Empowerment at Refugee Women’s Alliance. As the result of her experience throughout the years, she brings passion, understanding and commitment in providing culturally and linguistically appropriate services so all refugees and immigrants feel welcome, and reach success and
stability here in the United States.
Crisann and her team are adapt in developing successful and strategic partnerships with DSHS/CSO’s, WorkSource, landlords, other community-based organizations and local colleges and vocational education entities leveraging services and resources to build a comprehensive wrap around approach for participants and families that seek services at Refugee Women’s Alliance.
Crisann has been recognized in the past with an award for “Excellence in Leadership” and Excellence in Collaboration”. She works hard to ensure that the communities that she and her teams are serving are reaching and achieving the success they deserve.
Van Dinh-Kuno
1st vice-chair
A former refugee from Vietnam, Van has dedicated most of her adult life helping others at Refugee Immigrant Services Northwest where she has been Executive Director since 1991. Following her arrival to the US after the Fall of Saigon, she obtained a BS degree in Bio Chemistry from the University of Minnesota. After moving to WA State, she was hired first as a job developer, then assistant director before assuming her current position of 30 years as Executive Director. As the result of her own experience, she brings passion, understanding and commitment to providing culturally and linguistically appropriate
services so all refugees and immigrants can build a better life for themselves and their families.
Under her strong leadership and fiscal management, the annual operating budget has increased significantly over time with multiple revenue streams giving RISNW a strong and stable financial position. She developed numerous successful and strategic partnerships with local community colleges, DSHS/CSO, Employment Security, WorkSource and other local nonprofit providers to leverage services and resources while expanding RISNW's service populations and geographic reach beyond Snohomish County to Skagit, Whatcom, San Juan and Island Counties. She is a founding member of the Snohomish Local Planning Area (LPA) which now has more than 140 members.
Van is a recognized and tireless community advocate and civic leader. She is the recipient of numerous awards. The Outstanding Partnership Award from Everett WorkSource in 2002, Outstanding Service to Minority Communities Award from Baker St. Ministries, Asian
Weekly Top Contributor Award in 2015 and, most recently, the Oscar Eason Jr. Community Service Award from the NAACP are among the many awards received.
Alexandra Olins
1st vice-chair
Since 2014, Alex has been the Director of Employment and Citizenship Services at Asian
Counseling and Referral Service in Seattle. She is passionate about advocacy work on behalf of
immigrants and refugees and is the elected co-chair of the tri-county Refugee Planning
Committee advocacy subcommittee, a position she has held for the past five years. Originally
from Boston, she came to ACRS with over ten years of experience in workforce development
and was also a public school teacher in New Orleans and Los Angeles.
