Leadership with a Heart for Community.
Necia is a trailblazer, achiever and strong advocate for Seattle’s immigrant communities. As Senior Executive Assistant to the Seattle Fire Chief, she is the youngest person in executive leadership and the only woman of color on the team. But Necia’s path to leadership was far from linear, and WWIN was a key supporter in her meteoric rise.
Growing up in an underserved immigrant community in East Oakland, Necia was immersed in its history, culture and community—and she was keenly aware of how systemic injustice, poverty and crime held people back. Necia was determined to do more than achieve personal success. She was also deeply motivated to remove barriers for others. “I learned from a young age what being a part of a community means, and how serving others fills you in a profound way. It is my goal to use my degree to push change in the Fire Service so we can better care for the community.”
After years working as a waitress and caring for her two young children and teenage goddaughter, Necia entered college at 30. “I was terrified,” she remembers, “but I found my voice and my confidence in school. I learned to be bold and ask the questions others were afraid to ask—and that confidence grew as others thanked me for taking the lead.”
Becoming a WWIN Star Scholar meant far more to Necia than simply a financial award. It offered her a community of support and understanding. “It’s so empowering to see WWIN women of all ages, from young people in their 20s to aunties in their 50s and 60s, who are all doing good work and coming together to uplift each other.”
“I’m grateful to WWIN for investing in women like me.”
Necia graduated from the University of Washington Bothell cum laude with a 3.9 GPA. She made the President’s List multiple times and was nominated for the Husky 100 award. She rose quickly through the ranks at the Fire Department—from joining the service as a receptionist to winning her seat at the leadership table. She won a certificate of merit from the Fire Chief and Excellence in Leadership for Government Service award in 2019; and she was accepted into the Foster School of Business Executive Leadership Academy in 2022. Necia plans to continue furthering her career through executive education.
In all her accomplishments, Necia’s commitment to community shines through. She has led the Fire Department’s research and development of multilingual programs to better meet the needs of Seattle’s immigrant communities, and she continues to lead outreach programs that help communities develop emergency plans and access resources like smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. She says, “Serving others and creating spaces where people can learn, heal and grow fills my heart with joy. I’m grateful to WWIN for investing in women like me. When times are dark, it’s often other women who uplift you—and I’m inspired to continuously strive to pay it forward.”