Naomas [Nah-Oh-Mas] Faletogo, a Samoan American, was born in Honolulu, Hawai’i in 1973 and after only the first decade of his life in the hot tropics of Polynesia, would he eventually navigate the Pacific Ocean into the Great Northwest, where the change in climate can be best described by the frequent cycles of photosynthesis as a normal occurrence. Here, he would spend the next 40-plus years discovering his path to a life dedicated to serving his community in Southwest King County — known to many as “The West.” Landing in West Seattle in 1983, the name “Naomas” has become a staple in his community among the Gen Xers, Millennials, and Gen Zers, along with an inevitable introduction to ensue among the up-and-coming Gen Alphas, if one has not already taken place.
I first crossed paths with Naomas Faletogo while in my late teens in the recording studio at the Southwest Boys and Girls Club (SWBGC) in White Center, Washington. In October 2023, Naomas began a new chapter as the Athletic Director at Smilow Rainier Vista Boys and Girls Club in the Rainier Valley in South Seattle. I was honored to listen as Naomas reflected on his journey from the street gangs of The West to his calling in community work.
John Phoenix Leapai: So your name, “Naomas.” The name Naomas is pretty legendary as far as a lot of the West Side families I grew up with, who knew you and also grew up with you. Can you tell us the background of your name, “Naomas?”
Naomas Faletogo: Yeah, so my name, “Naomas,” my mom named me that and the meaning of it is “Samoan,” backwards. To my knowledge of what my mom told me [laughter]. That was the thing she wanted. She just wanted to name me after, you know, “Samoan.” I was their second child and she wanted to be creative with the name. She named my brother, the first child, after my dad. But, wanted to be creative as far as a name and said, “OK, I’m going to name him ‘Naomas,’” which, you get Samoan backwards.
Growing up with that name, it was original and no one had the name. That was another thing, she didn’t want anyone to have the name that I had, so it was kind of hard [laughter] growing up with that name; you had to explain it because people never seen or couldn’t pronounce the name. I’ve gotten so many variations of my name and how it’s pronounced. But, the only meaning would be how it is original for me because no one else had that name. So, I felt special because I was chosen to have this name.
Even though, throughout my years [laughter] it kind of gave me a little grief because people would tease me about my name. But, knowing now, what I know, I am privileged to have that name because its original and its special. I wasn’t going to name any of my kids that name. Or have anybody to have my name, unless they asked me, right?
JPL: Yeah, right…
NF: And then one of my family members asked me, and I gave them permission to use it, so there’s four of us that have that name right now.
JPL: Oh, you got that legacy! [laughter]
NF: Yeah, [laughter] I was able to take pictures with two of them. There’s three of us older Naomas’, and there’s one younger Naomas. So, there’s four of us.
JPL: In the way I had seen and heard your name and the way it was presented to me throughout the years, it’s made such an impact, because even as a Samoan, I feel like, “Aye, that’s me too” [laughter]. It’s creative and it seems so natural. Nothing forced.
NF: That also influenced me with being creative, too. I have to be creative in a lot of things that I do. I have to be a leader. I have to be the one that sets things right because that was put on me already. It was kind of like, “I give you this name,” and for me, it was telling me, “You’re a leader. You’re original. You’re special.”
I tell this to the other three Naomas’s, “You know, you guys are leaders, just like I was a leader. I’m telling you this because you’re special in your own way.” It just resonated for me to tell them, “Hey, you’re being set apart here. Now, its up to you to go and to do these things.”
I felt that God continues to lead me to lead others and to be that example. That for me, was huge.
I can see now the path that God has led me to. So, I definitely thank Him for showing me The Way. And I can, also, show The Way to others and lead them.
It’s a huge thing to have a name, but also, it’s a huge responsibility. I wanted to change the narrative of who I was into something that was positive. It didn’t matter with all the negativity around my life and what was going on. I needed to change that, so I thank God that He has…He has changed it for me.
JPL: That’s powerful. Not to try and be all deep in theology, but you think about God and He says that, “I AM, I AM.” And when He gives us names, or when we’re given names, they’re so important.
NF: There’s a reason behind that. God is intentional.
JPL: Yeah.
NF: There’s a reason and it was to be a leader. To help out others and that’s what I love to do. That was the purpose of Him putting me in here, because I never thought I would be working with kids or families.
When I reflect on my life, God has totally blessed me because coming out from where I came from, there was no way I went from this [Gang life] to this [Boys and Girls Club].
My boss then, Mark, was the white guy with blonde hair. He was like, “You know it doesn’t matter, Naomas, where you’re at. You know, you’re always going to be a role model, whether it’s good or bad. People are going to talk about you whether good or bad, but it’s up to you to make sure that when they speak about you, that it’s good.”
I always took that with me, when you represent your last name, which our last name has been negative for years. If you know my family, you know it’s ether been the gang life, street life, or the prison life.
I said [to Mark], “I want to change that narrative to where they’re not looking at us in that light. Or anyone that I come across, whether they’re enemies or friends, people aren’t looking at them in that same light. What you do reflects on others, not just on yourself.”
So, I love that I can reflect and look back now and thank God that I’m blessed.
JPL: Amen.
NF: And that whether I’ve known it or not, that I’ve impacted lives. Even on those that were in trouble, I never turned away anyone that’s from the streets. Even if they were enemies, I never treated them differently. Even our enemies, we are supposed to treat them as ourselves.
I’ve always looked at it that way. I’ve always treated people in my community as my family. I’ve always looked at them as a huge extension of my family.
