Leading with Excellence: Governor Bob Ferguson Honors 26 Outstanding Washington Public Servants

OLYMPIA, WA — In a ceremony celebrating dedication, innovation, and public trust, Governor Bob Ferguson presented 26 state employees with the prestigious Governor’s Award for Leadership in Public Service at the Governor’s Residence.

First established in 1985 by Governor Booth Gardner, the annual award recognizes exceptional leaders across Washington state agencies and public institutions who embody a results-oriented culture, foster inclusive work environments, and deliver meaningful impacts for local communities.

"Washington’s public servants are the backbone of state government," said Governor Bob Ferguson. "Today’s awardees are just a few examples of our many dedicated public servants. Thank you all for your work on behalf of Washingtonians. It is an honor to recognize your contributions, and I am proud to work alongside you every day."

Honoring the 2026 Award Recipients

The 26 public servants recognized this year represent a wide range of departments, higher education campuses, and state programs:

• Andrew Davis (Office of the Insurance Commissioner): Recognized for leading the Consumer Protection Division with empathy and strategy. Andrew strengthened consumer education, resolved complex insurance disputes, launched a disaster response program to help flood victims, and expanded Medicare resources statewide.
• Angie Hogenson (Office of Financial Management): With 35 years of public service, Angie modernized statewide human resources by updating HR reporting, launching the HR Compliance Center, and developing the Workday Readiness Portal to foster organizational adaptability.
• Brenda Heilman (Department of Labor & Industries): Innovated Washington’s workers' compensation system by drafting its first strategic plan in over a decade, founding the Light Duty Employee Complaints Office, and improving PTSD care for emergency responders.
• Caroline Byrd (Washington Military Department): Led Washington’s operational and public safety preparations for FIFA World Cup 2026 by establishing statewide subcommittees and multi-agency frameworks to handle both major events and state emergencies.
• Christie Curwick Hoff (Environmental Justice Council): Over two decades, Christie has advanced equity and language accessibility across state government, guiding health impact reviews, pandemic response communications, and environmental justice investments.
• Christina Sepe (Office of the Attorney General): Played a pivotal leadership role in defending Washington’s state policies, public workforce, and billions in federal funding against legal challenges across nearly 50 federal lawsuits.
• Daniella Byrd (Washington Technology Solutions): Improved state technology infrastructure by resolving system reliability issues, ensuring vendor accountability, and championing cost-effective statewide tech solutions.
• Danielle Sullivan (Department of Revenue): Over 30 years in public service, Danielle modernized property tax administration, built collaborative partnerships with county assessors, and improved public transparency through multi-lingual educational resources.
• David Makin (Washington State University): Developed the Washington Public Safety Data System, utilized by over 75% of local law enforcement agencies to foster community trust, data transparency, and evidence-based policy.
• Edward Barry (Department of Transportation): Dedicated over 30 years to WSDOT, expanding express toll lanes, launching anti-phishing digital billing campaigns, and establishing low-income tolling assistance programs.
• Gareth Studer (Everett Community College): Transformed EvCC’s athletic department over nearly a decade, achieving an 86% student retention rate, providing financial support to underserved student-athletes, and elevating academic excellence.
• Jacob Cunnington (Department of Transportation): Led emergency reconstruction on US 2 through Tumwater Canyon after catastrophic flooding, reopening the highway a full month ahead of schedule through technical expertise and strong team leadership.
• Jane Beyer (Office of the Insurance Commissioner): A retired leader who championed consumer protection in health insurance, ending balance billing for emergency medical services, expanding multi-lingual notifications, and supporting tribal clinic reimbursements.
• Jay Baersten (Washington State Historical Society): Led the Washington 250th Commemoration Commission, building a network of 850 partner organizations to expand civic education and secure major media and federal funding.
• Jessica Barr (Employment Security Department): Improved agency-wide operations by boosting veteran referral completions, streamlining services, and leading the transition of the WorkSource Everett center.
• J.R. Richards (Employment Security Department): Successfully integrated Unemployment Insurance, Paid Leave, and WA Cares into a cohesive service model that reduced customer wait times and increased overall satisfaction.
• Lynne Briscoe (Department of Licensing): Created and spearheaded the Tax Discovery Unit, resolving thousands of non-compliance cases, recovering millions in uncollected tax revenue, and protecting public resources.
• MaryLou Shannon (Department of Transportation): Directed over $1 billion in regional infrastructure construction while championing diversity and inclusion through WSDOT’s "Journey to Belonging" initiative.
• Melissa McBride (Department of Labor & Industries): Streamlined statewide professional licensing programs, eliminated administrative backlog, and partnered with language support teams to expand career pathways.
• Michelle Underwood (Department of Ecology): Celebrated 35 years with the Hazardous Waste and Toxics Reduction Program, successfully negotiating a cleanup agreement to restore 10 acres along the Columbia River.
• Praveen Sekhar, Ph.D. (Washington State University Vancouver): Secured competitive research grants for sensor technologies to benefit emergency responders, while mentoring underrepresented students in STEM fields over his 15-year career.
• Radha Nandagopal, M.D. (WSU Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine): Helped build and reform medical education infrastructure, admissions, and faculty development to train doctors serving communities across Washington.
• Sara Pittman (Department of Licensing): Streamlined state licensing operations under Executive Order 25-03, cutting application processing times nearly in half across dozens of professions.
• Savannah Navarro Kresse (Office of the Attorney General): Embedded anti-racism and pro-equity tools into legal services and co-led initiatives to address racial disproportionality in child welfare and criminal proceedings.
• Shannon Stecketee (Department of Labor & Industries): Modernized digital services and public web applications, accelerating compliance with accessibility standards and improving user experience for millions of residents.
• Tammy Fellin (Department of Labor & Industries): Managed L&I's legislative efforts for nearly 13 years, answering thousands of constituent inquiries and helping pass landmark legislation to protect vulnerable and agricultural workers.