Just in time for the Immigrant Heritage Month Celebration Event, WIN has selected new leaders to join the team as our Co-Vice Chair and Secretary. Welcome Janet and Martha! They will work alongside Rokaih Vansot (Chair), Teddy Kemirembe (Co-Chair), Amel Alsalman (Co-Vice Chair), and Ivy Huynh (Treasurer) as our WIN Leadership Team for 2025-26.
Co-Vice ChairJanet Nambi Kiwanuka (DRS)
Janet Nambi is a Learning and Development Specialist at the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems, where she plays a vital role in designing and delivering training programs that enhance employee growth, leadership readiness, and organizational performance.
One of her current projects is leading the Leadership Development Initiative, a strategic effort to cultivate confident, aligned leaders across the agency. In addition to her government work, Janet is the founder of Unconscious Brilliance, a coaching practice she launched in 2020. Before stepping into coaching, Janet spent ten years as the Director of Recruiting and CFO of an international recruitment firm that expanded to six offices across Africa.
At the center of Janet’s life is family. She’s a proud mother of four, deeply committed to raising thoughtful, grounded, and purposeful individuals. As a daughter, sister, aunt, and cousin, she remains actively connected to her extended family because she believes real leadership starts in the home and radiates outward. She writes about leadership on LinkedIn and explores faith, identity, and belonging through her Substack blog, Belonging for the Muslim Woman. Her personal joys include traveling, working out, discovering new restaurants and unwinding in nature, especially among flowers and water source, where she feels most spiritually grounded.
Secretary Martha Villarosa-Walker (DES)
Martha Villarosa-Walker grew up in the Philippines and moved to the United States in 2023. She is passionate about learning new things and teaching skills that can help others. Before working for the state, she sought ways to connect with other immigrants and find a community that understood her experiences. Using her skills to give back, she volunteered with a non-profit group where she helped immigrants improve their reading and writing skills and created learning materials to support them in reaching their personal goals. Today, Martha works as a Learning Delivery Professional at the Washington State Department of Enterprise Services. In this role, she applies her experience by identifying training needs, evaluating how well training works, teaching interpersonal skills, and creating materials that help state employees perform better in their jobs. Through her work and commitment, she continues to be a strong voice for the immigrant community and supports others in their growth.
Join WIN’s Immigrant Heritage Month celebration
WIN celebrated Immigrant Heritage Month on June 18th with a gathering of dozens of WIN members in person in the L&I Headquarters Auditorium and many more participating remotely online. It was a fantastic opportunity to network, gain insights, and be part of something meaningful.
The four-hour event was filled with powerful speakers, engaging performances, and moments that ignited the attendees’ passion and purpose. And the food, including delicacies from around the world prepared and donated by WIN members, had most attendees filling their plates twice.
Throughout the afternoon, attendees were entertained by stories and performances by Huong Viet Performing Arts Group and Latin American music performed by Tri Guadalevin. Chiyo Sanada demonstrated Japanese calligraphy and gave participants a chance to put brush to paper and create their own works of art.
Guest speakers, both in person and through pre-recorded videos, shared their inspiring stories of courage, commitment, and determination. Speakers included:
Tacoma City Council Member Chanjolee “Joe” Bushnell
Whitney Eich from DSHS’s Office of Refugee & Immigrant Assistance
Thi Trieu, the founder of Evergreen Beauty College
Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland
The day was kicked off by WIN’s Executive Sponsor Cami Feek, Employment Security Commissioner. Her remarks are available to watch at the following link: Cami Feek
A photo gallery of the event is available for viewing at this link: Photo Album
A video recap of the day with testimonials from past and current WIN leaders is available at the link below.
Thank you to everyone who worked so hard to make the 2025 Immigrant Heritage Month Celebration a day to remember. We look forward to seeing you all next year!
WIN General Membership Meeting (Zoom)
-
General Membership is open to all current Washington State employees, including full-time, part-time, hourly, and salaried employees who are committed to supporting and advancing the mission of WIN.
Washington Immigrant Network Business Resource Group Mentoring Program mentors are current or former state employees that have experience navigating the various routes to state employment and career advancement. Mentors are ready to share their experience with their mentees, whether those mentees are current or prospective state employees.
The program’s goals are to facilitate a more culturally and ethnically diverse state workforce which, in turn, will allow us to serve our customers better, and to retain and support immigrant state employees in an inclusive environment that helps them thrive and advance their careers, as well as recruit new employees from the immigrant community.
Research shows that a good mentor inspires, motivates, stretches, connects, and helps develop your Emotional Intelligence. They also open your mind to your potential and opportunities. A good mentor can also provide a safe space to learn, experiment, and ask questions.
Become a WIN mentee
Are you new to state service?
Are you seeking guidance on how to manage your career goals?
Do you need someone to talk to and share ideas with?
Get support from a WIN mentor. Become a WIN mentee.
Start by meeting our mentors. Review their bios and see if there is someone you would feel comfortable connecting with.
Establish a formal mentoring relationship by completing our online Mentoring Request Form
Become a WIN Mentor
Mentors must be current or former state employees that have experience navigating the various routes to state employment and career advancement. Mentors must be ready to share their experience with their mentees, whether those mentees are current or prospective state employees. Submit a Mentor Application Form if you are interested in being a WIN Mentor.
Statewide business resource groups (BRGs) bring together groups of employees and their allies who have a common interest or characteristic. All BRGs have a charter, mission, goals and bylaws and contribute to an overall statewide business strategy. BRG members bring their unique knowledge and perspectives, making them an asset to state business needs, such as recruitment and retention. (OFM.wa.gov/BRGs)
Support the professional development of immigrant state employees. Recommend strategies to advance recruitment, retention, career progression and leadership development. Educate state agencies on the experience, skills and knowledge of immigrants and the value of a diverse workforce.
WHAT WE DO:
Provide a support structure, educational resources and leadership assistance for immigrant state employees. Encourage immigrants to consider the state as an employer of choice through inter-agency and external outreach activities. Serve as a resource for the Office of Financial Management, State Human Resources division and state agencies in creating and sustaining a diverse and inclusive workforce.
