Leadership Award

Berta Norton is a model leader whose influence has spanned 50 years of service. Berta shares her wisdom and experience with those she encounters by welcoming creative thinking, recognizing diversity, and by honoring the culture of each family. Berta is noted as being part of the development of ground-breaking diversity curriculum over 30-years ago and has championed diversity and equity throughout her career.

Berta is a cornerstone in child welfare and has used her administrative role to cultivate strengths-focused, collaborative, and inclusive staff and is an advocate for children, youth, and families with the goal of achieving the best possible outcomes for all she encounters. Berta has spent the last 50 years building a reputation that has resulted in the trust of the community, tribal partners, agency leaders, and those she supervises.

Berta is very skilled in her relationship-based approach to community engagement and has ensured that her DCYF offices collaborate with community partners at all levels. Berta leads by example with demonstrated integrity, passion and commitment to the agency vision. Berta has mentored many that have become leaders in DCYF and will leave a lasting impression on state child welfare for many years to come. Berta has helped in the lives of countless children and families and has shown great success in transferring her learning to the future generation of child welfare workers

As an individual living with a disability, I would like to focus my statement on Brittany’s commitment to Diversity Equity and Inclusion.  I began my position with Paid Family and Medical Leave in April 2020.  Having worked previously in State government, I was concerned when my new position transitions to a 100% remote. Not only would I have to learn a new job without any one-on-one personal interaction, I was going to have to submit any requests for accommodations through multiple levels of administration before applying many of the tools that allow me to perform my duties as well or better than my peers.  After struggling for a few months, I confided in Brittany that not only did my background include 10 years of working with and supporting individuals with disabilities but that I am an individual living with a disability.

Brittany went out of her way to make sure I knew whom to contact regarding making accommodation requests.  She was open to learning from me how Paid Leave could better support customers with disabilities.  At Brittany’s suggestion I was included in the department’s discussion group regarding how to provide better support to our disabled customers and what supports might be most effective.    

When most leaders speak of diversity, the first though is often racial not neurodiversity.  Brittany is an excellent example of a leader who is open to diversity in all its forms.  She is the type of exceptional leader Washington State needs to honor and encourage.

Dave Holt, Western State Hospital CEO, would never ask his staff to do something that he wouldn’t do. When the snow fell, and staff couldn’t get to work, he volunteered with other employees to pick them up, bring them to work and take them home. 

When his team needed support for a patient stop-smoking campaign, he was there problem-solving to make it successful. Now, for the first time, WSH is smoke-free in patient areas. 

When members of his leadership team proposed a plan to create an office of equity, diversity and inclusion, he leant his support as the new EDI program was created.  He also offered his team the opportunity to get EDI training and certification. 

Dave initiated a kindness, respect and civility campaign in alignment with the person- and patient-centered culture. Throughout the year, his all-staff messages pushed staff to  treat each other in ways they want to be treated. Our work is stressful and  challenging, and he reminded staff to put themselves in the shoes of another before anger takes over.

During this COVID-19 pandemic, Dave always leads by example. Masking and social distancing are a must for all employees, and he is regularly seen masked. He has kept workers well informed of ever-changing health guidelines designed to fight the coronavirus. 

Dave is on the wards rounding day,  night, weekends and holidays personally visiting staff. He cares deeply for the patients, always seeking ideas on what to better to help with recovery and successful community living.

Emily came to OFM with a vision to move OFM HR to a strategic business partner model, and to expand the internal HR team to be able to provide consultation and services beyond the bare minimum. During these two years Emily has displayed remarkable leadership in guiding employees and management through the tough times of furloughs, unemployment claims, hiring freezes, and COVID response and impacts.

Emily has sponsored and pioneered numerous efforts to make OFM a better place for our employees. A major effort she has sponsored and led is the DEI council. She continues her commitment to continue this hard work at all levels of OFM and keeps the tough conversations going. She has led a huge overhaul of our classification and compensation structure for OFM’s exempt positions, brought consistency and integrity to our recruitment processes, and spearhead the tough work in addressing inequities.

