As Amira's supervisor, I have seen them excel in the many workstreams that they have taken part in. Beyond their everyday excellence, they have shown themselves to be deeply committed to equity in the implementation of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in Washington. In the past year, I have had the privilege of learning from Amira as they've led trust-building work to engage Tribal partners in building 988 in Washington and transforming the mental-health crisis care continuum. This work is no small feat considering the state’s historical challenges with properly supporting and engaging Indigenous communities.

Amira has supported intentional decision-making that has often led up within our cross-agency team in ways that drive us to make more meaningful engagement efforts. They have shown up with patience and strength and flexed their historical social worker muscles when confronting crucial conversations.

Amira has also become a subject matter expert in their legislative work, creating tools for our team to track the impact of legislation and decisions around 988 in all policy-making settings. They’ve worked to build tools that promote collaboration from partners and the public in rule-making efforts and tools that proactively support the 988 team to fill knowledge gaps on engagement work.

Amira recently began to mentor other members of the team around navigating legislative session, bill analyses, and hearings. They demonstrate that leadership at all levels is not only possible, but essential for success. On a project that aims to respond in times of crisis, with legislative mandates that move the work at the speed of light, Amira is a beacon of calm. They lead through their values, thoughtful inquiry and well-timed laughs that support our team to think strategically and not just quickly, despite external pressures.

Nominated by Elaina I Perry

Angela Berg exemplifies excellence through her leadership, commitment to inclusivity and educational expertise at the Department of Licensing. Her initiative—a unique driver knowledge testing system for neurodivergent individuals—not only revolutionized accessibility within the DOL, but also embodies the department's purpose statement, "Helping every Washington resident live, work, drive, and thrive."

Recognizing the limitations of traditional testing for neurodivergent individuals, Angela developed an alternative knowledge assessment system. This system incorporates diverse learning styles and sensory perceptions, ensuring fair and accurate evaluations without compromising testing standards. Her system recognizes the limitations of traditional methods and paves the way for inclusive testing practices across diverse populations.

Beyond individual accessibility, Angela's visionary leadership fostered empathy and innovation. Championing neurodivergent needs, she inspired her team through a collaborative approach, fueling the project from inception to implementation. Rooted in equity, Angela's tireless advocacy seeks to dismantle systemic biases, ensuring equal access to driving privileges through an innovative testing system. By dismantling barriers, individuals are empowered to participate fully in their communities, upholding the core values of diversity and inclusion. Her commitment also extends beyond accessibility, creating a welcoming and supportive environment with tailored solutions for a positive and dignified testing experience for every participant.

In conclusion, Angela Berg's impact extends beyond driver knowledge testing. She is a leader, an innovator and a champion for inclusivity. Her work embodies the highest ideals of public service, transforming lives and paving the way for a more equitable and accessible future. Her nomination for this award is a testament to her extraordinary contributions and her unwavering commitment to serving the entire Washington community.

The 2023–24 Leadership for the Disability Inclusion Network (DIN) Business Resource Group has a passion for evolving an inclusive and accessible workplace for people with disabilities throughout the state enterprise.

As volunteers to the work of DIN, the DIN leadership team of Linda, Stuart, Maggie and Sarah have been responsive and informative, leading conversations, action and concrete guidance in braiding inclusive practices around ASL, neuro-divergence, mental health, digital accessibility, recruitment and reasonable accommodations into the fabric of state agencies. They partner with peer BRG groups, agencies and individuals to support the DIN mission.

They reformatted the DIN general meetings to allow more time for members to engage in committee work and advocated strongly for ASL and CART usage in all BRG general meetings as a way to also welcome Deaf and Deaf Blind state employees into the broad work of the BRGs.

The DIN leadership understand the intersectionality inherent in disability—people with disabilities exist within all communities and identities—and the leadership group forges alliances and collaborations to ensure the belonging of people with disabilities of all backgrounds in the state enterprise. The DIN leadership is passionate, caring, creative, motivated and seemingly tireless in forwarding the mission of the Disability Inclusion Network.

The overdose crisis in Washington state has reached unprecedented levels and has taken a terrible toll on our communities. Although it is easy to overlook or ignore a public health crisis that may occur behind closed doors or in marginalized and stigmatized populations, the Drug User Health Team in the Office of Infectious Disease has been working tirelessly in response. Their support of tribes, local health jurisdictions, community-based organizations and other partners has saved the lives of countless Washingtonians and strengthened public health systems across the state.

