About the ECCC

Background

The Ethnic Chamber of Commerce Coalition (ECCC) traces its origin with several ethnic chambers working together since 2009 under the leadership of Dr. Skip Rowland, an Executive Director of the Urban Enterprise Center (UEC).

We were involved with the implementation of the Viaduct project and instrumental in the inclusion of a required allocation of minority businesses. From that beginning we continued the collaboration recognizing the need to provide a voice to the Asian American, Latino, minority and immigrant community in Seattle.

The ECCC came together because separately our voices were not heard. Even though we belonged to other larger better known organizations claiming to represent the ethnic communities interests, programs and resources inevitably defaulted to advancing the need of large corporate businesses. This overshadowed the needs of our communities and our small business owners.

​2014 census estimates 625,000 Asian Americans and NHPI live in the Seattle MSA along with 350,000 Latino’s. Collectively this community represents 39,000 businesses in the Seattle MSA.

Mission

Ethnic Chambers in Washington State formed the ECCC to give a unified voice in their communities. Education, health and business are our top three focus but they cover a wide range of concerns.

Our mission is…

  1. To promote the development and sharing of activities among ethnic chamber of commerce organizations.
  2. To inform and educate the ethnic business community about current policy changes that may impact their businesses.
  3. To participate in the discussion with government entities that may impact the ethnic business.

Leadership

Mike Sotelo
President

Mike was elected the President of the Ethnic Chambers of Commerce Coalition in February,2020. He is also the president of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of King County, Co-Founder of the Association of Hispanic Chambers of the State of Washington and founder of Plaza Bank. Sotelo is the visionary force behind La Plaza International, dedicated to the import of Mexican spirits to the US and China. He is a nationally recognized leader in workplace safety, workforce development and a visible leader in the Pacific Northwest construction industry. Mike is currently the founder and CEO of Consolidar LLC, whose mission is to provide resources for the Latino community through education, workforce development, and health.

Martha Lee
Treasurer

Martha, after having been at the helm of ECCC for the last 4 years since the start of the organization, she has decided that it’s time for her to hand the torch to the next bearer and spend more time with her grandchildren and on other interests. She will continue to contribute as the Treasurer of ECCC. She also serves on the board of Overlake Hospital Medical Center, Washington Policy Center, and the Greater Seattle Chinese Chamber of Commerce, and was the President for 2014 to 2015. Martha is a 2016 recipient of the President’s Volunteer Service Award from the White House. Professionally, Martha has over 35 years of financial and management experience. She has held various Senior Vice President and CFO positions with Royal Philips Electronic Corp., including Philips Electronic North America, Philips Lighting in North America, Philips Consumer Communication in Asia Pacific, and Philips Medical Sales and Service Region in North America.

Lawrence Pang
Secretary

Lawrence is elected the Secretary of the Ethnic Chambers of Commerce Coalition in 2020. He was the past President (2009 – 2010) and a current Board member of the Greater Seattle Chinese Chamber of Commerce. He started serving the community in 1999 serving as an elected member of the Seattle ISRD Board. Besides promoting the interests of the minority businesses, he is passionate about fostering the well being and dignity of the senior citizen. He founded the Senior Volunteer Corps in 2016 with such missions and goals in mind. Professionally, Lawrence has been a Certified Court Interpreter/translator since 1999, assisting Chinese with Limited English Proficiency in court proceedings. He is also an insurance professional, handling personal, commercial, professional and medical insurance for 25 years. Starting in 2005, he is authorized by Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board to provide “Mandatory Alcohol Server Training” and issue MAST permits on behalf of the WSLCB.”​