To: Board of Supervisors
From: Diane Burgis, District III Supervisor
Report Title: Resolution recognizing Susun Kim for her outstanding leadership and service in honor of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
ADOPT Resolution recognizing Susun Kim for her outstanding leadership and service in honor of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month.
FISCAL IMPACT:
None
BACKGROUND:
See Resolution
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
None
The Board of Supervisors of Contra Costa County, California
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IN THE MATTER OF IN RECOGNIZING SUSUN KIM FOR HER OUTSTANDING LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE IN HONOR OF ASIAN AMERICAN, NATIVE HAWAIIAN, AND PACIFIC ISLANDER (AANHPI) HERITAGE MONTH
WHEREAS, the month of May is nationally recognized as Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month, a time to celebrate the rich histories and resilience, cultures, and contributions of AANHPI communities; and
WHEREAS, the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors recognizes Susun Kim for her vital role as an AANHPI leader, attorney and advocate whose life’s work has advanced equity, justice, and access to services for immigrant, refugee, and historically underserved populations; Susun’s lifelong commitment to public service, civil rights, and community empowerment reflects the values celebrated during AANHPI Heritage Month; and
WHEREAS, in 1988, Susun graduated with honors from Binghamton University and in 1991, she furthered her commitment to the pursuit of justice by earning her Juris Doctor from New York University School of Law; and
WHEREAS, throughout Susun’s legal career, including leadership roles at Bay Area Legal Aid, the Law Center for Families, and Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach, Susun has provided critical legal advocacy in the areas of immigration, housing, health access, and public benefits, consumer and family law; Susun developed culturally competent programs, pioneered services for AANHPI survivors of domestic violence, including creating Shimtuh, the first domestic violence program in the Korean American community in San Francisco; and
WHEREAS, Susun’s leadership has been instrumental in building cross-sector partnerships and advancing access to sustainable and equitable services which contributed to numerous countywide and statewide initiatives, including the Contra Costa Accountable Community for Health initiative, California Family Justice Center Network, Contra Costa Alliance to End Abuse, Measure X Community Advisory Board, Stand Together Contra Costa, Contra Costa Care Coalition, Office of Racial Equity and Social Justice, Gateways for Growth, Contra Costa County Community Corrections Partnership, The California Endowment Healthy Richmond Initiative, and the American Bar Association Commission on Domestic Violence, all in an effort to strengthen systems, influence policy, and promote racial and social equity; and
WHEREAS, Susun previously served as Founding Executive Director of the Contra Costa and Solano Family Justice Center, where she led the strategic direction and operations of five centers across multiple jurisdictions, including Antioch, Concord, Danville, Richmond and Fairfield; Her work included implementing trauma-informed policies, culturally responsive systems and advancing innovative initiatives including multidisciplinary teams addressing domestic violence and human trafficking, restorative justice programs, and community-based prevention strategies; and creating a pilot Community Restorative Justice project.
WHEREAS, as the Founding Executive Director of the Immigrant Action Network in Contra Costa County, Susun has demonstrated visionary leadership by establishing a nonprofit organization from the ground up, developing its mission and infrastructure, and expanding critical services for immigrant communities through initiatives such as the SAFE (Services and Access For Everyone) Center and mobile service sites; and
WHEREAS, Susun Kim’s contributions have been widely recognized through prestigious honors including 2026 California Nonprofit of the Year (Senator Grayson), 2025 Contra Costa Chair of the Board Award (Supervisor Andersen), 2021 Senate District 7 Woman of the Year (Senator Glazer), 2020 Assembly District 14 Woman of the Year (Assemblymember Grayson), and 2020 Agents of Change (Diablo Magazine); and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED: that the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors does hereby recognize and honor Susun Kim for her exceptional leadership, advocacy, and service to AANHPI and diverse communities; May her work continue to inspire and uplift communities throughout Contra Costa County and beyond.
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