Cayan Topacio

   Cayan Topacio has been engaged in public interest advocacy for
   more than thirty years.  She began her career as a community
   organizer in Washington State linking Asian American immigrants to
   social service providers. Cayan worked for the City of Seattle as a
   program coordinator and budget analyst where she was involved in
   human services, energy programs, water planning, budget analysis and
   policy formulation. Cayan served as a staff member of the Washington
   State Legislature Senate Ways and Means Committee.

She worked for the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), the federal agency responsible for marketing electricity in the northwest. At BPA, Cayan worked in corporate communication where she was responsible for liaison work with public interest groups advocating for energy conservation, salmon restoration and services to low-income consumers. She currently provides consulting services to the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance - a Washington, D.C. based national organization of Asian and Pacific American union members.  She helps with communication, issues advocacy, program development and implementation

Cayan lives in Seattle with her husband Ron Sims, a public official. When she is not traveling around the country encouraging Asian Americans to participate in the electoral process, Cayan volunteers her time to a nonprofit group with a mission to fight poverty in the Philippines.