Meet the Team

Gwen currently serves as an eLearning Developer and LMS Administrator at the Employment Security Department (ESD). She has been with ESD for almost 4 years, and in previous roles taught business classes for job seekers. Prior to her work in state government, Gwen worked 17+ years for a non-profit organization partnering with a variety of colleges and community-based organizations, providing training in computer skills and professional development. Among the more impactful duties for Gwen, were those where she was able to help others acquire the skills needed to return to work or grow professionally.

Gwen came to America from Guyana, South America as a teenager. She attended public school in New York City. Being a military spouse brought Gwen to Washington State. She has been serving in the Washington Immigrant Network's (WIN) business resource group since 2018. She has served on the Events Planning Sub-Committee and as one of the editors for our Diversity Cookbook. Gwen earned her Master of Education, Learning and Technology from Western Governors University.

In her free time, Gwen enjoys family, movies, reading, and traveling.

Gina is a matrixed Proactive Equity Anti-Racism (PEAR Consultant) member in the DSHS Office of the Secretary within that office's Equity Diversity, Access, and Inclusion unit. Her PEAR Consultant position supports the development of Equity, Diversity, Access, Inclusion, and Belonging (EDAIB), the agency's PEAR strategy, and the specific needs related to EDAIB and PEAR within the Behavioral Health Administration (BHA) at Western State Hospital (WSH). All aspects of her work support the agency's mission to become an anti-racist organization that transforms lives and dismantles barriers for those we serve. She also serves as the EDAIB Administrator for both centers, the Civil Center of Excellence and the Gage Center of Excellence at Western State Hospital.

Gina came to America from the Philippines in 1987 as a mother of a 21-month-old toddler. As a young immigrant with limited English and a lack of education, Gina's first job was as a housekeeper for a retirement home in Skagit County. Gina's desire to finish college heightened when her daughter was accepted to attend the University of Washington (UW) in Seattle in 2004. Gina completed an undergraduate degree in human services in 2007 from the University of Phoenix, one year before her daughter graduated from UW. In 2010, Gina earned her first master's in health administration from the University of Washington, and in 2021, Gina earned a second master's specializing in industrial and organizational psychology from Grand Canyon University. She is currently writing her doctoral dissertation with a completion date of February 18, 2024. Gina holds certifications in Lean Six Sigma Green Belt and Change Management. She is also a Certified Diversity Professional.

Gina began a professional career in health administration in 2004 and later found her true calling in EDAIB when she transitioned from for-profit hospital employee to state employee in 2018 with Western State Hospital. Gina is determined to create an environment more inviting to the marginalized population. As a mentor and coach in the workplace and community, she embraces all and welcomes everyone into her circle of change to experience a safe space and belonging. Empathy, humility, servant leadership, gratefulness, passion, and openness to listen and learn are a few of the qualities that Gina could offer to the DSHS community and beyond, especially here at the Washington Immigrant Network.

Aside from her EDAIB passion and life-long learning, Gina enjoys volunteering with Filipino American non-profit organizations, especially at the Nurture Center in Lakewood, WA. She also enjoys kayaking, cooking traditional Filipino cuisine, traveling, occasional golfing, facetiming with her grandson Cypress, and spending time with her husband, Mike.

Laura grew up with German Shepherds in a small town in the Colombian Andes and now lives in Olympia. She came to the US in 2007 with an athletic scholarship to study at Montana State University and since has lived in Montana, North Carolina, Washington DC, Idaho and now Washington state. She loves the outdoors and has a strong connection with nature.

Laura is an enthusiastic systems thinker and currently works with the Department of Ecology as market monitor of the state’s Cap-and-Invest program. Laura has a PhD in environment and development economics. She likes to think she remains mostly a sensible and compassionate thinker with a strong hunger for justice, peace, and integrity. Laura's education, along with her personal and professional experience, makes her skeptical of mainstream and hegemonic schools of thought and constantly leads her to question the ethical implications of economic analyses in policy making. She’s grateful to the state of Washington for the opportunity to contribute, through her work, to efforts that are aligned with some of her core values: service, justice, gratitude, and responsibility.

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.