Leadership

Teddy Dianah Kemirembe, She/Her pronouns: Born and raised in Uganda, Teddy comes from a walk of humble beginnings.

Teddy’s story is long but in short here is the version: Teddy has a master's in social work (MSW) from Columbia University School of Social Work. She has a passion in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion hence has attained Certificate of Diversity Profession (CDP) and Certificate of Diversity Executive(CDE) from the Institute of Diversity Center (IDC).

Teddy has over twenty years in Social Work, working primarily with children and families and has tremendous experience in child welfare, working with children affected by developmental disabilities, and over 7 years working in emergency rooms as a social worker assisting patients with mental health and homelessness.

Teddy currently works with the Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) under DSHS as their Community Engagement and Client connection administrator. She is a mother of two beautiful girls, 12 years and 8 years both with special needs. Her 12-year-old daughter is diagnosed with Autism and her 8-year-old daughter is diagnosed with Rett Syndrome.

Teddy loves drumming, gardening, and watching movies in her free time.

Amel Aouam Alsalman emigrated from Tunisia (North Africa) in 2016 and joined the Washington State Patrol as a procurement specialist in 2017. She currently works as a Procurement Program Manager with the Department of Health and Social Services. Amel has worked for almost 19 years in the private sector, leading and managing local and international projects.

Amel obtained her bachelor's degree in economics and her master's degree in macroeconomics at the University of Economics and Management of Tunis. Amel also holds a master's degree in business administration from the Mediterranean School of Business (MSB) in Tunis.

Amel has been a member of the Rotary Club since 2011 and is currently the Treasurer of her club, Olympia Capital Centennial, which is dedicated to community service with an emphasis on children's education and diversity. Amel was a volunteer at the Food Bank, Washington Performance Center, United Way of Thurston County, and an active member of the WA chapter of the National Institute of Public Procurement.

Amel is married, and in her spare time, she enjoys photography, hiking, dancing, and travel.

Janet Nambi Kiwanuka is training and development specialist at Department of Retirement Services (DRS). She is a Certified Life Coach dedicated to helping leaders create cohesive teams and drive productivity. Her expertise in leadership and coaching empowers individuals to cultivate self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and positive communication, resulting in highly effective leaders.

Janet's coaching abilities have helped leaders in areas such as Communication, Conflict Resolution, Employee Engagement, Managing Change, and Overcoming Imposter Syndrome, and Overcoming Burnout. Her dedication to personal and professional growth, coupled with her exceptional leadership experience, makes her an outstanding leadership development coach and consultant.

Janet has over 10 years of successful business management experience. She led a company that grossed 2 million dollars in income. Her leadership skills include Talent Management, Business Strategy Formulation and Implementation, Business Process Improvement and Administration, Sales Strategy Formulation, Financial Strategy Formulation, and Change Management.

Furthermore, Janet is a certified facilitator of Franklin Covey's Leadership and 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Prior to venturing into entrepreneurship, Janet achieved Assistant VP Level in her first job at a U.S. based Bank. Janet has also designed a highly effective Positive Leadership Course tailored for new managers and leaders. Her expertise in leadership coaching and development makes her a valuable asset for empowering leaders and fostering growth within teams.

Anu Rao is the Business Manager for Talent Acquisition (HRD) at the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS). Born and raised in Bangalore, India, she is a dedicated advocate for workplace equity and has advanced the Washington Immigrant Network's (WIN) mission through mentorship, advocacy, and community engagement since 2017. Anu leverages her extensive human resources expertise to expand career access and create pathways to public service for immigrant professionals. Through mentorship, advocacy, strategic partnerships, and community engagement, she is committed to expanding career opportunities for immigrants, fostering meaningful collaborations, and building an inclusive, welcoming community where everyone can thrive.

Immigrating from the Philippines as a young mother, Dr. Gina overcame early language barriers and systemic hurdles, beginning her American career as a housekeeper in Skagit County. Inspired by her daughter’s college acceptance, she synchronized her academic goals with her family's milestones, embarking on a rigorous multi-disciplinary path. She went on to earn a Bachelor's in Human Services, a Master of Health Administration, a Master's in Industrial and Organizational Psychology, and ultimately, a Doctor of Ministry.

