Since 1994

From the Publisher:

Another Classic horror show, or control?

A publication for and about State Employees FREE November 2021 | Vol. 27 | No. 1

Governor names secretary of DSHSGov. Jay Inslee has

named Jilma Meneses secretary of the state Department of Social and Health Services. She replaces Don Clintsman who has been serving as acting secretary since May.

Meneses is cur-rently the chief ex-ecutive officer for Catholic Charities of San Francisco, Marin and San Mateo where she leads the strategy, management and op-erations of 30 direct human services pro-

grams for children, families, older adults, and people with disabilities.

Prior to joining CCSF, Meneses was the executive vice president, chief operating officer and general counsel for Concordia University in Portland, Ore. She also served as the university’s interim dean of the school of law. Men-eses worked as chief diversity officer at Portland State University.

At Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, Meneses served as director of the risk management de-partment, prior to that she was the director of the affirma-tive action and equal opportunity.

For 15 years she has acted in a pro-bono role as chief executive officer and general counsel for Our Family in Africa based in Camas to support children in the Demo-

cratic Republic of Congo. She began her career at the Tri-County Metropolitan District of Oregon (Tri-Met), first as legal coordinator and legislative aide and then later as di-rector of civil rights and compliance.

Meneses has been a Washington resident for the past 25 years, raising her family in the Camas area.

“Jilma has decades of experience leading complex orga-nizations that provide health and human services. She is a transformational leader who has demonstrated that she can implement strategic and operational change while furthering the mission and creating a dynamic and sup-portive culture for staff,” Inslee said. “I am pleased that she is bringing her dedication, passion and varied expe-rience to benefit the people of Washington state. I look forward to working with her and welcoming her to my cabinet. I thank Don for stepping in as acting secretary and I know that he will continue to serve DSHS with dis-tinction.”

“I want to express my deepest gratitude to Governor Inslee for giving me this opportunity to make a greater impact in the lives of our fellow Washingtonians. It is an honor to partner with the dedicated servant leaders at the Department of Social & Health Services under the leadership of the governor. It will be a privilege to work with this accomplished and caring community who has modeled compassion and unwavering commitment to the most vulnerable Washingtonians,” Meneses said. “I am humbled by the work of DSHS and all that has been accomplished under some of the most challenging cir-cumstances most of us have ever faced. I look forward to walking with you in the next journey.”

Meneses earned her law degree from Lewis & Clark Law School and her bachelor’s degree from University of Cali-fornia, Berkeley.

Jilma Meneses

Remember watching the movie “Wiz-ard of Oz” when you were younger.

The movie begins in black and white, and then transitions to color (a new fea-ture in its day).

When you’re 10, the black and white scenes of the Kansas tornado make you wonder if this is a classic horror show. I urged my sisters to leave the theater and walk the three blocks home. Maybe it was because when I was three, a neighbor was talking outside my bedroom window about a Japanese submarine beached on the Oregon Coast. That thought ruined my sleep for months.

Months later, as a four year old, I duti-fully answered the door on Halloween and saw my neighbor kids with masks, saying,” Trick or Treat.” You have to un-derstand, since my birth, all outside win-dows were covered in heavy “blackout” curtains.

Seeing the movie the first time connect-ed the two events. Only later did I connect the “Great Oz” behind the curtain with re-alities of news events and control.

Now it had been 18 months isolated in my house with the reality that even with a COVID 19 Vax being over 65 could be that blackout scene all over again. The great battle of being safe verses being mandated with “Stay at home” orders has some paranoid, insecure, suicidal thoughts, and seeking reassurance from The “Great Oz.” Science verses common sense; safety verses being outdoors; stay-ing away from large crowds; staying home from church; spiritual events and friends that lifted your life.

The battle became science verses real-ity. Every day the newspaper provided a box score or those who died verses those who recovered; stories of science be-ing debunked or news of the “Great Oz” hiding in his basement with a mask on. Or, state employees working from home where the return dates to offices has been moved, again and again.

Two things I do know:A person persuaded against their will is

of the same opinion still, and, Mandate is not a neutral persuasive term.

You’re not in Kansas anymore, Dorothy!

OLYMPIA – Oct. 27, 2021 – Washington State Parks, Washington Department of Natural Re-sources (DNR) and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) will offer free entrance to state recreation lands on Thurs-day, Nov. 11 and Friday, Nov. 26. On these days, visitors to Washington state lands will not need a Discover Pass to park. Discover Pass free days apply to all visitor parking on DNR and WDFW lands and in day-use areas at Washington state parks.

November 11 honors Veterans Day, which is also a state and federal holiday. Friday, Nov. 26 is the day after

Thanksgiving. The November dates are the final free days in 2021. The full list of designated free days for 2022 will be announced next month.

State lands offer final free days of 2021No Discover Pass will be needed to park on state recreation lands Thursday, Nov. 11 and Friday, Nov. 26.

2 FTE News Magazine • November 2021 www.ftemag.com

1Savings validated by new customers who switched to Liberty Mutual between 1/2020-10/2020 and participated in a countrywide survey. Savings may vary. Comparison does not apply in MA. 2Your rate is guaranteed for one full year from your effective date. Rate guarantee may not apply if there is a midterm change in underwriting risk that impacts policy premium. Coverage provided and underwritten by Liberty Mutual Insurance Company or its subsidiaries or affiliates, 175 Berkeley Street, Boston, MA 02116. Equal Housing Insurer. ©2021 Liberty Mutual Insurance 14275890

AFF686950-25 CW 2019/10

State of Washington has partnered with Liberty Mutual Insurance to bring you valuable savings and more—with access to benefits like 24-Hour Claims Assistance and a 12-month rate guarantee.2

For your free quote, call 1-800-706-5525or visit www.libertymutual.com/pebbsae

Client #8246

You could save $947 on auto and home insurance.1

WSDA and L&I to share new labBy Hector Castro, (360) 464-0118

TUMWATER – A new state laboratory and train-ing center under construction soon in Tumwater will provide a state-of-the-art facility for food safety work, hazardous chemical testing, workplace safety investigations, and more.

The Washington state departments of Agriculture (WSDA) and Labor & Industries (L&I) will hold a groundbreaking ceremony for the new lab at noon Monday, Nov. 1, at the construction site, 7321 Linder-son Way SW, Tumwater.

The collaboration on a joint facility saves tax-payer money and agency resources currently going to maintaining aging buildings and equipment in lab spaces that were not built for their current use. Funded through a $53.2 million capital budget ap-propriation by the state Legislature in 2019, the new L&I/WSDA Safety & Health Laboratory and Training Center will be 53,000 square feet with room for sev-eral labs, offices, and conference rooms.

