Congratulations to the 2026 WWA Workforce Award Winners
At the 2026 WWA Workforce Summit in Spokane, the Washington Workforce Association recognized five people and organizations whose work is opening doors to good jobs across Washington. Congratulations to this year’s award winners, and thank you to everyone who nominated them.
Workforce Professional of the Year: Tim Robinson, Spokane Workforce Council
Known across the state as the “WA Works Wizard,” Tim is always looking for a solution. Whether the question is about policy or data, he cares about the details and about the system as a whole, and he keeps the mission and the customers it serves in focus.
Tim has spent more than two decades in workforce development. He has been a lead development partner on WA Works from the very beginning, and he is often the first person colleagues call with a tough policy or compliance question. Workforce councils and state partners joined in nominating him, because the entire state benefits from his work on WA Works and his willingness to help others.
Board Member of the Year: Deb Tuggle, Bite Me, Inc.
Deb Tuggle, CEO and founder of Bite Me, Inc., has served on the WorkForce Central board in Pierce County for six years and was nominated by Katie Condit.
Deb’s story began in college, when she sold cookies to classmates on Fridays to help make ends meet. She opened Friday’s Cookies in Tacoma’s Hilltop neighborhood in 1995 and later bought Bite Me, Inc., which now sells cookies across the country. She built her business around quality jobs. Her hiring and scheduling practices let immigrant and refugee employees earn a stable wage and take extended time to visit family abroad, with their jobs waiting when they return.
On the board, Deb is a forward thinker and a strong voice for business. She challenges jargon and keeps the focus on the people behind every business and job seeker. She mentors small businesses, helped design WorkForce Central’s Community Reinvestment business investment model, and advocates for local workforce boards at the state and national level. Her approach is simple: “Let me help you not make the mistakes I made.”
Workforce Employer of the Year: Moxee Manufacturing & Assembly
Based in Moxee, Moxee Manufacturing specializes in custom metal fabrication, welding, robotics, automation and assembly. Nominated by People For People, the company has worked with People For People and South Central Workforce to build an inclusive talent pipeline through fair-chance hiring, skills-first recruitment and work-based learning.
In Program Year 2025, Moxee Manufacturing gave 10 justice-impacted individuals paid work experience or on-the-job training as machine operators, visual inspectors, welders and a press brake setter. Nine of the 10 received job offers or were hired, a 90 percent success rate, moving into full-time positions with benefits starting at $20 to $22 an hour. The company also uses an upskill-and-backfill approach, helping current employees advance while new workers train to fill the openings.
Under the leadership of HR Manager Alma Reynoso, Moxee Manufacturing shows that fair-chance hiring, employee advancement and sound business practices can work together to change lives and strengthen Yakima County’s economy.
Workforce Partner of the Year: Educational Service District 123
Educational Service District 123 (ESD 123) is a lead partner in TC Futures, the Benton-Franklin youth reengagement center, providing fiscal oversight, facility leadership, educational programming and strategic direction. Under ESD 123’s leadership, TC Futures has grown from fewer than 200 youth served in 2021 to more than 1,000 participants. Young people there can finish their education, explore careers, get employment services, and connect to internships, apprenticeships and training. ESD 123 even built a woodshop at TC Futures that gives youth hands-on experience in carpentry, woodworking and the arts.
Working with WorkSource Columbia Basin, the Benton-Franklin Workforce Development Council, employers and community organizations, ESD 123 helps youth and adults facing barriers gain the skills, credentials and support they need for high-demand, family-sustaining careers.
Chair Award: Mariah Matthews, Washington State Employment Security Department
Mariah Matthews was honored for her leadership in bringing Washington’s Community Reinvestment initiative to life across the state’s workforce system. Working between local workforce development boards, ESD and the Department of Commerce, she turned complex program requirements into practical strategies local areas could deliver, and she listened, helping adapt the work to local needs.
The results speak for themselves: all 12 local workforce development areas met and exceeded program expectations. Hundreds of small businesses received investments to grow, career seekers gained access to individual savings accounts, and thousands more received support to finish training, earn credentials and move into family-sustaining jobs.
Congratulations to all of this year’s winners, and thank you for everything you do for Washington’s workers, employers and communities.