Gina launched her professional healthcare career in the for-profit sector before transitioning to public service with Western State Hospital, where she discovered her true calling in equity, diversity, access, inclusion, and belonging (EDAIB). As a mentor, coach, and servant leader, she builds "circles of change" to create welcoming, safe environments for marginalized populations. She proudly brings her core strengths of empathy, humility, gratitude, and passion to her daily work with the DSHS community, Western State Hospital, and the Washington Immigrant Network.

Beyond her leadership role, Gina is an accomplished author of two books exploring trauma recovery, mindfulness, and navigating PTSD through gratitude. She is deeply committed to community development, regularly volunteering with Filipino American non-profits and supporting the Nurture Center in Lakewood, Washington. Outside of her professional and advocacy life, Gina enjoys writing poetry, kayaking, traveling, cooking traditional Filipino cuisine, and spending quality time with her husband, Mike. 

Joanne Lee is a Deputy Assistant Director for the Equity & Employee Development Division at the State of Washington Department of Enterprise Services. Joanne is a 2023 Excellence in Washington State Government Leadership Award recipient.

She previously held the position of Learning Consultant, Principal for the City of Tacoma. In addition, she worked as a Leadership Development Learning Design and Delivery Professional for the State of Washington Department of Enterprise Services. With over 20 years of experience in various workforce development roles, Joanne has extensive expertise in developing, supporting, maintaining, and expanding professional technical education partnerships to meet industry needs through customized training programs.

Joanne has a wealth of experience working with diverse adult learners, providing training and support ranging from one-on-one consultations to large-scale workshops, seminars, and training sessions for various workforce populations. She has also served as a Chair at the Washington Immigrant Network (WIN), Leadership Development Lead for Hawaiians, Asians, and Pacific Islanders Empowerment Network (HAPPEN), and as a Director of Diversity and Inclusion at Seattle SHRM.

Joanne earned her Graduate Certificate in Human Resource Management from the University of Phoenix. She holds a Master of Arts in Instructional Technology and a Bachelor of Arts in Education from California State University, San Bernardino. Alongside her passion for fostering relationships with community-based organizations, businesses, and industries, Joanne actively promotes partnerships for the workforce and continuing education. Currently, she is a member of the Business faculty at the Seattle Colleges. On a personal note, Joanne loves to travel with her family.

Area(s) of Professional Expertise: Learning/Training Facilitation and Development, Business Development, Leadership Development, College Professor

Ethnic Background: Immigrant born in the Philippines

Language(s) Spoken: English and Tagalog

Christina Pourarien (she/her) is an Information Technology Services Division Executive Operations Manager for the State of Washington Employment Security Department (ESD). After graduating from Central Washington University, she began her state service career in 1999 at the Washington State Lottery. She has worked at General Administration (currently known as Department of Enterprise Services), Department of Retirement Systems, The Evergreen State College, Department of Social Health and Services, Department of Licensing and Labor & Industries before joining ESD in January of 2022. She currently serves as the co-chair of the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Employee Resource Group at ESD.

Christina was born in Great Falls, Montana moved to South Korean with her family when she was six months old, and returned to the United States as a young child in the early 1980s. Her father proudly served in the US Air Force and her mother is originally from Korea. She attended public school in the North Thurston School District in Lacey, Washington. She had the privileged to be the first one in her family to receive a formal college education from Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Washington with a bachelor's degree in psychology. She and her husband Cody have a teenage daughter, Sima.

Area(s) of Professional Expertise:
Human Resources, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion, Classification and Compensation, Recruitment, Coaching, Career Planning, Facilitation, Organization Change Management, and Conflict Resolutions

Ethnic Background:
Multi-racial – Child of first generation Korean immigrant parent.

Language(s) Spoken:
English, and conversational Korean