Workplace safety and health testing and training The new facility marks an improvement to L&I’s

current Division of Occupational Safety & Health (DOSH) Lab and Training Center, currently housed in an aging and damaged facility on Plum Street in Olympia that was not designed for lab use. The DOSH lab analyzes samples taken at work sites to determine if hazardous chemicals or materials are present and, if so, the amount to which employees may have been exposed.

The planned lab will provide the temperature con-trol, workspaces, and other environmental needs for the analytical instruments that DOSH lab staff use. The training center will allow more students to attend training at one time, and, unlike the current center, include indoor and outdoor areas to demon-strate heavy earthmoving equipment, cranes, scaf-folding, and other construction equipment.

“Our partnership with Agriculture will make work-places safer for Washington workers and businesses,” L&I Director Joel Sacks said. “We are bringing our lab testing and safety and health training work into the 21st century.”

Agriculture testing for food safety, harmful crop diseases and new “bug lab”

For WSDA, the new building represents a vast im-provement over its current laboratory settings. The agency currently has five labs squeezed into a former warehouse in Olympia, including a lab that conducts analysis important for food safety and a plant pa-thology lab that looks for signs of harmful disease in

crops and horticulture. The aging building requires technicians to constantly calibrate the sensitive lab equipment, which can be affected by movement in the old warehouse.

WSDA’s entomology lab, more commonly referred to as its bug lab, will also move into the new build-ing. The collection of bugs, microscopes, and other equipment currently occupies a small office at the agency’s main office in Olympia.

“This project will result in significant benefits for our agency and for the ag-ricultural and food industry, but the big winner here is the general public,” WSDA Director Derek Sandison said. “Our labs play a vital role in ensuring the safety of our food supplies as well as in monitoring potentially harmful plant diseases and invasive species. Through our partnership with L&I, this new building will set up our labo-ratory operations for continued suc-cess for decades to come.”

The new building was designed by ZGF Architects of Seattle, which was awarded the contract after a competi-tive bid process. The building includes electric vehicle charging stations, a lighting system designed to reduce nighttime light pollution, high effi-ciency water fixtures, and a low-ener-gy LED interior lighting system.

“We are thrilled to collaborate with the WSDA and L&I on this high-per-formance new facility as they do criti-cal work protecting the safety of Wash-ington’s workers and food supply,” said Allyn Stellmacher, design partner at ZGF Architects. “In accordance with the state’s efforts to decarbonize and transition to 100 percent clean energy over the next two decades, this project will showcase sustainable green build-ing strategies that set the bar high for all new state buildings.”

Tacoma-based Korsmo Construc-tion received the contract to build the new lab facility. Korsmo is a commer-cial building contractor that has been working in the greater Puget Sound area for 73 years.

“As the general contractor/con-

struction manager, we enjoy our partnership with WSDA and L&I, and working with ZGF Architects to build this shared facility,” said John Korsmo, owner of Korsmo Construction. “The experience of our en-tire team, working together in this contract delivery method, will ensure the agencies and end users re-ceive the highest quality project.”

WSDA and L&I have a history of collaborating on projects, and currently share a building in Yakima.

The agencies expect to move into the new building in February 2023.

www.ftemag.com November 2021 • FTE News Magazine 3

umassglobal.edu

Ask about our 10% WA State Employee Scholarship

BRANDMAN UNIVERSITY

IS NOW

UTC announces two keyexecutive appointments

LACEY, Wash. - Today the Utilities and Transportation Commission an-nounced the appointment of two new members to its executive team.

The UTC appointed Amy Andrews to the role of deputy director and chief financial officer. Andrews most recent-ly served as the finance manager, and formerly held the position of policy di-rector. Andrews started at the commis-sion in 2012 and has extensive knowl-edge of the commission’s statewide policy strategy, regulatory accounting and taxation, and the commission’s fi-nances.

“Amy is a natural fit for this position,” said Executive Director Amanda Max-well. “Her depth of knowledge, back-ground in both policy and finance, and sharp leadership insight will serve the commission well.”

The UTC also announced the ap-pointment of Anna Gill as the director of consumer protection and commu-nications. Gill is returning to the com-mission having previously served as the agency’s spokesperson, and most re-

cently held the role of communications director for the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. Anna also served as communications man-ager at the Department of Revenue.

“I am excited to welcome Anna back to the commission,” said Maxwell. “Her experience leading communica-tions and consumer departments at other state agencies along with her in-stitutional knowledge will help us con-tinue to move the commission forward.”

Andrews holds a bachelor’s degree from Ottawa University and an MBA from Grand Canyon University.

Gill holds a bachelor’s degree in com-munications and sociology from Cen-tral Washington University.

The UTC regulates the rates and services of household goods movers; passenger transportation companies; investor-owned electric, natural gas, garbage, and water utilities; landline telecommunications companies; gar-bage haulers; commercial ferries; pipe-line companies; marine pilotage; and a low-level radioactive waste repository.

(Sources include the National Institutes of Health and National Institute of Mental Health websites)

As November begins, we recognize that many of us may feel less happy from time to time during the cold, gloomy days of winter. For some, these “winter blues” are temporary and do not interfere with their functioning. But others may start to feel consistently “down” when the days get shorter in the fall and winter and begin to feel better in the spring with its longer daylight hours. In some cases, these mood changes are more serious and can affect how a person feels, thinks, and handles daily activities. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that comes and goes with the seasons. It usually starts in the late fall and early winter and goes away during the spring and summer. Some people do have episodes of depres-sion that start in the spring or summer, but that is a lot less common. SAD is a particular risk here in Washington, with the short days and long nights of winter at our latitude.

This year, several other factors may compound the effects of SAD. First, we’re already in the midst of an ongoing COVID-fueled mental health crisis. A symptom of anxiety or depression reported by adults in our state contin-ues to be much higher than before COVID: from 23.4% in 2018-19 to 36.2% at the end of September 2021 -- more than 50% higher than in pre-COVID days. In addition, some of us – BIPOC/people of color – have been dispro-portionately affected by COVID as well as longstanding structural racism and mental/behavioral health inequities.

During COVID, most of us have been experiencing grief and loss, and now we’re headed toward yet another far-from-normal winter holiday season ac-companied by CDC-recommended precautions to carefully consider before we travel and gather with loved ones. And finally, here in the Pacific North-west our outlooks might be further eroded as we experience the predicted La Nina weather pattern for the second year in a row, bringing colder and wetter weather than normal from December through February.