Emily is committed to her team, and every employee we support. She has contributed so much to OFM in a short period and the impacts are noticeable when you see our employee survey results. During a time of chaos, uncertainty, and darkness, it is very difficult to be a manager but these are the times when it shows you who the true leaders are. Emily’s leadership made a world of difference to me, to our HR team, and to our staff. 

With much enthusiasm, I write to nominate Emily for this award. I have had the great fortune to work with Emily for over a year. Over that time, she co-led the establishment of a first-in-the-nation commercial buildings performance standard; served as our division’s interim assistant director during the initial months of the pandemic; helped create our agency’s internal health and safety protocols; and consulted the Governor’s Office and Democratic leadership on this year’s Healthy Homes & Clean Buildings legislation. All the while, she established the state’s Buildings Unit and hired five dedicated, positive-minded, and exceptionally talented personnel to staff the unit. 

Beyond her vision and significant accomplishments, I nominate Emily because of the wonderful person she is and the example she sets for coworkers. She empowers coworkers and staff to participate and share their thoughts, and asks questions that get to the root of a matter. She always brings a positive attitude to work. 
Stakeholders remarked that her co-led rulemaking was the best public process they had seen in their 40-year career in the field.

Emily has consistently worked to integrate diversity, equity and inclusion into the agency’s work. Over the last few months she has worked with staff to tailor an early adopter incentive program for the state’s commercial buildings to benefit overburdened communities.  

It is my understanding that Emily has spent her professional life helping communities through energy efficiency work and government service. She is a great leader worthy of this award. 

Jennifer leads a stand-alone office of the Attorney General with 29 employees in Vancouver. She is a leader of the utmost integrity: her word is her bond. The working oar is heavy in the office, and she invariably puts her own hand to it alongside her team. She has recruited a diverse team, and she places value on every member's experiences and contributions in a way that leaves people feeling seen and a part of the office’s successes.

Her respect for all team members’ diversity sets an example for all on the team that inclusion is an intentional part of the team’s core values. Jennifer sets and holds expectations to achieve the office's vision of being the best public law office in the nation. When the pandemic required office shutdown, Jennifer set to work in a successful team effort to keep providing client agencies and the public with that high level of legal work in a litigation-intensive office while all employees were working remotely.

With creativity, intensity, tirelessness, and unwillingness to fail, Jennifer led the office to succeed in keeping a high-volume court practice moving forward to fair and just results. The taxpayers of the State of Washington could not ask for a better public servant leading this large, complex law office within a law office. Her team could not ask for a better leader.

John champions leadership throughout our agency - most recently displayed by his vision and commitment regarding Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). John made it a priority to launch the Culture of Inclusion Road Trip in the Olympic Region. This Road Trip is a program that helps our managers have meaningful discussions with our teams about the importance of DEI in our everyday work. John extends trust to his employees making us feel valued and included.

He models exemplary leadership behavior and encourages us to be leaders. John’s personal integrity has garnered our respect by how he conducts himself and that elicits the best out of all of us. John has championed leadership in the Olympic Region for years including establishing, and still participating in, our Olympic Region Mentoring Program, encouraging job rotations for professional development and speaking on leadership topics to numerous groups and employees individually.

Put simply, John is the leader that everyone wants to work for, and I am fortunate to work with such an amazing individual. 

The COVID-19 pandemic challenged our state’s food system to a degree it has never been challenged before. The dual impacts of sudden unemployment and changing consumption patterns strained the system and led to near-crippling demand on food banks and food pantries. Many people will remember the images of long lines of families waiting for food in the early days of the pandemic. 

Thanks to her tremendous character and long career of public leadership in the emergency food system, WSDA Food Assistance Program Manager Kim Eads was uniquely qualified to guide the system through foundational changes on the fly. Kim labored late into many nights renegotiating contracts, providing guidance, implementing new public programs, and advocating for resources for the emergency food system and the people that need it.

During the pandemic, Kim broke down barriers to food access at food pantries; temporarily reducing reporting requirements to reduce close personal contact, increasing income guidelines based on research that former guidelines did not meet the needs of food insecure people of color, and provided produce boxes to Tribal Nations who were not being served by similar federal programs. 

