About Us
Blaine and Preciosa Tamaki established this Foundation to support charitable organizations that promote inclusion and justice with a focus on nonprofits in the Yakima Valley. They are proudly headquartered in Yakima, which they respectfully acknowledge as the traditional and ancestral land of the 14 Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation.
Blaine Tamaki | Co-Chair
Blaine was born in Berkeley, California. From the age of eight, he was raised in Yakima until graduating high school in 1975. He attended the University of Washington (UW) and graduated with a Bachelors of Arts in Economics with Honors Distinction in 1979, and attended the UW School of Law and achieved a Juris Doctorate in 1982.
After law school, he returned immediately to Yakima and practiced trial law for the rest of his legal career. As a junior lawyer, he sought BIPOC clients and conducted pro bono work. In 1994, he harnessed his passion into starting Tamaki Law, which achieved unprecedented success as a diverse rural plaintiff’s litigation law firm representing clients of all races and ethnic cultures throughout the Pacific Northwest. Blaine’s life has been dedicated to helping correct the injustices suffered needlessly by the injured, abused, and neglected. He is known for his record-breaking settlements for Native Americans abused by the Jesuits in residential schools. Blaine’s dedication to correcting social injustices has expanded beyond the parameters of his work career.
Blaine has built an unforgettable legacy through drive, passion, and purpose. He was selected as Hospital Board Chair of St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center in Yakima during the 1990’s during its corporate merger with Providence Hospital. He served on the Board of Directors, and as Vice President, of the Washington State Trial Lawyers Association. He won numerous awards and honors, including “Super Lawyers,” 100 Top Trial Lawyers, the Alfred Anderson Award, the 2012 Washington Trial Lawyer of the Year, the 2016 Warren G. Magnuson Award, the Latino Bar Association of Washington 2015 Ally Award, and the Local Hero Award from the Washington State Bar Association. In 2017, he was appointed by Governor Jay Inslee as a Regent at the UW. In 2020, he rose to Chairman of the Board of Regents, and is the first Chairman from Yakima. He was reappointed, and is currently in his second term as Regent at the UW.
Preciosa Tamaki | Co-Chair
Preciosa (Precy) Estanislao-Gamboa Tamaki was born and raised in Patling, a small rural village in the Philippines with no running water nor electricity. She was the youngest sister of eight children with two sisters and five brothers. As a child, she worked in the rice fields, washed the family laundry in the river, and ran the local halo-halo stand. She married an American soldier and immigrated to the United States at age 18.
At age 26, Precy started a new chapter as a single mom living in Yakima with no money, no relatives, and a few friends. Determined to create a better life for her and her son Beau, she tried to learn English, how to drive a stick-shift car, and she worked three jobs. Even with her challenges, she decided to attend Yakima Valley College to get an education and pursue a nursing degree. After failing the first quarter and the nursing board exams, she never gave up. Precy’s determination paid off when she passed her board exams the second time and became a full-time nurse at Memorial Hospital for 15 years, mainly in labor and delivery. She became a proud naturalized citizen of the United States in 1984.
After overcoming adversity, she seeks to help others and give back to her local communities. In Patling, she is a well-known community leader. In Yakima, she served on the Board of Directors for the YWCA Yakima, and she currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Filipino American Community of the Yakima Valley (FACYV), the YMCA, and the Aspen Lake Homeowner’s Association. She is self-employed as a real estate entrepreneur.
Blaine and Precy have been married for 30+ years and have three children, Beau, Briana, and Trey, who were born and raised in Yakima.
The “Blaine & Preciosa Tamaki Foundation Sunroom” at the Wellness House in Yakima
The Foundation sponsored the Land of Joy and Sorrow exhibit at the Yakima Valley Museum, which tells the stories of the Japanese experience and pioneers in the Yakima Valley
Blaine Tamaki awards a graduation diploma to a student as Chairman of the Board of Regents for the University of Washington
Court #3 dedicated to Blaine & Preciosa Tamaki’s contribution to construct the pickleball courts at Franklin Park in Yakima
Preciosa Tamaki and Diana Ibatuan pack meals at the Filipino Community Hall for the Senior Meals Program. Photo credit to the Yakima-Herald Republic
Briana and Preciosa Tamaki at the Downtown Mile with proceeds to the YWCA Yakima
Blaine and Preciosa Tamaki donated the Davis Pirates clock in the Davis High School courtyard
Preciosa, Blaine, and Briana Tamaki (and Dubs the Husky) at the University of Washington Recognition Gala
Briana, Blaine, and Preciosa Tamaki at the Filipino American Community of the Yakima Valley's (FACYV) 70th Anniversary