Chelsea Mason appointed to state community and technical college board
OLYMPIA, Wash. — Gov. Jay Inslee has appointed Chelsea Mason of Puyallup, Wash., to serve on the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges.
Mason serves as the legislative director for the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA), IFPTE Local 2001, a labor union representing more than 22,650 aerospace professionals in Washington state, California, Florida, Kansas, Oregon and Utah. Members include engineers, technical workers and pilots from The Boeing Company, Spirit AeroSystems and Triumph Composite Systems.
As a board member, Mason continues her relationship with the community and technical college system having previously served as co-chair of the Workforce Development Committee for the Choose Washington New Mid-Market Airplane Council along with Dr. David Beyer, president of Everett Community College.
“Just like workers in every other industry in our state, many SPEEA members start, or grow, their careers in aerospace as community and technical college students. I deeply value the role of our colleges in developing Washington’s cutting edge workforce talent and fostering rewarding career opportunities for Washington workers," Mason said. "It will be an honor to support the community and technical college system by serving on the board. I look forward to bringing labor’s perspective to many important discussions.”
In addition to her work with the Choose Washington New Mid-Market Airplane Council, Mason serves as a board member for the Washington State Center of Excellence for Aerospace and Advanced Manufacturing, housed at Everett Community College, the Washington State Aerospace and Advanced Materials Manufacturing Pipeline Advisory Committee and the US Department of Labor's Workforce Information Advisory Council.
Mason is a graduate of George Washington University and is working on a master's degree in nonprofit management from Northeastern University.
The nine-member, governor-appointed Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges provides leadership, advocacy, and coordination for Washington’s system of 34 public community and technical colleges. Each year, nearly 370,000 students train for the workforce, prepare to transfer to a university, gain basic math and English skills, or pursue continuing education.
Mason succeeds Larry Brown of Auburn, Wash., as the State Board's labor representative and is appointed to a four-year term.