Over time, leaders create teams and programs that begin to look like themselves. That’s why a leader’s personal character is the essence of their leadership. Kim’s character is exemplified by intelligence, poise, humility, and determination. We, her staff, are so thankful for Kim’s character-driven leadership. It’s our pleasure to nominate her for this award. 

I have supervised Kim for two years. In this short period of time, I can without a doubt say she is one of the most committed public servants in state service and creates a culture that promotes and values diversity, equity, and inclusion. Kim’s background and leadership is an incredible asset to my agency. Kim is currently the Chair of the Washington Immigrant Network (“WIN” - a business resource group that expands opportunities for immigrants who are current and future employees within state government). She always shares information from WIN with my agency’s staff, which helps us understand why hiring a diverse workforce is so important in state government. 

Another example of Kim’s leadership and commitment to inclusion was the implementation of the soju endorsement to spirit/beer/wine restaurant licenses. Kim developed a responsible soju sales and service training guide in both English and Korean , and worked hand-in-hand with stakeholders to ensure they knew the new requirements regarding soju bottle service. The implementation of this endorsement was an incredible success, and Kim’s community connections were invaluable in our agency’s successful implementation of the endorsement. I have grown as a leader through Kim’s examples, and hope others will share in her stories and her unwavering commitment to public service. 

In his 25+ year career, Marcos has consistently demonstrated personal and professional integrity.  His actions to embed equity, diversity, and inclusion in this work and throughout the Department of Children, Youth, and Families has been evident in his leadership, most recently demonstrated by his commitment to creating opportunity to allow mid-level leaders in his organization an opportunity to become certified diversity professionals.

He inspires all of us to think systemically in improving our services to the citizens of Washington. Marcos not only exhibits personal integrity and leads by example, but also nurtures integrity in others by allowing individuals to work independently while also supporting their ideas and individual processes.

This fosters personal growth, confidence, self-esteem, and a positive work environment. Marcos promotes equity in the workplace by insuring fair treatment of all individuals. He values diversity and inclusion. Marcos sits on several workgroups addressing an array of issues. He recognizes the importance of diverse perspectives and opinions when evaluating possible plans of action and recommendations.

Marcos provides clear direction to staff yet remains available as a mentor and resource.  He is an ambassador for the agency; his work is of critical importance and the respect he has earned by our agency partners, his peers – and especially his subordinates – is at the highest level.  Marcos’ counsel and wisdom is sought out throughout the agency because his reputation precedes his:  when he is asked a question, he will reply promptly, clearly and concisely - and most importantly accurately.

Michele Wilsie joined the Health Care Authority (HCA) during a critical time during the transition of Community Behavioral Health to the Health Care Authority and has become an integral part of the Financial Services Division (FSD) leadership team. Michele filled a gap in FSD expertise that was essential during the transition and filled a critical role during that process. Her extraordinary work ethic and accountability are a positive example not only to her team but as well to her peers throughout the agency.

Michele has made tremendous strides to build a team with focus diversity, equity, and inclusion, creating a learning and development friendly environment, establishing a positive reputation within HCA, as well as creating a real partnership with external customers and stakeholders. Michele consistently hires, develops, and retains competent staff, and ensures that they have meaningful, engaging work. 

Michele worked closely with HCA fiscal staff, as well as key agency staff and stakeholders, on the transition of the state to Integrated Managed Care. Her knowledge of Behavioral Health delivery systems, and the regional differences between the systems, have been tremendous assets not only during this transition but as an addition to our agency. She and her team made tremendous efforts to ensure the closeout of the Behavioral Health Offices (BHOs) as the state transitioned to Integrated Managed Care despite the challenges that occurred during that process. Michele’s contributions to that effort ensured that the State budget accurately reflected the correct funding related to this critical transition.

I cannot think of a person that deserves the leadership award more than my supervisor, Nick Demerice. Nick is the Public Affairs Director at the Employment Security Department (ESD) and oversees both the communications and government relations teams. Nick started at ESD in the fall of 2019 and quickly rose to the occasion of dealing with many difficult issues, most notably the effects of COVID-19 from an agency perspective.