One of their main programs, the Overdose Education & Naloxone Distribution (OEND) Program, has provided nearly 400,000 naloxone kits since April 2019 to organizations serving people most likely to experience or witness opioid overdose. They also provide support to syringe service programs (SSPs) in Washington, which are frontline public health programs that provide critical services to people who use drugs.

The core of these efforts is to support the health of people who use drugs in a non-judgmental and client-centered atmosphere. In 2023, SSPs supported by the Drug User Health Team provided nearly 90,000 encounters, 25,000 referrals to services and 60,000 naloxone kits to people who use drugs.

In the past year, the Team has:

• Developed a data system to improve engagement with the OEND program.
• Developed a naloxone distribution program to support tribes and Urban Indian organizations.
• Partnered with a community organization to implement the state's mail-order naloxone program.
• Supported a new funding process to resource 20 SSPs, including incorporating harm reduction service navigation and clinical services.
• Designed multimedia materials and trainings to educate partners about topics such as how to respond to an overdose and how to use fentanyl test strips.
• Provided expertise in support of HCA's Health Engagement Hubs and Substance Use Recovery Services Advisory Committee

The ESD Mentorship Program is quickly becoming the most well-known staff development project in ESD history, but has been managed and grown by a little-known group of staff behind the scenes. The ESD Mentorship Planning Team, made up of a rag-tag group of ESD staff from various divisions across the agency, has taken an idea in its infancy and turned it into a fully viable, substantial and successful employee development program with high praise from all who have participated.

The Team, led primarily by Nadine Nabass (Leave & Care, but recently promoted into a position in our EDI office), met bi-weekly, planning, marketing, and promoting the program; finding efficiencies in how the program was to be implemented; offering presentations to most divisions across ESD; and selling the positives with participation as mentors and mentees.

Their collective efforts have been very successful, growing the program this past year from about 90 in the first cohort, to 156 in the second cohort, to 198 in the third cohort, and finally, a grand total of 292 going into our fourth cohort. In short, this team has driven this important development program that benefits all ESD employees by an incredible three-fold, or 320%!

The “big win” this past year was the Team’s push to get more leaders involved as mentors. The combination of concentrated discussions directly with executives and division leaders was extremely effective—so much so that one division, Employment Connections, strongly encouraged every manager and above to participate by adding it to performance expectations. That’s impact. That’s teamwork. That’s going the extra mile! Congratulations to the ESD Mentorship Planning Team for making a significant difference for our ESD family!

I am pleased to nominate the ESD NS EDI team for their outstanding work in developing the EDI SMART Goal Tool, a transformative initiative aimed at fostering cultural competence and advancing equity and inclusion within our organization. This innovative tool not only reflects the team's dedication to promoting diversity, equity and inclusion, but also aligns seamlessly with our organization's Pro-Equity and Anti-Racism Plan.

The EDI Smart Goal Tool represents a significant milestone in our journey towards creating a more inclusive and equitable workplace. By providing employees with culturally competent expectations, the tool empowers individuals to navigate diverse interactions with sensitivity and respect. Through its user-friendly interface and comprehensive resources, the tool equips supervisors to work with their employees, building knowledge and skills needed to cultivate an inclusive environment where all voices are heard and valued.

Moreover, the tool directly supports our organization's commitment to meeting the expectations outlined in the PEAR directive signed by the governor. By incorporating principles of equity and anti-racism into everyday practices and decision-making processes, the tool helps us advance towards the goal of dismantling systemic barriers and promoting fairness and justice for all.

Not only does the tool enhance our organizational culture, but it also positions us to better serve our diverse communities and stakeholders. By fostering cultural competence and understanding, we can more effectively engage with individuals from different backgrounds and perspectives, ultimately strengthening our relationships and impact as an organization.

In summary, the NS EDI team's creation of the EDI Smart Goal Tool exemplifies their commitment to driving meaningful change and promoting equity and inclusion within our organization. Their dedication to this initiative deserves recognition and appreciation, as it not only aligns with our organizational values but also contributes to the realization of our broader EDI and PEAR goals.

Truly outstanding leaders place their team’s safety as their highest priority. WSDOT Highway Maintenance Worker Haydan Francis showed true leadership when his team was faced with danger and adversity on Tuesday, September 19, 2023.