Symptoms of SAD may include:• Sadness• Gloomy outlook• Feeling hopeless, worthless, and irritable• Loss of interest or pleasure in activities you used to enjoy• Low energy• Difficulty sleeping or oversleeping• Carbohydrate cravings and weight gain• Thoughts of death or suicideSAD is more common in women, young people, and

those who live far from the equator. You are also more like-ly to have SAD if you or your family members have depression. The exact causes of SAD are unknown. Researchers have found that people with SAD may have an imbalance of serotonin, a brain chemi-cal that affects your mood. Their bodies also make too much mela-tonin, a hormone that regulates sleep, and not enough vitamin D. The main treatment for SAD is light therapy. The idea behind light therapy is to replace the sunshine that you miss during the fall and winter months. You sit in front of a light therapy box every morning to get daily exposure to bright, artificial light. But some people with SAD do not respond to light therapy alone. Antidepressant medicines and talk therapy can reduce SAD symptoms, either alone or combined with light therapy.

For more information please access: DES.WA. GOVHere are some additional resources:From the CDC, check out this detailed information about SAD.Find more information about treatment for SAD, from the Yale School of

Medicine’s Winter Depression Research Clinic.Take a SAD self-assessment, from the non-profit Center for Environmen-

tal Therapeutics.

The Unique Winter of 2021-22 and Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

4 FTE News Magazine • November 2021 www.ftemag.com

Since 1994

The news magazine for and about Washington State employees

For advertising and copy deadlines go to:www.ftemag.com

Phone: 360-349-6926E-mail: ftemag@comcast.net

Publisher, advertising and circulation ......................................... Art MeadDesign & copy editor ......................................................... Darlene Kemery

The FTE News Magazine is pleased to accept all positive articles concerning recognition, honors and significant efforts of all state employees, their offices, and agencies. You may submit your article by e-mail by the last Wednesday of the preceding month. All articles and photos must have a contact name, ad-dress, and phone number. The FTE News Magazine does not accept political, religious alcohol/tobacco or non-family oriented articles and advertising. We reserve the right to edit all materials. The FTE News Magazine is not respon-sible for the accuracy and contents of submitted materials.

49

(360) 438-9458www.capitaleyesoptical.org

Sleater-Kinney side of Fred Meyer - LaceyMonday to Friday 10 AM - 5 PM or by appointment

Jasmine Pippin-TimcoPublic Outreach Co-Chair | (360) 664-1665Debra LefingPublic Outreach Co-Chair | (360) 764-9791

The Interagency Committee of State Employed Women (ICSEW) is sponsoring a second annual gift card and supplies drive. Our focus is for organiza-tions providing services and resources to victims of domestic violence. Due to the COVID-19 pandem-ic, police departments and civic groups reported a spike in domestic violence cases. Changes in how we socialize and work during the pandemic put vic-tims in close proximity to their abusers.

“This is an opportunity to empower Washingto-nians who take the difficult steps to protect the well-being of themselves and their families. These are strong, brave individuals, and to be a part of better-ing their lives falls in line with so many of ICSEW’s values,” said ICSEW Public Outreach Co-chair, Jas-mine Pippin-Timco.

The drive starts Oct. 1, the beginning of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month through April 30, 2022. The following organizations currently want to receive gift cards:

• Safe Place, Olympia, WA• Emergency Support Shelter, Longview, WA• Turning Pointe Survivor Advocacy Center, Shel-

ton, WA• Domestic Violence Services of Snohomish

County, Everett, WA• New Beginnings, Seattle, WA• New Hope, Moses Lake, WA• YWCA Spokane, Spokane, WA• YWCA Yakima, Yakima, WA“This is a great opportunity to make a difference

twice with one gesture as many local businesses are struggling to stay afloat through this pandemic,” said ICSEW Public Outreach Co-chair, Debra Lef-ing. “Donating a gift card helps a domestic violence survivor obtain meals or supplies and gives a much-needed boost to a business owner.”

How to Participate If you are an individual who would like to donate

a gift card, reach out to a local business or restau-rant to purchase gift cards and mail to the desired organization below. Supporting businesses carrying grocery items, diapers & wipes, personal hygiene items or cleaning supplies would be useful.

The organizations also need gift cards for restau-rants, takeout, and fast food. During the holiday season any donated gift card can be a Christmas gift, in some cases these are the only gifts children receive.

If you are an immune compromised individual or do not feel comfortable purchasing a gift card in-person, the ICSEW’s Annual Charity Drive page will update list of businesses offering no-contact pur-chase options starting October 15. If you are a busi-ness that would like to be on this list, please see the section below for businesses for how to participate.

For Individuals: ICSEW encourages safe, no-con-tact delivery. People who select an electronic gift card can fill in the recipient as gift and email it to ICSEWcharity@ofm.wa.gov for forwarding to the organizations or a gift card can be mailed to the de-sired organization. If you pick a gift card up in per-son please mail them directly to the organizations secure mailings below:

Western Washington:• Safe Place (Thurston County) C/O:

Ellie Parrish 521 Legion Way SE Olympia WA, 98501

• The Emergency Support Shel-ter (Longview/ Southwest Wash-ington): C/O: Felina Gonzalez 1330 11th Ave. Longview, WA 98632

• Turning Pointe Survivor Advocacy Center (Mason County) C/O: Gina Blanchard-Reed PO Box 2014 Shel-ton, WA 98584

• Domestic Violence Services of Snohomish County (Snohomish

County) C/O: Emma Leedy P.O. Box 7, Everett, WA 98206

• New Beginnings (King County) C/O: Donetta Vessell P.O Box 75125, Seattle, WA 98175

Eastern Washington• New Hope (Grand Coulee, Moses Lake, Matta-

wa, Othello, Quincy, Royal City) C/O: Tina Stein-metz 311 W 3rd Ave, Moses Lake, WA, 98837

• YWCA Spokane (Spokane County) C/O: Jennifer Haynes-Harter 930 N Monroe St, Spokane, WA 99201

• YWCA Yakima (Yakima County) C/O: Miriam Saavedra 818 W Yakima Ave, Yakima, WA 98902

If you are a local business and want to participate in the gift card and product drive or be added to our list for contact free purchases please contact the IC-SEW’s Public Outreach Subcommittee Co-Chairs: jasmine.pippin-timco@lcb.wa.gov.

For more information about the gift card drive, please visit the ICSEW’s Annual Charity Drive web-page, https://icsew.wa.gov/annual-events/annual-charity-drive/

The ICSEW’s Public Outreach Subcommittee has a vested interest in supporting community organi-zations that share the ICSEW values of Wellness, Ad-vocacy, Leadership, Integrity, Fostering growth and Empowerment.

ICSEW Announces 2021-2022 Charity Drive to HelpDomestic Violence Victims, Local Businesses

It’s easy. Just send us your web address; work-place or home. You will be placed on an Advanced Distribution List to receive the FTE News before posting to the website – ftemag.com No cost to subscribe; no barriers to access.

