In June, Workforce Southwest Washington (WSW) welcomed 11 new board members representing a diverse array of business owners, entrepreneurs and leaders in the private, nonprofit and public sectors.
As the local workforce development board designated by the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), WSW’s board must be composed of representatives from business, workforce and organized labor, post-secondary education, economic and community development entities and governmental entities including Employment Security Department and programs carried out under Title I of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
In June, Workforce Southwest Washington (WSW) welcomed 11 new board members representing a diverse array of business owners, entrepreneurs and leaders in the private, nonprofit and public sectors.
As the local workforce development board designated by the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), WSW’s board must be composed of representatives from business, workforce and organized labor, post-secondary education, economic and community development entities and governmental entities including Employment Security Department and programs carried out under Title I of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
WIOA legislation mandates that the workforce board be business-led. As such, the current board is made up of 52% private sector businesses, 21% organized labor and workforce representatives, 10% WIOA partners, 10% post-secondary and 7% economic development.
“As a majority private sector board of directors and a business-led nonprofit, it is imperative that the board of directors not only represents our high-growth and in-demand sectors, but also represents a diversity of size of business and the myriad identities that individuals hold in our community,” said Miriam Halliday, CEO of Workforce Southwest Washington. “This representation will allow WSW to gather input from a variety of stakeholders and continue to build a competitive and comprehensive system of leaders in our community that can in turn increase belonging and inclusion across our region.”
We are excited to welcome the following members to our board:
Angela Edginton-Burckhard, PHR, SHRM-CP
Deputy General Manager Human Resources, Kyocera International Inc.
Edginton-Burckhard has 25+ years of experience in Human Resources in the manufacturing sector and serves as a member of the Women’s Speaker’s Association. Edginton-Burckhard enjoys coaching, development and helping others.
Corey Giles
Converting and Warehouse Production Manager, North Pacific Paper Corp. (NORPAC)
Giles has over 13 years of experience leading productive teams and increasing profitability through streamlining processes and identifying areas of improvement. Giles has extensive experience in the manufacturing industry and has been with NORPAC for over 25 years.
Suba Jagannathan
Owner/Creative Director, Mirus Toys
Jagannathan is the entrepreneur and the creative mind behind Mirus Toys. Before entering the world of childhood education, Jagannathan worked in the Biotech industry in computational biology research. The users of Jagannathan’s product are kids, and nothing gives her more satisfaction than the curious and happy shine in a child’s eyes when they work with a Mirus Toy.
Mandy Kipfer
Deputy Regional Administrator – Region 3, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation
As Deputy Regional Administrator, Kipfer focuses on increasing support and access for students with disabilities before they leave school. Kipfer has been with the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation since 2006. Kipfer is passionate about the work and feels fortunate to assist in bridging the gap for students who may not otherwise qualify for additional support to help them plan for work after high school.
Mike Nieto
Owner, Catworks Construction
Nieto founded Catworks Construction in 2005 and before that, he had more than 20 years of construction experience. Nieto serves on the Executive Board of Identity Clark County and is the former President of the Southwest Washington Contractors Association. As the founder and owner of Catworks, Nieto loves helping people become their best by offering them an environment that elicits trust and dedication.
Richard Rylander
Clark County Councilor
In addition to serving on the Clark County Council, Rylander is president of BioPharmaceutical Strategies LLC. Since 2016, Rylander has volunteered as executive in residence at Oregon Health and Science University to assist researchers, physicians and faculty in assessing the commercialization potential for technologies including diagnostics, devices, drugs and digital products.
Stacey Smith
Principal, ControlTek
As the co-owner and principal of ControlTek, Smith is immersed in the local manufacturing industry. Smith serves as a board member on the Vancouver Chamber of Commerce Retroactive Rating Program for Worker’s Compensation and served on the Clark County Employment Zones committee. As a business owner, Smith provides a positive and supportive community for her employees.
Mark Tishenko
Founder and CEO, Edge Networks
Tishenko has more than 15 years of experience in cybersecurity and IT. As the founder and CEO of Edge Networks, Tishenko enjoys helping his team grow. He is excited when his team gets to start families and acquire their first homes or go on a dream vacation.
Jasmine Tolbert
HR Director, YWCA Clark County
In addition to working as the HR Director for the YWCA Clark County, Tolbert is president of the Vancouver NAACP. Tolbert also serves on several boards and councils including Washington State University Vancouver Advisory Council, the Interstate Bridge Community Advisory Group (CAG) and the Washington State University Vancouver Equity Diversity Advisory Board. Tolbert enjoys the position as HR Director for YWCA Clark County because it gives her the opportunity to serve an employee population that is doing critical work in the community.
Adrienne Watson
System Director, Clinical Education, PeaceHealth
Watson has over 25 years of experience working in the medical field across America. Watson serves as a board member at the Free Clinic of Southwest Washington and the Northwest Sim Alliance. As System Director of Clinical Education, Watson influences and sets the strategic direction for competency management, ongoing education and professional development for nursing and unlicensed assistive personnel.
Nathan Webster
CEO/Founder, NDUB Brand
Webster is a marketing consultant, business owner, and marketing professor. As an entrepreneur and leader, Webster has found his stride advising clients, self-publishing his book, “Scared to Be Me,” and running a podcast aimed to support nonprofit founders and leaders. In addition to owning and operating his marketing consulting business, Webster works as a professor in marketing, business and web design at several local colleges, including Clark College, Warner Pacific College, Clackamas Community College and Washington State University Vancouver. Webster is excited about his work because of his impact to make the community better.
We are excited to welcome our new board members and look forward to working with them to support the betterment of the Southwest Washington workforce.
WSW board meetings are free and open to the public. Members of the public can learn more about the board and how to attend a board meeting on the WSW Board webpage.
Follow Workforce Southwest Washington on Twitter at @WorkforceSWWA and LinkedIn at Workforce Southwest Washington to stay up to date on workforce news and to view the board member highlights in the upcoming weeks.