Since part of ESD’s duties is to manage unemployment insurance, you can imagine how often this agency has been in the limelight. Nick’s commitment to public service is unparallel; he works nights and weekends. He not only has a deep appreciation for his team and co-workers, but his sincere drive to help the people of Washington is truly remarkable – he leads by example. Nick encourages the public affairs team to consistently brainstorm on how to better our internal processes to ensure information is communicated in the best way possible; this also includes how we can improve diversity, equity, and inclusion. He engages with elected members at the congressional, executive, and legislative level.

Nick has bolstered ESD’s interaction with business and labor stakeholders, and is in constant dialogue with numerous publications to ensure Washingtonians receive accurate information. I think a true leader empowers their employees to be the best they can be. Nick has demonstrated his commitment to doing this by keeping direct communication channels to him open and ensuring that everyone’s goals and concerns are addressed.

As Director of Banks, Roberta’s leadership through the first 12 months of the COVID pandemic was exemplary.  She led our 25-person team through extensive operational changes as we shifted to entirely remote work from our pre-pandemic routines that revolved around field work out in our financial institutions.  Roberta implemented weekly update meetings with our full team to keep everyone up to speed on the rapid changes in the industry, state agency operations, and news in the nationwide bank regulatory community.

She personally ensured that all employees were equipped to succeed in the remote working environment the pandemic thrust upon us, especially to accommodate employees with kids at home or other family care obligations.  Roberta is a long-time champion of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and she seized the many opportunities 2020 offered for meaningful conversations both internally and with external stakeholders to advance equity in financial services.

Early in the pandemic when the SBA’s Paycheck Protection Program was urgently rolled out, Roberta immediately stepped to the forefront in assisting our regulated banks with their PPP lending efforts to support local businesses in need.  Roberta facilitated critical information flow between the banks and the SBA, fielding questions about how banks’ quick actions to respond to customer needs could be viewed by the regulators down the road.  The community banks provided a tremendous service to their communities in a time of great need by participating in the program in such a big way, and Roberta was instrumental in that effort behind the scenes.

Stacia is celebrating thirty years of state service this year. The only thing that surpasses Stacia’s passion for public service is her dedication to the team she leads at the Attorney General’s Office. Stacia cares deeply about the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of every member of our Division. Despite Stacia’s extremely busy work schedule, she makes time to check in with us and make sure we have everything we need to succeed.

In addition to her current leadership role as the Division Chief of the Government Compliance & Enforcement Division of the Attorney General’s Office, she has also served as a Director of Policy and Legal Services at the Washington State School Directors’ Association, and was the Director of Legal Services at the State Auditor’s Office for several years.  

Stacia is loved by her team because of her personal integrity, strong work ethic, and positive leadership style. She fully supports her team members’ goals to grow professionally and personally. Without realizing it, Stacia is a strong role model for the lucky people who have had the honor of working with her, particularly to the female attorneys on our team.  Stacia has encouraged diversity equity and inclusion for years by doing things like encouraging anyone on our team to write educational articles or submit pictures, recipes, or other resources to our informal diversity newsletter. Stacia deserves to be recognized for her exemplary leadership and achievements during three decades of public service.

Neil Schuster spent 26 years in the Washington State Patrol (WSP) prior to becoming a Natural Resources Police Officer (NRPO). While at the WSP, he handled homeless problems, often moving them off the highway to a safe place. Once they were moved he did not think about it anymore. After becoming a NRPO he explained he was introduced to the actual homeless problem in his area, on state lands within Mason and Kitsap Counties.

Neil began handling the same issues and dealt with them in the same manner. This is when he decided to take another approach. He would actually visit them, sit with them and would spend time learning who they were and how they ended up in their current situation. As time went on he found it difficult to ask them to move along without providing some assistance. Neil decided to visit local shelters, the Salvation Army and other non-profit organizations.

He gathered supplies including, but not limited to food, toiletries, health care/hygiene items, clean-clothes and informational resources. He then created kits to handout to them. He explained after taking this approach, treating them with respect, showing he truly cares for their welfare, he experienced great success. This approach has set the standard for DNR Police when dealing with these situations.  Neil truly went the extra mile to help those in need.