That day, Haydan Francis was preparing his team to leave the Washtucna maintenance shed when an individual came onto the property and climbed into a WSDOT truck. Haydan approached and asked what he was doing, to which the individual responded, “I’m taking your truck.” Unknown to Haydan at the time, this individual was on a violent crime spree that started in Yakima and had left others injured.

Once Haydan noticed the individual was irrational, covered in blood and possessed a pistol, he had a decision to make. It was an easy decision for him: Protect his team. Haydan stepped away from the man while keeping a watchful eye as he initiated his plan to protect the team. Hayden directed a team member to call 911 while also directing his team to move into the maintenance building for shelter. Haydan continued to be in protection mode as the truck departed the WSDOT property.

Haydan instructed his team to leave the building and get into their trucks to travel to a safe location in case this individual returned. After a few minutes, the individual did return, potentially looking for a different vehicle to take, but due to Haydan’s directions, there were no WSDOT vehicles left. The individual began traveling towards Ritzville and led WSP on a high-speed chase, ultimately destroying the vehicle.

Haydan demonstrated himself to be an outstanding leader that day, making the safety of his team the focus of his decisions. He did not run or act irrationally, and instead made decisions based on the most important leadership principle, keeping his team safe.

The Market Planners in the Auctions & Market Section for the Cap-and-Invest Program have demonstrated a commitment to DEI by confronting workplace bigotry head-on, despite being junior staff who naturally feel vulnerable in their first positions in state government.

The Cap-and-Invest Program was stood up on an extremely accelerated timeline. As only the second state in the nation to implement such a program, they have been essential in accomplishing in months what California’s much larger staff took years to do. Faced with being the first point of contact for most participants in the program, they’ve developed innovative solutions to registering over a hundred entities in the Cap-and-Invest Program's first year.

Matt, Katie and Alex have demonstrated visionary thinking as self-starters that identify problems in user and entity registrations and have demonstrated leadership through their collaboration on “shovel-ready” solutions which they present to their colleagues and superiors. They consistently identify potential problems before they become realized problems—and then develop solutions and preventative measures.

The three of them are active participants in a multinational, multijurisdictional working group shaping the design and implementation of the platforms Washington and other states will use to tackle the climate crisis. Matt is the expert on the tracking system and a key product tester. Alex has risen to be the office expert on public records requests and requests related to litigation in a highly contentious program. Katie was the natural choice to step into a senior role while a colleague is out on extended leave, conducting auctions that have raised hundreds of millions of dollars.

The three of them have offered outstanding customer service by fielding thousands of time-sensitive emails and phone calls from parties navigating a new and complex program, often enduring hostility. Matt, Katie, and Alex demonstrate excellent leadership and followership.

I am pleased to nominate Dr. Max Roberts for the Extra Mile Award in recognition of his exceptional contributions to the Washington Traffic Safety Commission. In less than three short years since joining the commission, Dr. Roberts has employed innovative techniques and methods that have enhanced the accessibility of traffic safety data. Through the creation of dozens of new data dashboards, he has transformed the way partners, stakeholders and the public interact with crucial information. His visionary thinking has garnered national recognition, particularly for his efforts to improve the quality and accuracy of impaired driver data.

In addition to his data visualization and groundbreaking impairment work, Dr. Roberts has displayed outstanding leadership by fostering collaboration among diverse groups. He actively engages with partners and stakeholders, locally and nationally, sharing ideas and knowledge to reduce traffic fatalities and save lives. He serves as an active member of the commission’s Pro-Equity, Anti-Racism (PEAR) committee, discussing and applying diversity, equity, and inclusion best practices within the agency, across traffic safety programming, and in his efforts as a data analyst.

His commitment to outstanding customer service is evident in his efforts to provide regular dashboard demonstrations, as well as one-on-one trainings to ensure that novice and experienced individuals can comfortably interact with and understand traffic safety data.

Dr. Roberts' dedication to the ideals of the Extra Mile Award is evident in every aspect of his work. His passion for public service, commitment to diversity and inclusion, innovative methods, outstanding leadership, visionary thinking, and unparalleled customer service make him a deserving candidate for this award. His contributions have not only elevated the Washington Traffic Safety Commission but have also had a lasting impact on traffic safety initiatives, setting a high standard for public service excellence.

I am nominating the Mobile CSO Trucks Team for the Extra Mile Award because of their outstanding efforts managing the implementation and deployment of our new Mobile Outreach Trucks. This team understood the need to reach populations in new and innovative ways and leveraged the success of CSD’s existing large Mobile CSO trucks concept to envision, plan and deploy six smaller, more flexible trucks to serve communities across the state.

