About COE
The organization develops resources and training, works with industry and Washington's 34 community and technical colleges to create results. The Center of Excellence team is a part of the statewide Centers of Excellence and is partnered with several community colleges, industry leaders and apprenticeship groups. The COE's purpose facilitates the growth of aerospace manufacturing jobs and the training of skilled labor in Washington.
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Staff and Consultants
Mary Kaye Bredeson, executive directorMary Kaye Bredeson is the Executive Director for the Center of Excellence for Aerospace and Advanced Manufacturing. As the Executive Director, Mary Kaye provides leadership in promoting and maintaining the Center of Excellence for Aerospace and Advanced Manufacturing as a recognizable and highly valuable component in Washington's economic and workforce development initiatives. As the Executive Director, Ms. Bredeson works to encourage educational programs to share best practices and resources as well as providing a clear point of contact for industry employers to share their workforce needs with all 34 community and technical colleges as well as other education and training providers. As the CoE executive director, Mary Kaye has developed a variety of workshops and projects focusing on K-16 outreach and developing awareness around career opportunities in the aerospace and advanced manufacturing industry. She won an Exemplary Leadership Award from the Chair Academy in 2013. |
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Kelsey Sanderson, executive assistantKelsey Sanderson is the Executive Assistant for Executive Director Mary Kaye Bredeson and has worked at the Center of Excellence since November 2013. Kelsey provides administrative support to the Executive Director. Prior to coming to the CoE, Kelsey worked for several years at Integrated Technologies as a technical aide, a position which piqued her interest in the aerospace field. Kelsey assists with the Center's travel plans, event coordination, and budget management and is key in communication between college staff, external partners, and other CoE staff. |
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Susan Bradshaw, project directorSue Bradshaw is currently Project Director for WISE (Washington Integrated Sector Employment), a DOL Round 4 TAACCCT grant. Sue has been with the Center of Excellence since 2009, and has taken on several instrumental roles in the leadership of many Aerospace Special Project grants through the SBCTC.
Additionally, Sue managed the NIST (National Institute of Standards & Technology) grant, the first grant nationally awarded to a community and technical college. Working closely with Switch Up Consulting, our communications consultant, Sue is responsible for the development of several key marketing pieces for the COE.
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Mary Ann Gillis, grant specialist
Mary Ann Gillis is a versatile communications professional with proven abilities to lead and execute comprehensive communications programs and campaigns for industry and non-profit organizations. As the Grants Specialist for the Center of Excellence, Mary Ann combines her writing, research and project management skills to support the COE's financial objectives. Mary Ann's previous employment includes Liberty Mutual Insurance, Safeco Insurance, Allstate Insurance and Compass Health.
Teri Reade, Work Ready Washington coordinatorTeri Reade is Work Ready Washington Coordinator for the Center of Excellence for Aerospace and Advanced Manufacturing, under the WISE Grant (Washington Integrated Sector Employment), funded by the U.S. Dept. of Labor’s TAACCT Round 4. Her work focuses on ACT’s Work Readiness tools, including the National Career Readiness Certificate. She collaborates with the grant’s consortium of eight community and technical colleges and two other Centers of Excellence to disseminate information to their industry partners and support the testing of 800 students, a WISE grant goal.
With a background in workforce development, workshop facilitation, training, business development, marketing and sales, Teri conducts industry outreach, presents information to individuals and groups, and trains proctors who will provide testing for students under the WISE grant. In 2015, she was trained as an ACT-authorized job profiler to add value to employer partnerships.
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External ConsultantsDr. Richard Strand, industry analyst education consultantDr. Richard Strand is the current owner and chief executive of Richard & Associates, a company dedicated to developing leadership talent in organizations globally and enhancing the climate of employee engagement. Richard has had two highly successful careers as a leadership practitioner. First, as a commissioned officer in the United States Army. More recently, Richard served as the Dean for Business and Technology at Olympic College in Bremerton, Washington where he had oversight for some 130 staff and faculty and 14 highly diverse academic programs.
Richard started facilitating discussions on leadership and management back in 1973. Since then it is estimated he has been featured as a facilitator/key note speaker on a broad range of leadership topics involving over 10,000 participants/attendees in nine different countries.
Richard has received numerous awards and decorations throughout his career.
Richard has a passion for developing relevant and reliable training and education programs that are focused on facilitating student success while at the same time serving industry needs. For the past two years Richard has had a lead role in facilitating program cluster workshops designed to bring key stakeholders together in an effort to identify critical job specific skills and abilities required by industry for entry level positions and match them against various educational program options and opportunities.
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Jennifer Ferrero, communications & marketing consultant
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