 Join us next week, Wednesday, May 31 at Noon for a listening session that will allow BUILD membership to hear from the nominees. Membership will have an opportunity to ask questions in order to select their next Co-Chair. For Chair: Sherina James My name is Sherina James (she/her) and I am a dedicated public servant with 18 years of experience in state service. Currently, I am a grant manager for the Office of Crime Victims Advocacy at the Department of Commerce, where I have been for the past seven years. Prior to that, I worked in the Victim Services Department at the Department of Corrections. In addition to my work in state government, I am also an active member of BUILD, a community organization dedicated to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. I have been involved with BUILD since its kick-off event in 2019 and am currently serving as the Interim Co-Chair of the Membership Support and Engagement subcommittee. I am passionate about supporting the goals of BUILD. Let's keep building together! For Co-Chair:  L. Denice Randle L. Denice Randle is the Workforce Recruitment Strategic Advisor for CSD, HQ in the office of the Director. She comes to DSHS having spent her career serving as a champion for educational equity for youth and young adults from diverse and underserved communities. She earned a BA in English Language Arts from Whitworth University via a full-ride scholarship through the Act Six Leadership and Scholarship Initiative. Desiring to impact her community by empowering youth, Denice went on to earn a Master's in Education with teaching certification from Pacific Lutheran University. Throughout her career, she has led with excellence in a variety of leadership roles including being a classroom teacher in Tacoma; a non-profit director of education and employment; an assistant principal of a public high school in Seattle; a regional director of college readiness for a district and most recently the executive director of an educational non-profit serving scholars in grades 2-12 in the Hilltop neighborhood of Tacoma. Early in her career, Pierce College named her a Distinguished Alumni for her community impact and achievements. Denice is a servant at heart and gives of her time and resources to a variety of organizations and institutions. Since 2015, she has served on the Board of Trustees for her alma mater, Whitworth University. She volunteers to assist young adults with developing their interview skills and has served as the 2021 keynote speaker for the City of Lakewood’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration. In her free time, she enjoys singing in her church’s choir, indulging in diverse cuisine and spending quality time in community.  Tamara Gaston Tamara Gaston is the Tribal Affairs Administrator with Aging and Long-Term Support Administration in Washington state. Tamara has worked for state service for 20+ years. Tamara Gaston’s background in state service required her to research, analyze and problem-solve that has generated innovative ideas and strategies in building platforms that has created a strength-based approach to mobilizing resources that would address the socio-economic factors and education disparities that low-income and rural communities are challenged with. She has served as co-chair in Local Planning Area committee in South King County that provided supportive resources and programs to reintroduce adults into the workforce. Tamara Gaston, an afro-indigenous speaker on traditional cultural beliefs, uses storytelling concept on being culturally responsive to Indigenous ways. She is committed to leadership development in the workforce and bringing cultural authenticity to the work environment. Anpetu wašté yuhá yo, pilamayaye. (Thank you and have a good day)  Brian Lindstrom My name is Brian Lindstrom, and I am a Human Resource Generalist for the WA Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI). I am a hardworking, dependable, "people person" with an instinctive ability to bring people together through laughter and collaboration. I am an advocate and enthusiast of change and diversity in the workplace. I am always excited to help others and I look forward to continuing to capitalize on my love of seeing those around me succeed. Why me? Throughout my career in HR, I have consistently worked to dismantle systemic barriers (regarding hiring, treatment of employees, and compensation) for the BIPOC community. I have been a member of BUILD since its inception and have had the privilege of participating in the Communications and Outreach subcommittees. Currently, I hold a Master's degree in Business Administration from Walden University and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Brandman University. I believe that my lived and professional experiences, partnerships with other BRGs, relationships with State leaders, and enthusiasm for change will assist me to be a valued contributor and the best BUILD Co-Chair I can be. Thank you for your time and consideration. For Executive Assistants: Shawnte Florek My name is Shawnte Florek and I have lived in the Thurston County area for most of my life, and when I was little, I lived in Yakima WA, and spent 2 years in Salem, OR after graduating High School in 2008. I was raised by a single mother and have 1 brother. I am a mother to 1 son and 4 cats. I have worked for the Liquor and Cannabis Board for 8 years, started from the lowest level in the Licensing Division as an Office Assistant 3, and have been promoted 3 times to where I am now as a Licensing Specialist in the Liquor Unit. Before joining LCB I worked some retail jobs with Goodwill, Target & Lowes. I love spending time with family and friends, watching movies, bingeing shows, and reading and organizing chaos.  Erikamarie Guzman My name is Erikamarie Guzman, and I was born and raised near the beautiful capital of Washington. It has been my pleasure to have joined BUILD a year ago when I started state service with the Department of Social and Health Services. I am currently the Office of Fraud and Accountability’s Administrative Assistant 5. Before this role, I was an advocate in the medical field for the vulnerable and pioneering ways to transform our healthcare system one clinic at a time in the training and resource world. During the pandemic, I took what I enjoyed most, planning, training, organizing, and data entry, and I ran with that in my mind to hold tightly to. With this skillset in place, I brought my sparkle to the state service and have excelled in my role since. I am interested in the Executive Assistant role within BUILD as I know I can keep up with the changes and ensure I will support all my other brothers and sisters making a difference every day. I would love to uphold this role to keep the communication flowing between all of Washington State.
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