Council confirms three members to King County Immigrant and Refugee Commission

The Committee of the Whole voted to confirm three appointments to the King County Immigrant and Refugee Commission on Jan. 28, 2025.

Council staff presented combined materials for the three nominations and noted the commission is a 13‑member advisory body created in 2018 to connect stakeholders and advise the county on issues facing immigrants and refugees, with codified membership requirements for geographic and lived‑experience representation. The committee approved proposed motions 2024‑0413, 2024‑0414 and 2024‑0415 with a due‑pass recommendation; the motions will be placed on the Feb. 11 council consent agenda for final action.

The confirmed appointees are Claire Sumadhiwariya (District 6), owner of Belden Café in Bellevue and active in local nonprofits; Mahat Roy (District 1), who shared personal experience of displacement and advocacy across multiple communities; and Maron Grama (District 4), an organizer and board member with experience supporting African refugees in King County.

Day Sugar, legislative staff liaison, and Brian Chu, executive staffer for the commission, told the committee the new members will help the commission reach a fuller roster; council staff said the commission currently has nine of 13 seats filled. Council Members highlighted the commission’s role: Dembowski, who led creation of the commission, urged appointees to prepare annual priorities and to communicate resource needs; other council members thanked nominees for volunteering and encouraged use of the commission’s advisory authority.

Clerk roll call recorded six ayes; Council Members Dunn and Teresa Mosqueda were excused. The committee directed staff to place the confirmations on the Feb. 11 consent agenda; finalists do not need to attend that meeting.

Staff and council members asked the appointees to engage on an annual reporting cadence and to advise the council about staffing or budget needs for the commission to function effectively.