As chair, Kevin Perkey will work closely with the 11 other Workforce Development Board CEOs to coordinate the state’s workforce system
VANCOUVER — Workforce Southwest Washington (WSW) CEO Kevin Perkey has been elected chair of the Washington Workforce Association (WWA) for a two-year term beginning January 2020.
As chair, Perkey will work closely with the 11 other Workforce Development Board CEOs to coordinate the state’s workforce system which includes multiple state agencies, community colleges, community-based organizations, businesses and labor unions.
Perkey has been WSW CEO since July 2018. Prior to joining WSW, Perkey was CEO of South Central Pennsylvania Works, a regional workforce development board investing more than $12 million of public workforce investment resources annually across an eight-county region of South Central, Pennsylvania.
Perkey serves on the boards of the Columbia River Economic Development Council, Cowlitz Economic Development Council, and Mount St. Helens Institute and on the STEM Network Governance Committee and the U.S. Conference of Mayors Workforce Development Council (serving as Policy Committee co-chair).
“The world of work is changing every day. Advances in technology, emerging markets for new businesses of all types and sizes, changing worker preferences and values around work/life balance, and multi-generational workplaces all influence the future direction of workforce development,” Perkey said.
“I’m grateful to follow in the footsteps of many of my WWA colleagues, helping shape the future of innovative and high-impact workforce development investments across the state of Washington. I look forward to continuing our work as we support the growth and competitiveness of our state,” Perkey continued.
A change in several other leadership roles is coming to the WWA in the new year.
Outgoing WWA Chair Linda Nguyen announced in March that she will retire from WorkForce Central, and her two-year run as Chair of WWA comes to a close at the end of 2019. Nguyen has been with WorkForce Central since 1991 and has served as its CEO since 2007. She is a board member of the Tacoma-Pierce County Economic Development Board, United Way of Pierce County, the Washington Economic Development Association, and the U.S. Conference of Mayors Workforce Development Council.
“It has been an honor and a pleasure to serve as Chairwoman for WWA. Working alongside all of my peers and partners to further system integration has resulted in improved customer access to services and sustained economic health throughout Washington state,” Nguyen said.
WWA recently named a new executive director, who took the helm Oct. 28. Sandra Miller comes with a professional career spanning more than 30 years in the hospitality, retail and workforce development industries. She has served as vice president for Intercontinental Investments, a hospitality holding company where she led all aspects of the company’s operations. Her experience also includes business and community engagement for Pacific Mountain Workforce Development Council and co-ownership of g. miller-Olympia, a premier retailer of finer menswear in the city’s downtown core.
In addition, Tiffany Scott will take over as WWA’s Vice-Chair from Jack Fitzgerald, CEO of South Central Workforce Council. Erin Monroe, CEO of Workforce Snohomish, will continue to serve as WWA Treasurer.
Workforce Southwest Washington (WSW) funds community prosperity by investing in services that help individuals gain skills to find a good-paying job or advance in their careers and help companies attract, train and retain workers. WSW investments strengthen the region’s businesses and contribute to a strong economy. Since 2003, WSW has invested more than $100 million in Clark, Cowlitz and Wahkiakum counties. Learn more at www.workforcesw.org.
The Washington Workforce Association (WWA) is a nonprofit non-partisan membership organization of the 12 Workforce Development Councils (WDC) of Washington state. The WDCs are business-led boards that coordinate and leverage workforce investments and strategies with stakeholders from education, economic development, labor and community-based organizations to advance the economic health of their respective communities through a skilled and competitive workforce. Learn more at www.washingtonworkforce.org.
