Celebrate Your Colleagues

The Rainbow Alliance and Inclusion Network (RAIN) is cordially inviting you to attend the 2021 RAIN Outstanding Agency Award Presentation. RAIN will present the awards to the winning agency leadership on October 21, 2021, during RAIN’s General Membership meeting over Zoom.  The featured guest speaker will be RAIN’s executive sponsor J. Manny Santiago, executive director of the LGBTQ+ Commission. The awards portion of the meeting will be from 2:30 – 3:15 PM. The meeting link is also available in the attached calendar invite. You are all welcome to join RAIN for the entire event or the award presentation only.

 

Timeline

2:00 – 4:00 PM General Membership Meeting

2:30 – 3:15 PM Award Presentation

4:00 – 5:00 Subcommittee Breakout Session

 

Please share the invitation with employees, and join the Rainbow Alliance and Inclusion Network (RAIN) in congratulating the following agencies for winning the 2021 RAIN Outstanding Agency Award for creating a safe and inclusive environment where LGBTQ+ employees can bring their full authentic selves to work.

• Department of Children, Youth & Families
• Department of Social and Health Services –

Developmental Disabilities Administration’s Rainier School

• Employment Security Department

 

If you have any questions about this event, please reach out to any of the RAIN leadership team:

Elizabeth Fontanilla, co-chair, Elizabeth.Fontanilla@des.wa.gov

Ryan Douglas, co-chair, Ryan.Douglas@dfi.wa.gov

Chase Bayne and Kristen Jenkins, administrative liaisons, RAIN@ofm.wa.gov

 

About the RAIN Outstanding Agency Award

In 2016, Governor Inslee established Directive 16-11, which created the Rainbow Alliance and Inclusion Network (RAIN), a business resource group. RAIN exists to help Washington State create safe and inclusive workplaces where every LGBTQ+ employee can bring their full authentic self to work, enabling them to do their best work every day for the people of Washington. 

This mission is carried out through the recommendation of best practices for state agencies, the establishment of the Safe Place WA program in public-facing state offices, and communication and outreach efforts to bring in diverse perspectives and celebrate achievements.

 

Every year, state employees nominate agencies that have led the way in this work, and the RAIN Outstanding Agency Award recognizes them.

Some of the affirming work highlighted this year includes:

Encouragement and Positive Impact

• Open, welcoming, affirming workplaces free of judgment
• Visibility and communication at all agency levels
• Pride Month activities, including education and flag-raising
• LGBTQ+ ERGs, EDI committee representation, and communities of practice
• Leadership support for participation in RAIN

Policies, Practices, and Trainings

• Gender-affirming bathroom signage
• Foundational LGBTQ+ training
• Name, pronoun, and gender-inclusive databases and practices
• Safe Place designation
• Policies on dignity, respect, zero tolerance for discrimination, and anti-harassment
• Leadership open to feedback on policies, practices, and trainings

 

We hope you will join us!

Elizabeth Fontanilla and Ryan Douglas, RAIN co-chairs