50th Anniversary Gala

Watch Celebrating 50 Years of Impact: Solid Ground’s Journey to Eradicate Poverty in Seattle by Converge Media.

Gala Recap

BACK TO TOP

 

Video Excerpts

BACK TO TOP

 

Speakers & Presenters

Omari Salisbury, Keynote Speaker

Omari is cofounder of Converge Media. Raised in Seattle’s Central District, he has launched TV and radio stations across Africa and the Middle East – as well as East Africa’s first totally digital media marketing agency – and negotiated content deals for over 40 countries. In 2016, he returned to Seattle and launched Converge Media to uplift stories of Seattle’s Black community. Converge has built a loyal following for its Emmy Award-winning coverage and culturally relevant content about the Pacific Northwest. And Omari has earned a reputation as an authentic and honest communicator with the trust and respect of his community and Seattle power brokers. Read our interview with him: Omari Salisbury to present keynote at Solid Ground’s 50th Anniversary Gala.

---

Cheryl Cobbs Murphy

In 1984, Cheryl was hired as Housing Director of the Fremont Public Association (FPA). She quickly earned the role of Deputy Director, then was named Executive Director in 1999. Under her leadership, the FPA/Solid Ground expanded into a regional Community Action Agency with a reputation for innovating programs and driving statewide policy change. But the most profound part of her legacy was her leadership to embed anti-racism principles into every aspect of how we work to solve poverty.

---

Patricia Flores

Thirty years ago, Patricia, her teen daughter, and her grandson fled violence in their Toppenish home and headed to Seattle, landing at our Broadview Shelter. While there, she learned about and volunteered to serve on the Seattle Rape Relief crisis line, an experience that led her to a long career in sexual assault and domestic violence advocacy. Patricia was Advocacy Coordinator for the Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs, where she drew on her personal experience as a survivor. More recently, she served as Executive Director of Catherine Place, a nonprofit resource and support center for women and LGBTQIA+ community members in Tacoma.

---

Shalimar Gonzales

Shalimar joined Solid Ground as Chief Executive Officer in January 2021. Her down-to-earth charisma belies a foundation of rigorous leadership development. Prior to joining us, she served as District Executive for the YMCA of Greater Seattle, overseeing operations across five locations and 500 staff. During her 17-year career with the Y, she led diversity, inclusion, global capacity building, international partnerships, and more. She started her career in arts-based programming in Seattle and later served at the YMCA of Los Angeles. Shalimar is the current Board Chair of the Washington State Community Action Partnership and Immediate Past Chair of the Community Roots Housing board.

---

Mary Ruffin

Mary, Solid Ground Board Chair since 2023, lived for seven years at our Sand Point Housing campus in Magnuson Park with her mom and younger brother. During that time, she graduated from the University of Washington and UW School of Law. Mary first joined Solid Ground’s Community Accountability Council (CAC) to provide resident perspective on agency operations and programs. Then in 2021, she joined the Board of Directors as a CAC representative, helping to formalize the CAC’s role in selecting Board members. Mary works in the legal field and is studying for her bar exam.

 

BACK TO TOP

 

Emcee & Musicians

Emcee Sasha Summer Cousineau

Sasha is owner of Revel Rouser Events and a fundraising auctioneer, gala emcee, and event planning consultant. A lifelong performer passionate about social justice, racial equity, and feminism, Sasha believes her clients make up the heart and moral compass of our communities.

---

Bassist Bruce Phares

Perhaps best known for his 50-year musical relationship with legendary NW jazz pianist Overton Berry, Bruce’s lyrical and melodic approach to bass playing has landed him appearances with many national and international artists over his 50 years of performing. He primarily leads various all-star groupings and hosts a monthly concert series, The Jam In The Atrium, on Vashon Island.

---

Guitarist Tim Lerch

World-famous performer and educator of jazz guitar, Tim is one of the busiest and most sought-after guitarists in the Pacific Northwest. His playing style is greatly admired by an online following of over 90,000 jazz guitar devotees. Tim not only performs under his own name with various NW luminaries, but he also holds the soloist’s chair with the ever-popular Gypsy Jazz group, Pearl Django.

---

Percussionist Xavier Lecouturier

An Earshot Jazz Award winner, Xavier has taken the NW jazz scene by storm as one of the most in-demand drummers and bandleaders in the region. A member of the younger set of upcoming jazz luminaries, his younger age belies his deeply founded musical vocabulary. A superbly talented improviser, leader, and accompanist, he’s revered and respected by the NW jazz community as a whole!

---

Saxophonist Alexey Nikolaev

Since arriving in the NW in 2000, Alexey has established a revered reputation of impeccable and consummate reed mastery, with a bold and aggressive sound, capable of fiery trajectories as well as soulful emotion. In constant demand, performing in myriad top-echelon ensembles on a weekly basis around the region, Alexey stands at the forefront of sax playing here in the Seattle area.

---

Vibraphonist Susan Pascal

Lauded for her superb 4-mallet musicality and masterful improv skills, Susan has been featured at Earshot Jazz Festival and Centrum Jazz Port Townsend, and as a special guest artist with the Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra, the Seattle Baroque Orchestra, and Pearl Django. Her numerous projects and groups have twice led to Best Acoustic Group nominations by Seattle’s Earshot Jazz.

 

BACK TO TOP

 

Thanks to our generous sponsors!

 

PRESENTING SPONSORS

---

 

BACK TO TOP

 

BACK TO TOP