They can reach DSHS clients at migrant work camps, senior centers and other community events such as health and job fairs and locations previously unserved by CSD staffers. Rural households who find the trip to their local CSO too far to travel now have access to services that roll into their hometown and park at accessible destinations. The services the Mobile CSOs offer range from new applications for service, reviews, and changes for active cases, as well as issuing EBT cards and receiving documents. They also determine eligibility for Medicare Savings Programs and Aged, Blind or Disabled Medicaid. The reach of the new Mobile Outreach trucks strengthens partnerships with businesses and service organizations in diverse communities.

This team of outstanding employees went the extra mile to ensure that the six new trucks would have all the equipment needed to improve participation in the Basic Food program by providing services at locations where DSHS representatives do not usually have a presence, strengthening community partnerships by expanding on existing relationships to create access points, and operating as a response vehicle for disaster recovery efforts. These efforts exemplify outstanding leadership and visionary thinking to ensure we can provide outstanding customer service in places other than brick-and-mortar establishments.

The innovative techniques and methods of the Policy Unit of Washington State’s AGO are shown in their exploration of opportunities to increase participation in government. This includes investigating opportunities to increase community engagement through researching community compensation and accounting for lived circumstances (ADA compliance, use of common language, consideration of meeting time, etc.).

Their outstanding leadership has lifted up community leaders. Examples include convening community members and individuals who have experienced incarceration to share experiences, voices and expertise to create meaningful change in Washington’s jails and being entrusted with the stories of survivors and loved ones impacted by the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and People (MMWIP) crisis to pursue justice.

The unit is visionary in their thinking on important issues for Washingtonians. They lead the nation in MMWIP work, centering experiences, recommendations and suggestions from impacted Indigenous communities to solve the crisis. They are also committed to environmental justice through the implementation of the HEAL act, a coordinated approach for state agencies to reduce environmental and health disparities in Washington and improve the health of Washington state residents.

The unit is committed to DEI goals which:

• Encourage participation in the policymaking process by
• increasing community outreach to cultivate trust and accountability and
• improving accessibility and engagement with Black, Indigenous, and communities of color and historically excluded communities.
• Honor tribal sovereignty and elevate the voices of Indigenous people and people of color to reduce the power imbalance between historically excluded communities and policy makers.

The Policy Unit’s outstanding customer service is demonstrated by their ability to meet the people where they are. They are a trusted policy expert for the state legislature, a convener for communities invested in the work of taskforces, and communicate in a manner accessible for all ages, as demonstrated by their work on the youth tipline.

Rhonda Mendel exudes dedication to team leadership, with visionary thinking and a constant focus on customer service, while creating DEI opportunities for all. She uses her talents and background in organizing events and training opportunities for all state, tribal, city, county and college staff.

Rhonda isn’t just limited to in-person events such as her team’s OCS Summit, threat hunting training, Ice Cream Socials, in-person escape rooms, WaTech Strategic Planning sessions, Vendor Forums, and all-hands events, where she contributes to the success of each, often accommodating the dietary needs for hundreds and creating an opportunity to LevelUp.

Rhonda also organizes virtual training events reaching out to thousands with HISP training programs, Cybersecurity Awareness month and the GOVFollowMyLead course. Rhonda coordinated 14 speakers and facilitated both live and recorded events for nearly 1,000 employees, who attended approximately 2.5 events during Awareness month. She even renewed WaTech’s contract for Sign Interpreters used during DEI/AI presentations.

#FollowMyLead is a ten-month leadership program which Rhonda cofounded four years ago for women in government, which this year will include all who want to learn techniques in leading in their current role and, with huddle group mentoring, often promote into higher leadership roles. Leading the way in written communications, she assists in creating and distributing the WaTech “OCS Update” and distributes OPDP’s “Privacy Points” via email and GOVDelivery.

Her newest technical challenge is collating all Security Data into one PowerBI Dashboard for State CIOs and CISOs review. Reflecting on the challenges of a geographically dispersed technical security team, she launched a new employee onboarding routine includes regular check-ins and meet-and-greets with a focus on breaking down workgroup silos. Ralph Johnson, State CISO, says he could not do his job without her help and when he presents an idea, she takes it to the next level!

Scott leads all the Torts Attorneys in Seattle in our division with compassion, kindness and empathy. He works tirelessly, laboring countless hours, including most weekends and holidays, while defending state agencies—often in multimillion-dollar lawsuits—and taking high-profile cases to jury trials on behalf of the people of our state.

