Gov. Jay Inslee today named Suzan “Suzi” LeVine as commissioner of the Employment Security Department. LeVine replaces Dale Peinecke who announced his retirement in April.
LeVine most recently served as U.S. Ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein from 2014 – 2017 at the request of President Barack Obama. She has extensive experience in workforce development, apprenticeships and the future of work. As ambassador, she was instrumental in collaborating with more than 30 companies to expand the Swiss style apprenticeship model into the United States. LeVine served as a member of Inslee’s Career Connect Washington Task Force and as a delegation co-chair of Inslee’s study mission to Switzerland last year.
Prior to joining the U.S. Department of State, LeVine worked at Microsoft as director of strategic partnerships for student developers and as director of communications for education. She has also worked at Expedia as vice president of sales and marketing. She began her career at Microsoft as product manager for operating systems and desktop applications.
“We are experiencing enormously disruptive shifts in our economy, and Suzi is a respected thought-leader in redefining and rethinking our education and workforce systems to ensure economic security for our workers and companies,” Inslee said. “The staff at ESD have done tremendous work incorporating Lean improvements and creating a customer-focused culture that I know Suzi will take to a new level. She’s also fully committed to ensuring all ESD employees feel welcome, respected and supported, which is absolutely crucial to the agency’s success.”
Since her ambassadorship ended January 2017, LeVine and her husband, Eric, have spoken around the world about the essential role that apprenticeships can play in the economic growth of the United States.
LeVine serves as a member of the Markle Foundation’s Rework America Task Force, as a board member for CareerWise Colorado, and as an international advisory board member for the Center on the Economics and Management of Education and Training Systems at ETH Zürich. She served as a member of Inslee’s Career Connect Washington Task Force.
LeVine earned her Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering with aerospace applications and Bachelor of Arts in English from Brown University in 1993. She also received an Honorary Degree from EPFL, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, October 2017.
LeVine begins her new position on July 9th.
For the interim, Inslee has named Cami Feek as acting ESD Commissioner.
Feek is currently the director of Paid Family and Medical Leave at ESD. Prior to joining ESD, Feek served as operations director for the Attorney General’s Office, where she oversaw operational budgets and managed the leaders of human resources, facilities and records, risk management, information technology and general services. Feek has also worked for the state’s former General Administration agency where she led work with vendors and procurement efforts.
Feek has a bachelor’s degree with an emphasis in business administration from The Evergreen State College. Following her service as acting ESD Commissioner, she will return to her role leading the statewide Paid Family and Medical Leave program.
“Cami has the right experience and skills to lead ESD during this transition,” Inslee said. “Her highly-lauded leadership of the new Paid Family and Medical Leave program has made her a trusted and respected leader within ESD.”
