Meet BUILD's 2021 leadership candidates

Chair candidates and Co-Chair candidates

Election rules

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Candidates for Chair

How do you plan to contribute to the continued growth of BUILD in achieving its vision and purpose?

Sascha Nixon

My vision is simple…be a tool.
 
Be tool to inspire those who aspire to leadership but don’t know where start. Sometimes all we need is for some to believe in us and see the potential.
 
Be a tool to build, B.U.I.L.D…continue that intersection because we are only as good as our allies and network. These two things are just as important as people we’re looking to create change for. And more importantly building up future leaders by giving them the tools and resources to develop or refine the skills needed to obtain leadership roles.
 
Lastly, be a tool to create growth in existing spaces where people like me aren’t typically present. My vision is for this to be the norm and not the exception or anomaly.  
 
My desire is for us  leverage our connections collectively, to find hidden talent, build them up; then connect them with the right people,  and the right agency to obtain the positions that they deserve.
 
Biography

Hello everyone,  I am Sascha Nixon. As a founding member of the planning committee for BUILD, this BRG has a special place in my heart. I am so proud to see the growth and I am absolutely excited at the prospect of being able to create change and opportunities with all of you! Presently, I am an Administrator with the Department of Licensing for their Customer Service Center. I run a unit of about 80-90 employees and growing. I have been serving in this role for the past year and half but I have also served in 3 other leadership roles in my past 4 years of service at the agency. Overall, I have been in public service for almost 10 years, starting my career in Georgia. Yes, I am a southern gal but Washington is home now, I love it and I am invested in shaping not only the work environment around me but the community as well. I have a heart for helping and passion to lead others. Let’s BUILD together.

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Yolonda Brooks

I plan to contribute to the continued growth of B.U.I.L.D. in achieving its vision and purpose in several ways:

1. As the statewide Community Engagement Specialist for Washington State Department of Transportation, I travel around the state on an ongoing basis (except during COVID).  While traveling to the different regions, I would reach out to the employees of each region (as I am there) and set a predetermined date and time for a meeting for all who wish to attend (with supervisor approval).  If need be, I would meet after hours. By being able to speak with people in person, I feel it will enhance B.U.I.L.D.’s outreach efforts and give people more of a voice.  People tend to be more apt to speak about what they would like and ask more questions when in person.  I also feel that it will increase B.U.I.L.D.’s membership base by reaching more employees statewide. It will increase visibility.

2. In my current position, I work closely with staff and leadership from various agencies, organizations, and municipalities. These relationships will allow me to enhance and provide knowledge, guidance and possible mentorship opportunities to all state employees who are members, with emphasis on Black employees. 

3. Living in Washington for almost 30 years and being from the South, I am in tune with the issues that have affected the Black community at large and the issues that specifically affect Black state employees and Black employees in the public sector. Relationships that I have formed and continue to maintain allow me access to speak with those leaders when specific concerns arise from the B.U.I.L.D. membership and/or leadership.

4. As a member and volunteer with organizations and committees in the public sector, that support efforts of the Black Community, if a state employee member, would like to gain knowledge in other areas outside of state service, depending on what the area was, I could help or have someone working in that area assist.

5. A focal point for me is to get more Blacks recruited, hired, and promoted for positions with state agencies and secondarily in other areas.  I work with ESD (attend their job fairs) and WSDOT’s Human Resources and recruiters with outreach to underrepresented communities regarding employment. I recently attended a graduation of the ironworkers whose graduates were Black men from the foster care or from previous incarceration. Getting Black people trained and ready for jobs/careers is an additional area in which I participate.