To receive daily news on medical, employee tips and general news and trends, just go to the website 24/7.

To send us information, please send it to ftemag@gmail.com, 24/7 with your contact in-formation.

Want to subscribe to the FTE News?

Since 1994

From the Publisher:

Legacy of Generosity-

A Tradition

WSP awarded AAMVA ‘Innovative Use of Technology’

Charity representatives and state em-

ployees were discussing the progress of the

Combined Fund Drive. When the FTE News

Magazine became an active campaign par-

ticipant, directly and indirectly, total collec-

tions went from $1.8 to $5.3 million. Many

of you have read my bias reporting on state

charity accomplishments. There, I said it,

“Biased.” There is still truth in the media!

When someone asks me, “What do state

employees do for the community,” they get

an ear full. Local, national or global disas-

ters and state employees dig deep; formally

through the Combined Fund Drive or indi-

rectly, through office collections, church

stewardship or the pleas from family and/

or friends. The point is, most state employ-

ees are charitable! My mission is to reflect

that passion into the words and photos to

sustain your tradition. Your charity efforts

are nationally renowned!

What I learned over the years of being

involved in community philanthropy is that

persons either have experienced a chari-

table need personally or to a co-worker,

neighbor or relative, exhibit direct under-

standing of the need and respond. It be-

comes part of their tradition of generosity.

Today, there is still a huge need for char-

ity. While many have been furloughed,

many are still homeless, stressed out, fear-

ful of their next meal. And many are “dis-

abled” by fear.The way to erase that fear is to have faith.

Faith overcomes the darkness and lets your

light shine for others. Someone has said,

“It’s like a pumpkin. You open it up, carve

in a face that reflects your heart, clean out

all the seeds and junk, place a candle in it,

and let it shine.”When you contribute to the Combined

Fund Drive, your face and heart will shine

with the pride of tradition. Your attitude

toward the world and those around you

will multiply. It’s infectious.

And, you give me one more story to share

about what state employees are about -

sharing, caring, and charitable, to “Make a

Difference”. Everyone is depending on you

to give a Legacy of Generosity!

We, the state employee community, are

stakeholders in the outcome.

A publication for and about State Employees FREE November 2020 | Vol. 26 | No. 1

The Washington State Patrol (WSP) has been hon-

ored by the American Association of Motor Vehicle

Administrators (AAMVA) as the 2020 International

winner of the Innovative Use of Technology Award.

The WSP was nominated for and won, the region-

al award, and moved forward to the international

award. The WSP is proud of the efforts and successes

made to leverage technology in pursuit of our goal

to accomplish the mission of “Making a difference

every day, enhancing the safety and security of our

state by providing the best in public safety services.”

The WSP employed the use of Unmanned Aerial

Vehicles (UAV) in 2017 in a pilot program. The pi-

lot program concluded in 2018, with what Detective

Sergeant Clint Thomas called “Overwhelming suc-

cess.” The UAV program reduced collision investiga-

tion times, which in turn saved money, and opened

roads quicker. This reduction in road closure time

saved approximately $600,000 in economic impact,

during only the pilot program period.

In 2018, the program was expanded and made a

permanent investigative resource for WSP investi-

gators. During the 2018 calendar year, UAVs were

used in more than 165 collision/crime scene inves-

tigations, saving over $6 million in economic impact from

road-closure delays. Not only has this investigative tool

aided in reducing closure times, but it also helps to pro-

vide increased forensic scene reconstruction capabilities

not previously possible from other investigative tools.

The use of UAVs in collision investigation has the added

benefits of increased safety for Troopers, as they are not in

the roadway. By leveraging UAV technology, investigators

no longer are required to hand measure and interact with

scene evidence, which presents risks and delays in the in-

vestigative process. An additional benefit is the ability to

capture the scene evidence in some instances without full

lane closures, allowing traffic to continue to flow, which

reduces secondary collisions and traffic back-ups.

The WSP continues to develop and refine the program to

ensure the most effecent and effective processes are avail-

able to investigators. At the time of this award, it is be-

lieved that the WSP has the largest law enforcement fleet

of UAVs in the country, with over 130 UAVs and trained

pilots to operate them. The WSP would like to thank the

AAMVA for recognizing the great work the employees of

the WSP are doing to reach our vision to “be the best pub-

lic safety agency in the United States.”

WSP uses UAV’s for accident investigations. The two pictured are Sgt.

Clint Thomas left, holding the award and Detective Eric Gunderson right,

holding the UAV. Photo by WSP Media

Roger Wigfield, DES Energy Program Mngr.

DES Energy Program Manager to retireBy DES Communications

Roger Wigfield, Energy Program Manager for the Department of Enterprise Services, plans

to retire on December 1, 2020, after 35 years of state service.

Roger started in state service in 1985 as an Engineer II at the Washington State Energy Office.

In 2006, Roger served as the interim DES Energy Program manager and was appointed perma-

nently in the position the following year. He joined DES in 2011 after the consolidation of the

Department of General Administration and several other agencies.

In 2020, Roger received the Governor’s Award for Leadership in Management for growing

the Energy Program from eight staff to 15 and creating a culture that listens to customers.

Roger’s influence and leadership in energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emission reduction

are known nationwide.

Under Roger’s leadership, the Energy Program received the Race to the Top award for the

past three years from the Energy Services Coalition. The Energy Services Coalition is a nation-

al partnership organization working to encourage and support energy savings performance

contracting across the U.S.

Roger plans to enjoy his retirement engaged in a variety of woodworking projects at his home off Steamboat Island

Road. He also plans to locate and restore a 1980 Ford Mustang GT, replacing one Roger once owned with his brother.

Advertise your businessin the FTE News

We have very competitive rates! Now is a good time to get in the Decemberedition - just in time for the holiday season! Call now for a quote.

360-349-6926

www.ftemag.com November 2021 • FTE News Magazine 5

By Tim Kelly (email) Communications Office

Schools may have been on summer break but that didn’t stop incarcerated fathers at Larch Corrections Center in Yacolt, Washington from hosting their annual science fair. With COVID-19 restrictions in place, the facility took the science fair virtual.

The fathers filmed individual videos and taught their children how to make ice cream and used ingredients that families might already have or could be easily bought for the kids to try.

“These programs are important for the fathers because it reminds them of who is waiting for them at home and more importantly it provides a connection for their children,” said Corrections Specialist Nancy Sim-mons. “They get to see their dads be-ing fun and silly and these videos can be watched over and over so when they’re missing their dad, they can see him.”

