After ten years of extraordinary leadership, Washington Community Action Network invites you to join us for a special evening celebrating Executive Director Mary Le Nguyen — and everything we’ve built together under her guidance.
When Mary became WashingtonCAN’s first Executive Director of color in 2015, she brought more than experience — she brought heart, courage, and lived commitment to racial, gender, and economic justice. Over the past decade, Mary has transformed our organization into a stronger, more powerful, and more inclusive force for change.
As she prepares to pass the baton at the end of this year, we’re gathering to honor her legacy, reflect on her impact, and recommit ourselves to the movement she helped build.
Under Mary’s leadership, WashingtonCAN has won groundbreaking victories across Washington State and national healthcare wins— proving what’s possible when working people unite across race, region, and issue to demand justice:
🌟 A Legacy of Impact and People Power
🏥 Healthcare for All
- Protected the Affordable Care Act through massive grassroots mobilization.
- Won the creation of Washington’s Universal Health Care Commission, a historic step toward true healthcare for all.
- Secured prescription drug cost reduction laws and funding for immigrant healthcare.
🏠 Housing Justice
- Passed eviction reform in Federal Way and statewide just-cause eviction protections.
- Capped move-in fees and established rental payment plans in Seattle.
- Helped win Seattle’s Social Housing Initiatives — establishing a public housing developer for working- and middle-class residents.
💪 Workers’ Rights
- Helped pass minimum wage initiatives in Tukwila, Seattle, and Burien.
- Defended gig workers' rights in Seattle.
- Led field and signature efforts for the Workers’ Bill of Rights initiatives in Olympia and Tacoma.
🗳️ Democracy Reform
- Led grassroots outreach for Seattle’s Democracy Voucher program and its renewal — ensuring working people, not big donors, shape local elections.
⚖️ Criminal Justice & Second Chances
- Passed SB 6164 to allow resentencing for disproportionate sentences.
- Expanded the Clemency & Pardons Board and mandated racial equity in its decisions.
🌍 Immigrant Rights & Inclusive Communities
- Organized to pass Auburn’s inclusive city resolution — protecting immigrants at the local level.
Through it all, Mary has built a stronger, more rooted movement: A highly trained field and phone canvass that reaches thousands every week, and a program team that connects online and in-person with Washingtonians across every corner of the state every day. Mary has sustained a grassroots membership that brings in nearly half of WashingtonCAN’s budget through small-dollar donations that give people a voice in the movement. Mary is leaving WashingtonCAN with a legacy of leadership by and for those most impacted, and we hope you'll join us on December 12th to celebrate that legacy.