Biography
My name is Yolonda Brooks, and I am currently the Statewide Community Engagement Specialist for the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), Office of Equal Opportunity.  My primary job is to work and network with prime contractors and DBE’s (Disadvantaged Business Enterprise) which consist of minority and women owned contractors, consultants, and Architectural and Engineering Firms across the state. I support all communities across the state with an emphasis on underrepresented communities representing WSDOT at community events, resource fairs, fundraisers, and informational events. I previously worked at the Department of Labor and Industries, working in the Industrial Insurance and Retainage Release programs.  I helped plan the Martin Luther King Jr. and Black History Month Celebrations while there.  I also worked for Pierce County Planning for 8 years and law enforcement in both the Federal and 911 arenas for 9 years.  Currently I am a member of the Equity Advisory Group for the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program and previously worked with the State Emergency Operations Center during the first 4 months of COVID.  Some of my volunteer activities include and have included: Jr. Diabetes, American Heart Association, I-1000 initiative, Big Brothers/Big Sisters and the Boys and Girls Club.  I currently sit on the City of Fircrest FIT (Force Investigation Team) as a community member.  I actively participate in the Tacoma-Pierce County Black Collective being part of the Economic Development Committee, Education Committee, and the Political Committee.  I am also a Board Member of the Tacoma Pierce County NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People).

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Candidates for Co-Chair

How do you plan to contribute to the continued growth of BUILD in achieving its vision and purpose?

David Reid

I am looking to be the Co-chair, because I want to do what I can to support the chair of BUILD, and help to make BUILD successful in growing our membership as well as raising the voices of black employees in the state of WA and supporting those employees as they seek to hopefully move into leadership positions around the state of WA.
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Biography
David Reid is currently working as a Site and Member Services Coordinator with the Washington Service Corps, which is a unit within the WA State Employment Security Department. David currently provides technical assistance, compliance and oversight for government and non-profit agencies and organizations that provide environmental education/conservation and disaster preparedness education. David comes to Washington state from Alaska, where David worked as a manager with the State of Alaska Dept. of Labor and Workforce Development. While in Alaska David also served on boards for a non-profit behavioral health agency and regional health organization at an Indian Health Service hospital. David also has worked as a clinical case management supervisor and a case manager in behavioral health. While in CA David worked for a county behavioral health agency providing behavioral health services to the county probation department and juvenile hall and prior to that served in law enforcement working for a northern CA city police department in patrol and for a sheriff’s department with a mounted horse unit. David is also a veteran of the United States Marine Corps and was born and raised in New York City, Da Bronx.

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Tyrone Jordan-Oliver

As Co-Chair of BUILD I plan to contribute to the on-going success of BUILD by best assisting and collaborating with the BUILD Chair.  My contribution to the organization is rooted in a commitment to promote and celebrate diversity and inclusion in Washington state government. I will use my unique life perspective, work in the private sector, and transition as a state employee to help support recruitment of qualified leadership candidates both within and outside of state employment.  I’d like to gather more information from the BUILD general membership to understand what issue most affects them and what information, resources and services they would like to see BUILD provide to best assist them.  I feels it’s important to maintain and increase general membership as well as member participation towards the organization.  I would like to also increase the exposure of the BUILD organization and provide a voice through broad outreach, opportunities, and networking for state employees.  I will provide ideas and opportunities to help keep the issues current, relevant, and of interest to the BUILD members.  I hope to be a positive influence and visual representative for BUILD within the state government and the community.  I’d like to expand a national network with other organizations in other states as well develop close relationships with the other Washington State Business Resource Groups.  I will not only assist the acting BUILD Chair by all mean necessary but also assist and mentor the BUILD Subcommittee Leads providing feedback, guidance and input as needed.
 
A strong foundation has been built for the organization and my main goal is to further strengthen the organization for the future.

Biography
Tyrone Jordan-Oliver was born in Harlem, New York and raised in a northern suburb of the Chicagoland area.  He went on to attend the University of Minnesota, College of Architecture as a student athlete.  Tyrone’s career began with architectural firms in Chicago, Illinois and Minneapolis, Minnesota before starting roots in Olympia, Washington. He continued to practice in the field of architecture in the City of Tacoma and Seattle with a focus on Residential Housing and Community Development. Tyrone’s work with the State of Washington began with the Department of Natural Resources in the HR Department and he currently works in the Licensing Division at the Liquor and Cannabis Board.  He has been an active member of the Black History Month Committee since joining the agency. Tyrone remains committed to making an overall impact and a positive difference in the lives of those he serves, his community and the State of Washington.

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Candidates for Administrative Assistant

Coming soon!

Coming soon!