Larch Corrections Center is start-

ing a pilot project using Big Life Jour-nals, which will have the children and fathers complete and discuss work-sheets. This helps to build confidence and increase self-esteem, growth mindset, and resilience in children.

Programs, like science fairs, help the department in its mission to improve public safety by positively changing lives through giving individuals the opportunity to continue teaching and mentoring their children. It also sup-ports people’s success, a department value, by instilling hope, embracing change and providing opportunities. This is an opportunity that Tyrrell Oli-ver is happy to have.

“It makes me feel good that I can touch them mentally and emotionally while being so far away physically,” said Oliver.

Simmons said the fathers were at first nervous to make the videos but had a great time bonding as a group. She plans on organizing more interac-tive events during the holidays.

DOC Science Fun at Larch Corrections Center

By Brionna Aho, Communications Director, (360) 753-2727Brionna.aho@atg.wa.gov

OLYMPIA — Attorney General Bob Ferguson today announced that his office recovered $495,000 stolen from the Washington Employment Security Department, making Wash-ington the first state to use its asset forfeiture power to recover stolen funds. The money will be returned to the Washington unemployment insurance trust fund.

During the pandemic, sophisticat-ed fraud rings stole billions of dol-lars from at least 11 states, including Washington. While multiple states suffered substantial losses, Attorney General Ferguson is the first state attorney general to exercise state as-set forfeiture powers to recover sto-len funds. Attorney General Fergu-son initiated a unique investigation searching for bank accounts where fraudsters had not yet withdrawn all stolen funds, and launched a legal effort to reclaim these funds for the state.

Today, Ferguson announced that King County Superior Court Judge Johanna Bender granted the attor-ney general’s first motion for forfei-ture, ordering TD Bank to transfer back to Washington $495,000 from 120 accounts where the stolen funds had been deposited. The bank did not oppose the motion. Ferguson’s office is pursuing similar recoveries involving other large banks.

This action is wholly separate from the multi-agency federal law enforcement task force investigation resulting in multiple arrests of Nige-rian citizens allegedly connected to the fraud. Ferguson’s office has been assisting federal efforts, while also searching for additional ways to use its authority.

A new approachThe Attorney General’s Office used

data from the Employment Security Department and subpoenaed more than 35 banks across the country to identify accounts with balances of $1,000 or more that bore red flags, or indicators of fraud.

Red flags included:Accounts that received unemploy-

ment benefit payments from mul-tiple states;

Accounts that received deposits of unemployment benefits to multiple people; or

A mismatch between the personal information of the account holder and the person who supposedly ap-

plied for the benefits deposited in the account.

The office is using the Attorney General’s asset forfeiture authority to reclaim stolen funds identified with this process, making Washington the first state in the nation to do so.

Assistant Attorney General Jeff Sprung in the Complex Litigation Division is leading this effort, along with Assistant Attorneys General Spencer Coates, Nick Quijas, Rob-ert Staley, Paul Crisalli, and Cristina Sepe, paralegal Sara Cearley, legal assistant Christine Truong, inves-tigator Rick Barry and legal intern Nick Mendolia.

Attorney General uses innovative approach to recover $495,000 in sto-len unemployment benefits during the pandemic, sophisticated fraud rings stole billions of dollars from at least 11 states, including Washing-ton. While multiple states suffered substantial losses, Attorney General Ferguson is the first state attorney general to exercise state asset forfei-ture powers to recover stolen funds. Attorney General Ferguson initiated a unique investigation searching for bank accounts where fraudsters had not yet withdrawn all stolen funds, and launched a legal effort to re-claim these funds for the state. Fer-guson announced that King County Superior Court Judge Johanna Bend-er granted the attorney general’s first motion for forfeiture, ordering TD Bank to transfer back to Washington $495,000 from 120 accounts where the stolen funds had been deposit-ed. The bank did not oppose the mo-tion. Ferguson’s office is pursuing similar recoveries involving other large banks.

As of June 18, 2021, ESD estimat-ed it paid out approximately 96,000 known or probable fraudulent claims totaling over $640 million. The state of Washington recovered a substantial portion of the fraudu-lently funds, However, as of June 18, 2021, approximately $315 million in stolen funds had yet to be recovered.

General’s Office provides legal rep-resentation to every state agency, board, and commission in Washing-ton. Additionally, the Office serves the people directly by enforcing con-sumer protection, civil rights, and environmental protection laws. The Office also prosecutes elder abuse, Medicaid fraud, and handles sexu-ally violent predator cases in 38 of Washington’s 39 counties. Visit. www.atg.wa.gov to learn more.

Attorney General uses innovativeapproach to recover $495,000 instolen unemployment benefitsFirst state to use asset forfeiture authority to recover stolen COVID-19 funds

6 FTE News Magazine • November 2021 www.ftemag.com

Logan studied architecture at the University of Idaho before The Sept of. 30 opening the fourth Child Study and Treatment Center cottage was more than a means to treat more children with severe be-havioral needs switching paths and embarking on a 30-year career in behavioral health with the state of Washington. His knowledge of architecture, expe-rience working construction and years working at Western State Hospital and CSTC created a base of knowledge that helped him create the initial design for San Juan Cottage.

Taking part in ribbon-cutting ceremony for the $9.2 million, 16,900-square-foot cottage open was a landmark moment for him.

“This has been a labor of love for me,” Logan said during a tour of the cottage two weeks before the ceremony. “It has been very satisfying to see this project come to fruition. I never thought it would happen for a project of this size.”

San Juan Cottage has 18 beds for youth ages 15-17. The cottage also has a dedicated forensic wing for patients admitted under RCW 10.77. The patients admitted under RCW 10.77 are court-ordered to un-dergo competency evaluation or competency resto-ration.

The cottage features wide open milieu areas with open sightlines from the nursing and medication station to both the civil and forensic sides. The mi-lieu features skylights, a low-stimulation suite, and areas for youth interact with each other in a secure setting. All of the features were designed to maxi-mize durability while enhancing the therapeutic atmosphere.

“We tried really hard to make a homey environ-ment but also a durable environment,” Logan said during his remarks to a small crowd at the opening.

Logan began his career in 1991 as a mental health

technician at Western State Hos-pital and went to nursing school before moving over to CSTC 12 years later. His mix of education and professional background, which includes auditing residen-tial treatment facilities under the umbrella of the Health Care Au-thority’s Children’s Long-Term Inpatient Program and consulting for facilities throughout the na-tion, informed every aspect of the San Juan Cottage design.

“It really gave me a broad con-text of what’s out there,” he said. “Between the CLIP facility inspec-tions and working every ward at Western State Hospital, I was able to take some of the great design cues from those areas and omit de-signs that weren’t as effective.”