Scott has fostered a collegial and diverse environment in the workplace while mentoring a number of diverse attorneys in the office, including myself. He is the father of special-needs individuals and volunteers within the community.

In addition to handling his regular caseload, Scott offers advice to attorneys from other divisions in our agency who regularly seek out his guidance. He also takes on cases that no one else volunteers for and successfully litigates them on behalf of the State. At the same time, he espouses the highest professional standards as an attorney, as a manager, and as a person.

This past year, Scott also saved my life. I was in the middle of a high-profile jury trial and checked in with him after a tough day in court. Without getting into too many details, my medical issues made for a scary day. Scott convinced me to urgently seek medical care instead of heading into the office, then pressed me to follow through with that care instead of continuing to fight it out in court. 

According to my doctor, had I not gotten treatment, I likely would have had a heart attack in open court in the following days. While I was off work, Scott stepped in and ultimately led my case to a fair and equitable resolution in my absence. I will never forget this.

In late 2020, Shawn Marceau, Director of the Yakama Nation Veteran Affairs Center, embarked on a visionary collaboration with the Employment Security Department (ESD) and WorkSource Yakima to address significant employment barriers for veterans, particularly focusing on tribal warriors. This initiative showcased innovative methods to serve this historically underserved demographic.

Appointed by WorkSource Yakima, Otto Cruz led the charge as the Tribal Consolidated Veteran Services Representative (TCVSR). Under Shawn’s leadership, Otto not only assisted Yakama Nation’s warriors, but also fostered an inclusive and broader community engagement at the center’s location, resulting in enhanced services for all clientele. In turn, services for tribal members also improved at WorkSource Yakima as they became more aware of how to leverage training and employment resources.

Recognizing the transformative impact, ESD and WorkSource made Otto’s position permanent in 2021, highlighting their commitment to veteran support and diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. Otto’s exceptional efforts garnered acceptance from Yakama Nation’s tribal leaders, earning him an invitation to join the Tribal Warriors Association.

Shawn, a Marine veteran and Gold Star father, shares a profound bond with Otto, rooted in their military backgrounds. Shawn lost his son in combat and Otto served over a 24-year career in the Army, with multiple combat deployments. Unable to attend the 2023 Washington Workforce Association conference, Shawn exemplified outstanding leadership and dedication by traveling from Toppenish to Tacoma to support Otto during his breakout session, offering valuable insights before immediately traveling back. This demonstration of commitment underscored the depth of their collaboration and was acknowledged at the conference, where TCVSR Otto Cruz was recognized as a finalist for the Workforce Professional of the Year.

For their unwavering dedication, innovative approaches and commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, I wholeheartedly nominate Shawn Marceau and Otto Cruz for the Extra Mile Award.

Andrea has shown visionary leadership in many ways over the past year. Following several retirements in her “small but mighty” statewide recreation program, she rebuilt and expanded the team, while ensuring that the employees who remained had the resources they needed to succeed. Her plan to hire an additional four talented professionals onto a team that dwindled to only four was done so thoughtfully and strategically. Seeing opportunities for promotions, much needed reclassifications, and team restructuring, Andrea’s vision resulted in a high-functioning team of enabled leaders.

The projects Andrea and her team have endeavored upon in the last year are nothing short of remarkable. She is the Project Manager for DNR’s first ever Outdoor Access and Responsible Recreation (OARR) Strategic Plan. This planning effort is visionary by definition. With over 20 million visitor days on DNR’s 5.6 million acres, Andrea is realizing the need for the agency’s statewide vision for recreation and access management. This plan’s unique outreach strategy has resulted in meaningful input from trust beneficiaries, sister agencies, statewide partners, community-based organizations, the public and tribes. The agency is committed to codeveloping this plan with tribes, and the process has been applauded by many involved.

Andrea has also been leading the agency’s involvement in the Tribes-State Recreation Impacts Committee, an incredibly complex project aimed at studying and addressing the impacts of recreation on state-managed lands. Being involved in both projects, She has integrated both processes so that the work could be done efficiently and in earnest. 

Andrea has also championed House Bill 2165 on behalf of DNR, a statutory change that the agency has been pursuing for decades. This bill has been remarkably successful in the legislature and is backed by a very diverse set of stakeholders—a testament to their trust in Andrea’s leadership and commitment to equitable access.

Nominated by Brodrick Coval