Helen came to Cypress as a young parent to provide her family with quality schools and economic opportunities to succeed. As a resident of 25 years, she wants to ensure Cypress continues to be a city where all families can build a foundation for success, regardless of their background.

Helen is the daughter of Korean immigrants (originally Kim family). Her mother, a nurse, and her father, a Vietnam War veteran, instilled in her the values of hard work, personal responsibility and service to others. Helen graduated from UCLA with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and served for 10 years in the banking and wealth management industry, from branch teller to operations to an administrator overseeing managed trust and investment relationships.

Helen is currently a board leader for a faith-based nonprofit organization and currently serving as President of her condominium homeowners association board of directors. She has been a board leader for her community for over 20 years where she advocates to ensure the voices of all residents are heard. Despite the challenges that come with aged infrastructure, she has led efforts to rebuild the community by building consensus on common ground and setting best practices for leadership transparency, accountability, integrity in fiscal management and maximizing reinvestment back into the community to ensure critical needs are met and every dollar delivers real value.

Accountability, strategic planning, collaboration and reinvesting back into the community have been key to progress and positive change. But it has not been without a fight. Helen has been at the forefront of raising the inequity of multifamily community units being allocated zero (0) complimentary bulky items from the trash company – unlike townhome and single family residences who were entitled to receive up to two (2) complimentary bulky item pickups every year – and – unlimited bulky item pickups, curbside, annually. Raising her voice to City Hall, members of past and present city councils, and regularly to the trash company for the past decade and beyond has paid off. Effective July 2026, the trash company and Cypress City Council mutually agreed upon a major change in the number of bulky item pickups offered to all residential households. 

But there is more work to be done. That is why she is stepping up for local representation. Helen seeks to build consensus to build an inclusive community on common ground - one that can grow and thrive together.

Helen is a champion for education, special education, housing, labor, health and safety, and the environment. As Councilmember, she will take a collaborative approach to ensure Cypress is part of the solution with respect to safe streets and communities, affordability, sustainable new housing and business development, community reinvestment and education.

Helen is a proud parent of Cypress elementary school graduates. Her daughter has earned a Master’s degree in astronautical engineering and built a career in the aerospace field, and her son, a graduate of Kennedy High School, is attending Cypress College.

Following the launch of Cambridge Virtual Academy (CVA), Helen collaborated with parents, school, county and local PTA leaders to form a new Parent-Teacher-Student Association (PTSA) unit, fostering student engagement, leadership and recognition. She served as President of CVA PTSA and member of the Anaheim Secondary Council PTA, School Site Council, and Superintendent’s Parent Advisory Council of Anaheim Union High School District (AUHSD), has been a member of local Cypress school PTAs, and volunteered in various Cypress schools: Landell, King and Luther.

Helen enjoys volunteering as Team Parent/Manager alongside dedicated parents and families and volunteer coaches and field-support aides who uplift all players involved in Cypress recreational programs: AYSO Cypress Region 154 EPIC Soccer, Cypress Pony Champion Baseball, and Cypress Recreation Challenger Basketball.

Helen will bring new leadership to city council and ensure Cypress is a city where all resident voices are heard and residents and families can build a foundation for success regardless of background.