CSTC is the only state-run children’s hospital in Washington and has a long waitlist of patients. A fifth cottage is planned to open in the next 10 years, which will increase hospital capacity to about 80 pa-tients.

“Nationally, and in Washington state, there has been a substantial increase in demand for pediat-ric mental health crisis services, emergency room evaluations and inpatient admissions, which great-ly tax current system resources,” Behavioral Health Administration Assistant Secretary Kevin Boven-kamp said in his remarks at the opening. “It is now common in Washington for children to be boarded in emergency rooms for several days waiting for in-patient beds.

“We’re happy to say that the opening of this facil-ity will help lessen that situation.”

Dr. Morgan Costanza is the cottage program di-rector and leads treatment planning, although each youth has a treatment plan that is individualized and includes input from both the patient and their family. The first patients are expected to be admit-ted in mid-October.

“Our staff ensure that our patients are at the cen-ter of their care and they emphasize care that is youth guided and family driven,” Bovenkamp said. “They provide wraparound treatment and services using evidence-based treatments while also provid-ing life and relationship skills development, fam-ily, relationship, recreational and other specialized therapies.”

Logan has seen just about everything in his three decades working with patients who have acute be-havioral health needs. Sometimes the job is diffi-cult, but it has also been vastly rewarding.

“If you can see one kid that you’ve worked with and made a difference for, it makes it all worth it,” he said.

Celebrating the opening of new Child Study and Treatment Center cottage and disordersIt was a milestone for Erik Logan, a registered nurse and the facility’s director of nursing.

The Recognize, Assist, Include, Support, & Engage (RAISE) Family Caregiving Advisory Council recent-ly delivered its initial report to Congress. The culmi-nation of a two-year effort that included input from DSHS staff, the report provides an overview of many of the issues faced by family caregivers nationwide and provides recommendations for addressing them.

Bea Rector, director of Home and Community Services at the Aging and Long-Term Support Ad-ministration, and Susan Engels, ALTSA’s office chief for the State Unit on Aging, served in a small group of subject matter experts who provided information and expertise that helped inform the report.

The report’s 26 recommendations fall under five goals:

Increasing Awareness of Family Caregivers to in-crease public understanding of the contributions caregivers make, including helping individuals self-identify as caregivers so that they can get the sup-port they need.

Engaging Family Caregivers as Partners in Health-care and Long-Term Services and Supports to better integrate family caregivers into healthcare process-es and systems.

Improving Access to Services and Supports for Family Caregivers including counseling, respite care, peer support, training on common in-home medical tasks, and practical assistance like trans-portation. Also included is a recommendation for

strengthening the paid caregiver workforce.Financial and Workplace Security for Family Care-

givers to decrease the impact family caregiving can have on the financial well-being and professional lives of caregivers.

Generating Research, Data, and Evidence-In-formed Practices to help create policies and inter-ventions that meaningfully help family caregivers.

The report also includes an inventory of federally funded efforts to support caregivers and interviews with 26 caregivers representing a range of caregiv-ing situations and needs.

The recommendations from the report are the first step to developing a national strategy that out-line critical actions that can be taken at the federal and state levels and by local communities, philan-thropic organizations, healthcare providers and providers of long-term services and supports, and others to better support family caregivers.

“Over the last few decades, Washington has pri-oritized the expansion of services and supports for family caregivers, both paid and unpaid,” Rector said. “Supporting caregivers is essential to ensur-ing they are able to continue caring for their loved ones for as long as they are willing and able. We were excited to share our expertise with RAISE and look forward to seeing how the federal government uses the report to address the challenges our caregivers face.”

More than 53 million people in the United States,

including more than 800,000 people in Washington, provide a broad range of assistance to support the health, quality of life, and independence of some-one close to them. Millions of older adults and peo-ple with disabilities would not be able to live in their communities without this essential support, and re-placing that support with paid services would cost an estimated $470 billion each year.

While family caregiving is rewarding, it can be challenging, and when caregivers do not have the support they need, their health, well-being and quality of life often suffer. Their financial future can also be put at risk; lost income due to family care-giving is estimated at $522 billion each year. All of these challenges have been intensified during the pandemic.

Washington state offers a number of resources for family caregivers. If you are caring for a loved one, you can find resources and support on the DSHS Caregiver Resources webpage.

DSHS provides expertise to improve challenges family caregivers face

www.ftemag.com November 2021 • FTE News Magazine 7

Older adults typically need long-term care for less than three years. WA Cares will give families resources and choices, such as whether they want to make a loved one a paid caregiver or bring in a home care aide.

Vesting and Accessing WA Cares BenefitsWA Cares Fund is self-funded entirely by work-

er contributions from wage earners who work in Washington state. Employers do not contribute. Premiums begin Jan. 1, 2022 and are capped at 0.58% of wages, or about $25/month for the typical worker earning $52,000.

Beginning January 2025, benefits become avail-able to qualified, eligible individuals. To be eligible to receive the benefits, you must have contributed at least 10 years without a break of five or more years, or three of the past six years at the time you apply for the benefit and have a need for assistance with at least three activities of daily living like eat-ing, bathing, or dressing.

WA Cares Fund Exemptionsand Private InsuranceWorkers who hold existing private long-term care

insurance or purchase a new private policy before Nov. 1, 2021, can apply for an exemption from WA Cares coverage. If approved, their exemption means they aren’t required to pay premiums and will be permanently excluded from WA Cares benefits.

To apply for a permanent exemption, workers must:

• Have purchased a qualifying private long-term care insurance plan before Nov. 1, 2021.

• Be at least 18 years of age.• Submit an exemption application to the Em-

ployment Security Department (ESD). Exemp-tion applications will be available starting Oct. 1, 2021.

One of the reasons WA Cares coverage is afford-able is that premiums are owed only when you are working. Private premiums are typically much more expensive not only annually but particularly over a lifetime because they must be paid until the policy holder dies or needs care, which can be difficult during periods of unemployment or child rearing, as well as on a fixed income throughout retirement.

Learn More About the WA Cares FundHave questions? To learn more about the WA

Cares Fund:• Visit the WA Cares Fund website.• Visit the WA Cares Fund Learn More page to

read frequently asked questions.• Email wacaresfund@dshs.wa.gov and a mem-

ber of the WA Cares Fund team will follow up with you.

• Join an upcoming webinar.• If you have a question about exemptions, call

the Employment Security Department’s WA Cares representatives at (833) 717–2273.

WA Cares Fund premiumcontributions beginin JanuaryWhat all employees need to know

Each year in October, the National Archives in-vites our nation to celebrate American Archives Month to raise awareness about the value of ar-chival records. “Archival” records are permanent-ly retained records with legal, fiscal, administra-tive and historical value. We keep archival records so that citizens, public servants, legislators and courts can obtain information necessary to exer-cise their rights and responsibilities; and to hold our government accountable for their actions.

