Board Service: Lynn Miyamoto
Lynn Miyamoto has served as a board member for Jericho Road Pasadena for six years and has been an important piece of JRP’s growth; Lynn is happy to see the results of her board work, as JRP celebrates our 10th anniversary!
Lynn spoke last month on the need for a broader view of diversity and lived experiences on boards and in work places. To read more about rising anti-Asian violence and how we can support our API communities, click here.
“Diversity is a very broad definition, that can mean so many things to different people. Diversity isn’t simply race, it means diversity of gender, different socioeconomic communities, people with disabilities, people of varying ages. People come from different backgrounds and different life experiences. Different people bring different perspectives. That diversity of experiences and cultures makes boards much richer and more meaningful. I don’t represent all Japanese-American women, we are all so different. That is what is so beautiful.”
When it comes to board service, Lynn has a lot of experiences and ideas on how to leverage diversity and people’s individual skills and passions to help a nonprofit be more effective in their communities:
“One thing I like about serving on the board at JRP is that I have been able to connect with the nonprofits we serve, our volunteers, and connect with people in real and meaningful ways.”
“I’m currently working with a human rights organization in Boston which is doing work in racial equity, migrant issues, and climate displacement to indigenous populations. We do a lot of reading as a group and training on racial equity work. Everyone needs to understand these issues. All boards should do diversity and equity training.”
While serving on JRP’s board, Lynn has leveraged her passions and law experience to help organizations such as Friends of Foster Children and the Hemophilia Foundation, with legal projects:
“I just love working with people who really have a passion for their mission. Bylaws sound kind of boring, frankly, but they govern the nonprofit. Really, I love talking to individuals about their passion and have those bylaws reflect that and to create a flexible and compliant plan. This work also makes the org think a lot about which roles people are playing, succession plans, term limits, etc. I think organizations should continually look at those to make sure they are reflective of the work.”
While Lynn is terming off of JRP’s board soon, she isn’t slowing down:
“I serve on a few other boards, four actually. When you serve on different boards it’s helpful to see how others work and you can bring and spread ideas and perspective. And I’ll still be around!”
Have you considered serving on a nonprofit board? JRP provides training and a placing service. If you are interested in learning more, contact Melanie Goodyear at ExecDirector@JRPasadena.org.