Gov. Jay Inslee today honored 20 state agency managers who have demonstrated outstanding leadership. Recipients of the 2014 Governor’s Award for Leadership in Management were honored at a luncheon at the Executive Residence.
This year’s honorees were recognized for a wide range of accomplishments, including work to streamline public services, boost government transparency and save millions of taxpayer dollars.
“These managers have set priorities and achieved results, managed risk and modeled leadership attributes,” Inslee said. “They and their staff are responsible stewards of Washington residents’ resources as they serve capably and honorably every day.”
The Leadership in Management program was created in 1985 to recognize state government managers who demonstrate excellent performance. A selection committee composed of agency directors and members of Inslee’s staff chose the winners based on demonstrated performance.
This year’s recipients of the Governor’s Award for Leadership in Management are:
Roosevelt Currie, Department of Labor and Industries
Faced with a significant backlog of employer audit reconsideration cases, many of which were older than 180 days, Currie created the Backlog Reduction Settlement Project that cut the backlog, improved staff morale and made it easier for employers to be heard.
Mary Forbes, Department of Veterans Affairs
Forbes’ work with the Department of Corrections resulted in the use of new systems that are connecting incarcerated veterans to their benefits, which helps them to secure health care, financial benefits and/or jobs as they leave prison.
Dr. Gary Franklin, Department of Labor and Industries
Franklin’s leadership on risk of harm and opioids ensures that Washington will continue to be recognized nationally as a leader in medical health policy.
Dr. Steven Hammond, Department of Corrections
Hammond has led in the implementation of a Coordinated Quality Improvement Program, which prescribes the systematic monitoring and review of health care services using standardized monitoring and reporting as well as consistent performance and outcome measures.
Sue Langen, Department of Social and Health Services
As the chief information officer of the state’s largest human services agency, Langen ensured that the human service information systems — which determines eligibility for benefits and coverage — were ready and accessible by federal and other state systems so coverage for eligible individuals and families could be approved.
Karla Laughlin, Department of Licensing
Laughlin led the work for a new fuel tax computer system that will result in substantial savings, provide customers simpler methods of filing fuel taxes online and offer easier reconciliation of the $2 billion processed biennially.
Gene Lawrence, Washington State Patrol
Lawrence provided leadership to the staff of the Marysville and Spokane Crime laboratories so high-quality service to law enforcement and prosecuting attorney agencies in Eastern Washington could continue without interruption.
David Mancuso, Department of Social and Health Services
The Predictive Risk Intelligence System known as PRISM, with integrated Medicare and Medicaid data that supports care interventions for high-risk clients, was envisioned and implemented under Mancuso’s leadership.
Kathy Marshall, Department of Social and Health Services
Under Marshall’s direction, the Financial Services Administration is the lead in DSHS in Lean management. This has led to many process improvements with successful outcomes such as greater worker safety across the department and fewer time loss claims by employees.
Michael Maverick, Department of Enterprise Services
Maverick helped implement a new fee structure for using state contracts, which has saved state agencies $920,000 annually.
Patrick McNaughton, Office of the Insurance Commissioner
McNaughton has instituted efficiencies that have resulted in the implementation of additional regulatory responsibilities and new accreditation standards while managing 23 credentialed examiners responsible for auditing 45 domestic insurance companies, 90 charitable annuity issuers and certain public entities.
Bill Moore, Department of Ecology
Moore led the department’s transformation to the use of general permits instead of individual permits, which reduced overall backlog and resulted in shorter processing times.
Renée Smith Nyberg, Department of Enterprise Services
Nyberg plays a lead role in designing and implementing an affordable Lean training curriculum through the department for all state government employees, leaders and Lean practitioners.
Manning Pellanda, Health Care Authority
Pellanda oversaw a reduction from a 45-day, paper-based process to a 45-minute electronic process in the Health Benefits Exchange eligibility/enrollment system for 1.5 million Apple Health enrollees.
Carla Reyes, Department of Social and Health Services
Reyes and her team led the development and implementation of 2010 WorkFirst redesign efforts; developed and implemented a WorkFirst improvement plan; and managed Affordable Care Act implementation related to policy, procedures, training and administrative code development.
Connie Robins, Department of Commerce
Through Robins’ leadership, the department has completed process improvement initiatives for purchasing/payables, chart of accounts, risk assessment and public disclosure.
Scott Robinson, Recreation and Conservation Office
Robinson led the agency in developing online technology that readily shows where money is going and what it accomplished. He managed the same tools to measure staff performance, holding employees accountable for getting money out the door quickly and closing projects in a timely manner.
Nicole Ross, Department of Revenue
Through Ross’ work with financial institutions, her division set up an innovative system to collect millions in unpaid taxes directly from a delinquent taxpayer’s financial institution through an electronic process. Last year, the program brought in $2.8 million from 30,000 bank accounts.
Stuart Thronson, Department of Revenue
Thronson’s staff instituted changes that have increased the popularity and success of the Unclaimed Property section, returning $66 million in assets to rightful claimants in fiscal year 2013.
Jon White, Attorney General’s Office
Working with significant budget constraints, White negotiated cost-saving contracts, developed innovative partnerships in state government and worked with his team on technology upgrades that have improved productivity.