Vanguard Legacy Awardee: Mary Le Nguyen
Executive Director, Washington Community Action Network (Washington CAN)
Years in role: 7 years
Where: Washington
What accomplishment are you most proud of?
My biggest challenge and proudest accomplishment is becoming Washington CAN’s first Executive Director of color and expanding our issue areas to include housing and criminal justice, which enabled us to build deeper roots in communities of color.
What myths would you like to break in your organization’s work?
Washington CAN is more than just an effective outreach operation. What makes us impactful is that we utilize what we learn from our members and the broader community at the doors, on the phones, and in gatherings to inform our strategy for policy, electoral, narrative, and leadership development work.
What does it take to build power?
To build the political, social, and economic power needed for all communities to thrive, it will take having a base massive enough to be decisive in every local and state race to elect our people, growing the skills needed to design, win, implement, and defend policies within our members; and courageous people sharing stories to move hearts and minds.
What is your why?
As a survivor of child sexual abuse, I felt hopeless and powerless, not having agency over my own body. That power that was once over me drives me to bring people together to rebuild and reshape the systems that have historically oppressed us so that we can all be free.
Learn more!
Learn more about Washington CAN and its critical work.
