My name is Kenny Chen and my ancestral home is Fujian, China. I was born in Taiwan and immigrated to the United States in 2004. I am very honored to work at Multnomah County Holgate Library, promoting Chinese culture and serving the community. The Chinese in my heart represents thousands of years of historical background and cultural inheritance; a culture with propriety, justice, integrity, many cultural traits, and a foundation of kindness, perseverance, positivity and diligence.

I am well connected to the community and their interest is my interest. That’s why I enjoy bringing awareness of multiculturalism and creating programs that bring communication and understanding between communities. Building confidence in our own culture and being ready to share; keeping culture in our heart, showing it through things we love like foods, dresses, and colorful lives. At the same time, I hope that we all become cultural bridges, integrate cultures, create foundations of understanding and mutual trust for the community, and work together to create the eternal peace we call home.

Robert Phillips’ Legacy

Robert Phillips, Multnomah County Affirmative Action Officer, has worked in the area of equal employment opportunity for over 25 years and has a long history of involvement in the civil rights field. As Director of Multnomah County’s Affirmative Action Office, Robert was responsible for the development of policy initiatives, plans and programs that promoted respectful work environments for diverse employees and assisted the organization in meeting its equal employment opportunity and affirmative action obligations. Additionally, Robert served as a commissioner for the Port of Portland’s Civil Service Commission where he has served for 10 years. His community service includes appointments to the Nike Corporation’s Minority Affairs Advisory Board; Gubernatorial appointments to the State Commission on Black Affairs and the State Board to Register Clinical Social Workers; and service on the Oregon State Bar Affirmative Action Committee.

In 1996, the diversity program he managed for the City of Portland was recognized as a best practice model by People Management Resources, a division of Watson Wyatt Worldwide. Robert was also responsible for initiating the first national conference on performance measures for diversity programs, sponsored by the National Quality Institute. In addition, Robert was a recipient of the 2009 Arthur Flemming Award by the Multnomah County Managers of Color, the Oregon assembly for Black Affairs Political Development Award, the Northwest Conference of Black Elected Officials Leadership Award and the 2009 Northwest Public Employees Diversity Conference Robert Phillips Regional Diversity Award. He was the first public sector African American graduate of the Center of Creative Leadership’s African American Leadership Program.

The Multnomah County Board of Commissioners proclaimed February 28, 2012, as Robert Phillips Appreciation Day in Multnomah County, Oregon. Even after retirement from Multnomah County, Robert had an encore career during which he served as a member of the NW Renal Patients Advisory Board; the Oregon Assembly for Black Affairs Political Convention Planning Committee and the Port of Portland Fire Department Civil Service Board.

This award was created to honor his many contributions in the field of equity for all.

Past Honorees

• 2023 - Alicia Sojourner, City of Vancouver

• 2022 - Geoffrey Kavulya, City of Hillsboro

• 2021 - Earleen Reimann, City of Hillsboro

• 2020 - Kelly Blixhavn, Clackamas County

• 2019 - Debbie Caselton, City of Portland

• 2018 - Sherrelle Jackson, LCSW, Multnomah County

• 2017 - Som Nath Subedi, City of Portland

• 2016 - Kory Murphy, Multnomah County