All of us use archival documents. Have you ever needed your birth certificate or marriage license? Searched for your family ancestry or requested college records? These are examples of archival records. Archival records serve as direct evidence of our activities; and, because the content of the records serve as evidence of these activities, they have enduring value.

DSHS also has archival records that we retain for our staff, clients, stakeholders, vendors, and other citizens of Washington state. Archival re-cords represent approximately 2% of our agency’s records.

DSHS uses archival records, some of which are unique and important to our agency, to docu-ment our department’s history to Washington state citizens. It is illegal, per RCW 40.14, to de-stroy these records, which include agency-level policies and procedures, agency histories, publi-cations, legislative records, etc. We transfer them to State Archives or Digital Archives. Policies and papers of executive decisions, rule-making files, institutional admission and discharge regis-ters, and master patient indices are examples of DSHS-specific archival records.

The work we do documents the history of our

state and ultimately contributes to the history of our nation.

Each of the series listed on the State General Records Retention Schedules and unique DSHS Retention Schedules indicate whether a series is archival. If you have questions about archival re-cords, please contact your Records Coordinators or Agency Records Officer.

You may also subscribe to Out of the Archives, begun in October 2013, a newsletter from Wash-ington State Archives which provides readers with information on how to access and best use the Archives collections, and stories of interest regarding archival staff are working on and dis-covering. Available at this site is a comprehen-sive repository for issues dating present to Octo-ber 2013. Find additional information regarding Washington state records using the following:

Washington State ArchivesWashington State Archives – Digital ArchivesSearch the Archives CollectionsFor interesting national or personal impact,

check out the following national archival and his-tory links at:

• National Archives• Library of Congress• Smithsonian Institution Archives• Internet ArchiveGood records management provides evidence

to demonstrate we took the right action at the right time for the right reasons. Archival records document this for history. Says Arthur G. Dough-ty, Dominion Archivist, “Of all our national assets, Archives are the most precious; they are the gift of one generation to another and the extent of our care of them marks the extent of our civilization.”

DSHS celebrates American Archives Month

As medical director of the Child Study and Treat-ment Center, Dr. Jack McClellan has seen a variety of children and adolescents who struggle to con-tain their emotions and are prone to outbursts.

Treating those youth is a challenge because it takes time, and they often have spent time in hos-pital emergency rooms and acute inpatient units before being admitted to CSTC, Washington’s only state psychiatric hospital for children.

One way to help improve care for these youth is to spread awareness about how severe emotional outbursts can be treated. McClellan did that re-cently during a “Screenside Chat” with Dr. Gabri-elle Carlson, president of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

McClellan and Carlson have a long history of working together. Before their Sept. 28 conver-sation titled “The Problem with Outbursts,” the pair collaborated on the development of national guidelines regarding the diagnosis and treatment of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia in children and adolescents. McClellan also serves on Carl-son’s task force addressing outbursts and emotion-al dysregulation.

The conversation presented an opportunity for McClellan to bring additional awareness about how to treat youth who struggle with emotional outbursts — behaviors that doctors can mistakenly diagnose as bipolar disorder.

“I’m just trying to bring more information to the public and the field about outbursts,” said McClel-lan, who also is a professor of psychiatry and be-

havioral sciences at the University of Washington. “Outbursts are really common. They’re the most common reason kids end up in the emergency room and the most common reason they end up at CSTC, but they don’t fall neatly into one diagnostic category.”

Known as Dr. Jack to his patients, McClellan said he hopes the Screenside Chat will prompt those involved in psychiatric care for youth to consider what does and does not work in treatment.

“I want to help educate clinicians about the risk factors for outbursts and how to treat them,” he said. “The idea that severe emotional outbursts are maladaptive behaviors that are often learned or reinforced is not universally accepted. Changing that would go a long way toward making progress. I want to help provide folks a framework for treat-ment and influence policy.”

Child Study and Treatment Center medicaldirector works to shed light on child outbursts

8 FTE News Magazine • November 2021 www.ftemag.com

It’s been a busy couple of months, but that hasn’t stopped us from promoting 12 individuals!

Each promotee plays an important part in our agency’s success, and we truly couldn’t do it without them.

Congratulations to all, and thank you for your dedicated service.

You can watch the promotional ceremonies on our WSP YouTube Channel.

Daniel AtchisonPromoted from Captain of District 7 to Assistant Chief

with the Field Operations Bureau.Dennis BosmanPromoted from Lieutenant with the Training Division to

Captain of the Commercial Vehicle Division.Robert SharpePromoted from Lieutenant with the Homeland Security

Division to Captain of the Training Division.Paul CaglePromoted from Detective Sergeant with the Office of

Professional Standards to Lieutenant with the Training Di-vision.

Jason HicksPromoted from Detective Sergeant with the Office of

Professional Standards to Lieutenant with the Human Re-

source Division.Matt WoodPromoted from Detective Sergeant with the Criminal In-

vestigation Division to Lieutenant with the Special Opera-tions Division. Lieutenant Wood has since transferred to the Investigative Assistance Division.

Derek AndersonPromoted from Trooper in Marysville (District 7) to Ser-

geant in Bellingham (District 7).Jason GainerPromoted from Trooper in South Seattle (District 2) to

Sergeant in Ellensburg (District 6). Sergeant Pierce has since transferred to Olympia (District 1).

Jermaine WalkerPromoted from Trooper in Tacoma (District 1) to Ser-

geant in Ellensburg (District 6).Heather HillisPromoted from Administrative Assistant 3 with the Prop-

erty Management Division to Administrative Assistant 4 with the Office of Professional Standards.

Tracy WarrenPromoted from Assistant Fleet Manager with the Proper-

ty Management Division to Fleet Manager with the Prop-erty Management Division in Olympia.

The report summarizes key ac-tivities and accomplishments of the OCIO project management partners and shares selected best practices with state agencies. This quarter’s re-port highlights best practices execu-tive sponsorship, vendor relation-ship management, use of schedule and budget contingency reserves and leveraging peer networking and a community of practice.

The report summarizes key ac-tivities and accomplishments of the OCIO project management partners and shares selected best practices with state agencies. This quarter’s re-port highlights best practices execu-tive sponsorship, vendor relation-ship management, use of schedule and budget contingency reserves and leveraging peer networking and a community of practice.

This report also includes a list of selected new lessons learned add-ed to the online IT Project Lessons Learned Repository, July through September 2021. This repository is a tool for project managers to learn from the experiences of others to reduce project risk and reinforce positive outcomes. It is searchable by project type, project phase and lessons learned category, and is up-dated quarterly.

