Pictured from left to right: Michael Byun and Margot Hill-Ferguson
SOAP LAKE, Wash. — Inatai Foundation, a 501(c)(4) philanthropy that works with Washington community-led organizations to build power for equity and racial justice, elected Michael Byun and Dr. Margo Hill-Ferguson to its Board of Directors during a quarterly board meeting. Both are long-serving state leaders who have dedicated their careers to supporting community-driven change.
Michael Byun has worked for decades to close health disparities, support immigrant and refugee communities, and promote social justice, with a particular focus on Asian, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and other underserved communities. Michael has deep ties and family connections to many places in Washington, including Aberdeen and Puyallup. Most recently, he was Executive Director of Asian Counseling and Referral Service (ACRS), a nationally recognized nonprofit that provides behavioral health programs, human services, and civic engagement activities to Asian, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, and other communities in King County and beyond. He calls Mason County home.
Margo Hill-Ferguson, JD, MURP has spent her life helping people and communities throughout Washington. A Spokane Tribal citizen who grew up on the Spokane Indian Reservation in rural Stevens County, she is a professor of urban planning and director of American Indian Studies at Eastern Washington University. Hill-Ferguson also serves as Associate Director of the Northwest Tribal Technical Assistance Program. The NWTTAP Center provides free training, technical assistance, and technology transfer support to Tribal transportation programs in the Bureau of Indian Affair’s Northwest Region.
“Margo and Michael are respected leaders working passionately to create an equitable and racially just Washington,“ said Inatai Foundation President & CEO Nichole June Maher. “Their deep experience and expertise strengthen our Board, making us more reflective of, rooted in, and connected to our state’s diverse communities.”
Hill-Ferguson and Byun are longtime Washingtonians with track records of impact and community commitment. Hill-Ferguson’s work is grounded and guided by tribal leaders and traditional teachings while focusing on future generations. A former Spokane Tribal Attorney and Coeur d’Alene Tribal Court Judge, her research has been key to developing best practices for preventing, investigating, and prosecuting violent crimes against Native women.
Byun brings a lifetime of advocacy work, having served on the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders under President Barack Obama and led Asian Services in Action in Ohio for more than a decade before joining ACRS.
“Inatai Foundation takes the lead from the community and trusts them to be the experts in solving their greatest challenges,” Byun said. “As a first-generation immigrant who identifies as LGBTQ+ and comes from a lower-income background, their work is deeply personal to me.”
“Powerful communities working together will move our state toward greater equity and justice,” Dr. Hill-Ferguson said. “I’m deeply aligned with Inatai’s values of equity, justice, and community-built power.”
As the Inatai Board welcomes Dr. Hill-Ferguson and Byun in June, they will also say a grateful farewell to departing members Brian Cladoosby, JanMarie Ward, and Luz Vega-Marquis. Marisa Grant will serve as Treasurer, and Sita Symonette will serve as Vice Chair. Martha Choe will assume the role of Board Chair, taking over from Seth Kirby, who will remain on the board.
“Seth’s leadership has made an incredible impact on this foundation,” said Choe. “His enthusiasm, knowledge, and boundless love for Washington communities have shaped Inatai and advanced our efforts to transform the balance of power in our state.”
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Media Contact
Diana Huynh
communications@inatai.org
About Inatai Foundation
Inatai Foundation is a 501(c)(4) philanthropy seeking to transform the balance of power to ensure equity and racial justice across Washington state and beyond. We are accountable to leaders and organizations building power in racially diverse communities in our state. With a team based throughout Washington, we work to advance four distinct areas of work: grantmaking, relationship building, policy and advocacy, and investment management. To learn more, visit www.inatai.org.