JPL: A lot of the Usos are in the community and your name and work has spoken for itself. I wanted to know more. You’ve lived the life, so there’s somebody with credibility behind his name.
NF: Some people know the story of how I started at the Boys and Girls Club, but a lot of people don’t because I shouldn’t even be here. But by God, I’m here and that’s the beauty of the story. I started it by getting suspended, but I was given the opportunity to watch the Club, then I was given the opportunity to work there.
Bill, the Director [SWBGC] asked me, “Hey, I don’t know your name, but can you watch the games room?” At that time there was lot of kids in the building. So, I asked, “Wait, Me? You want me to watch the game?” Bill said, “Yeah, You.”
At that time I just came back from being suspended and getting in trouble for what happened, and he chose me. I asked Bill, “You sure you want me to watch it?” He said, “Yeah. I trust you.” I was like, “Aw man, you trust me? OK.” So, I watch this games room and he comes back and says, “OK man, thank you.”
I’m an 18-year-old gangster at that time, bangin’ and doing all kinds of stuff, but then I get this opportunity out of nowhere. When I reflect on it, it’s meant to be. I didn’t want to be working at the gym or anything like that. I was out there and wanted to do these things, but when God calls you, you gotta go.
My pastor told me, “You’ve been doing God’s work all this time.” He knew I was on the street and honestly, he told me, “You were Called to do this Work.”
When I talk to others, I’m passionate about what I do. At first, that’s not what it was and then I got into coaching. My passion was athletics, because I played a lot of sports. Then, I got to be the Athletic Director and as I moved up, I was learning how to do a lot of different things. I became a Program Director and worked with a lot of programs. I got to network with different organizations and that’s where I was able to broaden the things I was learning. Also, I was a Teen Director, Operations Director, even the Area Director. I’ve been every director there is to be in the Boys and Girls Club.
I’ve come back to my passion, to my roots and this is athletics. As the Athletic Director, I love it, because it’s just all athletics. There’s more impact because you deal with more people, more families, and more community centers. Different people.
So, again, the work is … it’s a lot, but at the same time, you know, again, you’re helping others, still.
JPL: You were sharing earlier about the sports programs, they’re constantly in rotation, huh?
NF: Yeah. So, it’s seasonal, but I can add different sports throughout the time, if it’s needed. I send out some questionnaires or some surveys to gauge if there’s a need for, like pickle ball. I’ll send it out like a month ahead. If there’s a lot of people who want that, then I put something out for the next season that would work. Again, it’s putting out feelers and just talking to parents. Going to the schools and talking to schools and teachers, and also open houses. There’s a lot of different things that they have in the community, at community events.
There’s a lot of community events, especially in White Center. If there were any community events or community meetings out there, I would always try to be at those. That’s where I would see Sili (Savusa) and Pat (Thompson) a lot in White Center. We would have so many different kinds of meetings, even at the chamber meetings and I was see them there. They’ve done so much for White Center and also for the schools and the community.
[Note: Sili Savusa, of Samoan descent, was formerly the Executive Director of the White Center Community Development Associations (White Center CDA) from 2012-2023. Formed in 2002 to address “a variety of issues that affect the quality of life for White Center residents like affordable housing and supporting small businesses,” the White Center CDA is a non-profit organization that continues to provide community and family development services to support and build a stronger community (www.wccda.org).
Sili has since transitioned into her current role as the Executive Director of the Pacific Islander Community Association of Washington (PICA-WA). PICA-WA is a “statewide community-based non-profit for Pacific Islanders, by Pacific Islanders,” who addresses the advocacy and wellness of the Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (NH/PI) communities (www.picawa.org).
Pat Thompson, also of Samoan descent, is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of the YES! Foundation of White Center (YES! Foundation). The YES! Foundation is a White Center non-profit whose mission “serves children, youth and young adults through relationship based programs that foster self and social awareness, promote education and repurpose power in an under resourced community” (www.yfwc.org).]
I was glad for the time I was there with them to see how they work and operate. They influenced me a lot on things that I was starting to do, because they were doing a lot. Especially in the schools. Pat was doing a lot in the schools and Sili was doing a lot of work in the community. Again, they were pillars in the community and also in White Center, school district and all these other things.
JPL: Was the generation of your work the same generation of their work?
NF: Yeah. So, we’ve been there, man, I think Pat might have been there longer than Sili and I was, because Pat’s been there for a while. I’ve been there in the (White Center) community for about 29 years. I know Sili might have been there almost the same, or maybe 30 years. I might have been there before Sili started at White Center CDA.
But, Pat’s always been in the community. Pat and their family. Lina (Thompson) and Margaret (Fanene). They’ve always been in that community.
[Note: Margret Fanene and Lina Thompson alongside the youngest of the three sisters, Pat Thompson, have culminated a body work of that speaks of their commitment and dedication to generations of youth ministry and community development in White Center.
Lina Thompson is the Lead Pastor of Lake Burien Presbyterian Church (www.lbpc.org).
In partnership with Run To Win, a Christian faith-based outreach ministry, Margret Fanene coached tennis during summer camps and also at the local high school during the school year (www.runtowin.org). ]
I know Margaret did tennis for a while.
JPL: Yeah, I think she did the tennis program for Run To Win.
NF: Yeah. They’ve been there at the same time that I’ve been there. But, I’ve worked a lot with Pat. We’ve, also, done a lot with Sili and White Center CDA when they did I Love White Center (www.wccda.org/community).