In addition to the quarterly report, the OCIO and the project manage-ment partners sponsor a Project Management Community of Prac-tice (PM CoP) for all state agency project managers. The purpose of the community is to foster the ex-change of best practices and lessons learned, share helpful resources, tools, and templates, and establish a peer network of support to trans-form IT project delivery in Wash-ington state. Webinar presentations and other helpful project manage-ment resources are published on the OCIO website, located under Project Resources.

The PM CoP continues to gain momentum, increasing in state staff membership to approximately 170 members, representing 39 agencies and establishing an agency-repre-sented advisory board OCIO project management partners.

OCIO publishes 3rd Quarterly BestPractices Summary

WSP’s Latest Promotees

By WSP Government and Media Relations

We were h o n o r e d when FLY-M O T I O N reached out to us, asking if they could name an award after late Detective Eric Gunder-son.

Each year, FLYMOTION hosts a train-ing confer-ence focus-ing on drone t e c h n o l o g y and tactics.

They invite public safety personnel from

around the world to train, educate, and promote drone integration and adaption. This year, the Unmanned Tacti-cal Application Conference (UTAC) was held October 4-8, 2021, in Perry, GA.

At this conference, a new annual award was being pre-sented to an agency or first responder, in recognition of their dedication to improving daily operations through Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and technology inte-gration. “We had already planned on giving this award. However, when I heard of Eric’s passing, I knew I wanted to change the award to be a tribute to his contributions to the

industry,” said Bryce Cline with FLYMOTION. With only a week before the conference, the award was renamed to “The Gunderson Award.” The Alameda County (CA) Sher-iff’s Office was the recipient this year.

Eric’s Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) work has reduced the necessary delays of collision investigations with the innovative use of drone technology. He was recognized across the nation for work that saved money, saved time, and also saved lives by reducing the exposure of first re-sponders and other motorists to inattentive drivers com-ing upon accident scenes – a phenomenon that takes ad-ditional lives each year in our country.

In 2017, the WSP employed the use of UAVs in a pilot pro-gram. The pilot program concluded in 2018, and became a permanent investigative resource for WSP investigators. By leveraging UAV technology, investigators no longer are required to hand measure and interact with scene evi-dence, which presents risks and delays in the investigative process. Our agency estimates that by using UAV technol-ogy, the time reduction is consistent with around 80% as compared to previous measurement methods.

As a pioneer for the Washington State Patrol’s UAV pro-gram, Detective Gunderson presented and trained other public safety personnel at dozens of conferences around the country. He was interviewed regularly, including a podcast earlier this year, and was even published in the July 2021 edition of American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators’ (AAMVA) MOVE Magazine.

Because of Detective Gunderson’s hard work, passion, and dedication, the Washington State Patrol received the 2019 National Association of State Chief Information Offi-cers (NASCIO) State IT Recognition Award in the Emerging & Innovative Technologies category and the State CIO Of-fice Special Recognition category and the 2020 Innovative Use of Technology Award from AAMVA.

We know Detective Gunderson’s legacy will live on, and this award is one example of how he will be remembered for years to come. We could not be prouder.

Annual Award Named In Honor OfWSP Trooper Detective Eric Gunderson

Eric Gunderson

www.ftemag.com November 2021 • FTE News Magazine 9

“Thank you for joining us on this beautiful early autumn day as we re-enact an important moment in not just 100 years ago today, at the Old Capitol Build-ing just down the road from where we are standing, a handful of young men departed Olympia for assignments across a vast state.

On September 1st, 1921, a dozen or so brave souls were charged with patrol-ling all the roadways of Washington, in what was then called the Washington State Highway Patrol.

The construction of the Capitol Building behind me would start soon after. Our state flag would be adopted shortly after that.

So our agency, this Capitol Campus, and the Washington State flag we stand beneath today, are siblings in history.

We grew up together and have seen much in our first century of service, a lot of growth and success… some of which came with a terrible price of sacrifice as the Law Enforcement Memorial around the corner will attest.

100 years ago today they departed. They each had a motorcycle and a side car filled with food, camping gear, citation books, their side arms, and ammunition.

They wore their own street clothes with a Highway Patrol arm band and a badge pinned to their jackets.

They were often on the road for months at a time, each charged with covering multiple counties.

They camped on the side of the very roads they were sworn to protect and sometimes they would make a few extra dollars here and there helping park cars at county fairs and tent revivals.

They would also help put out fires that they came upon and even chase live-stock that were often on the roads.

There was less than 1,000 miles of paved road at the time and cars were just becoming a part of the everyday life of Washingtonians.

100 years later, the same organization renamed the Washington State Patrol in

1933, has over 2,300 employees deployed all across our vast and beautiful state.WSP has over 1,100 commissioned officers now who not only patrol the now

tens of thousands of miles of roadway, but also investigate major crimes, re-spond to all manners of emergencies, patrol our ferries and ports of entry, as well as oversee the safety of commercial vehicles, and a host of other public safety related duties.

Another 1,100 plus civil servants help in the cause of justice by supporting those Trooper’s needs, providing forensic services for our state’s law enforce-ment community, 911 emergency dispatch services, records vital to the courts and the fair administration of the law in our state, and so much more.

Though the vehicles (we use) have changed, our mission remains largely the same; keep people safe on our roads and in our communities, enforce the law with strength, kindness, and humility, and always show respect to those we serve.

And to always remember - we serve all…Before the vehicles pull out, I also want to share that we end our first century

and begin our second century of service with some very good news.WSP was honored to recently receive notification from CALEA, which stands

for the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, that we have officially become the 27th law enforcement agency in the world to hold the title of a “Tri-Arc” Agency.

The premier accreditation level in law enforcement, Tri-Arc award means we have met rigorous standards of excellence in the fields of law enforcement op-erations, training, and communications.

This is the highest level of law enforcement accreditation available anywhere in the world and WSP is only the sixth state agency to receive the recognition in US history. And even with the current challenges that we are all facing, I could not be more excited about our next century of service. I could not be prouder to be part of this agency and this history.

We will face and overcome the current challenges of the pandemic and the di-visiveness that has consumed our society as we have all other challenges in our past - with honesty, humility, compassion, commitment, and industry.

I can promise you that our second century of service will be just as important, just as impacting, and just as honored as our first.

Thank you all. Bless each one of you and your families and keep you safe. Bless our country, our state, and our leaders as they navigate these unique times. Blessings and Happy Birthday to all who are and have been, part of the Washington State Patrol.”

(Remarks by WSP Assistant Chief Mark Lamoreaux; He gave background in-

formation for the event and the agency for the Century of Service with Humility)

Washington State Patrol History,but Washington State history as well