Posted on 2 Comments on Paying for Public Sector Training

Paying for Public Sector Training

It’s no secret that funding can be a hot-button topic in the public sector. Money is a finite resource in most organizations but, unlike in the private sector, there is the added weight of responsible stewardship of what is essentially a public resource.  

So how do you make your request for professional development support stand out and resonate with leadership? 

Do Your Research 

Make sure you know your organization’s policies and priorities: 

  • Has the organization publicly committed to developing itself in certain areas, like DEI, process improvement, or promoting from within? 
  • Are there certain credentials or degrees that are required to move up in your organization?  
  • Has anyone else in your organization gone through the program you’re interested in and shared their experience?  
  • Is your organization a member of WCIA, which includes CPM® as one of their reimbursable programs?

You may also want to make notes on the audience you’ll be “pitching”, so you can frame your request in the most effective way: 

  • Are they generally supportive of funding professional development?  
  • Do they prefer to have everything sent and reviewed by email, discussed verbally, or a combination?  
  • Do they have the final authority to approve your request or do they need to send it somewhere else? 

Define Your Personal “Why” 

Stating that you’d like to participate in a development program may be enough for some supervisors but, for most, you’ll want to be a bit more specific. 

Examples of personal “why”s for the CPM® might include: 

  • Smoothing your move from private industry to the public sector 
  • You want something more in-depth but don’t have time for a graduate degree 
  • The WA CPM® allows you to attend most sessions virtually, which allows you to attend to home and work responsibilities with less disruption 
  • You already have an MPA but it didn’t include practical management and leadership skills 

Define Your Organization’s “Why” 

Why should your organization support you? What will they gain? This is an opportunity to connect your organization’s priorities and processes to the features and benefits of your program of interest. 

Examples of organization “whys” for the CPM® might include: 

  • Alignment with Results Washington and the State’s Lean initiatives
  • Rewarding high-performing employees when raises aren’t available 
  • The per-hour cost of the CPM® is comparable or less expensive than workshops and programs through DES and other providers but has the added benefit of an embedded Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (value: $2,000)
  • Having a bench of trained leaders in waiting will smooth transitions and reduce learning curves when employees retire 

Prepare Your Pitch 

Here is where you bring the research together with the “why”s you identified to make your case. The format this takes may vary depending on your audience and specific situation, but here a two example pitches for the CPM® program. 

Example Email Request 

Hello Joaquin, 

I’ve been thinking about areas in which I could grow and improve the service we provide to the community. While my experience in the private sector has proven really valuable, I know that I could provide better support to my team and be more effective with a stronger foundation in how everything works in the public sector. 

I believe the Certified Public Manager® program is the best way for me to develop these skills and advance our work. 

  • The CPM® core competencies align with our agency’s values: public service focus, pursuing continuous improvement, providing high-quality support to stakeholders and team members, and embracing equity and inclusion. 
  • The hybrid format will allow me to take an in-depth program without having to spend a lot of time away from the office. There are only 4 days I would need to go to University of Washington Tacoma throughout the year. 
  • I can share what I learn in the program with my team, creating an environment where we all understand the “big picture” of the work we do. 

I know our deadline for approving funding requests is coming up soon – can we meet to discuss further?   

Example of Notes for a Meeting 

  • Thank Shawnta for continuing conversations about what support I need to be successful 
  • Explain my “why”s 
    • We’ve identified some big changes coming up and I want to be well-prepared to handle them 
    • Adding additional people to my team has made me realize I need more tools for managing groups, coaching, and creating an inclusive environment
  • Explain why the CPM® is a good fit for me and the org
    • I want something in-depth and holistic but already have an MPA
    • Family responsibilities make it hard for me to go to a campus weekly or travel for training but I don’t want to do a self-paced program like LinkedIn Learning or Coursera – the CPM®’s hybrid program lets me learn mostly from home but still have connections with colleagues and instructors
    • I could work on one of our actual change initiatives for the Lean Six Sigma Capstone project in the program
  • What are the next steps? Shawnta’s questions? Maximum reimbursement? 

If you need additional help developing your “pitch” for leadership, our Certified Public Manager® program manager (Saralyn Smith, smithpdc@uw.edu) is happy to help! 

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Meet Denise Matayoshi Miño: A CPM® Leading with Heart & Inclusivity

Coming up in her career in state government, Denise Matayoshi Miño felt that there were unwritten rules preventing people from existing in their whole identity while at work: “It was like you had to keep who you were as a person separate from the workplace and it wasn’t safe to show up as your whole self. You might put a few family photos up in your office but, otherwise, you leave your personal life at the door. That included anything about yourself that didn’t fit into [state government] workplace culture.” That didn’t feel right to her so she made efforts to change that over the span of her career – both for herself and her fellow state employees. 

While the bulk of her career was spent in Information Technology, Miño found herself drawn to volunteer on workplace committees like the Multicultural Workgroup at the Department of Health, where they focused on celebrating diversity and creating some space for employees to be themselves. During her time with it, the committee was also able to start an employee resource group for veterans in their agency. Miño is incredibly proud of the role she played helping to establish the Washington State Latino Leadership Network for state employees in 2015. Starting the Certified Public Manager® program at UW Tacoma in 2018 led her to seek an internship with the Workplace Transformation program at Results Washington. Miño now serves as an advisor to ‘A Human Workplace’, the organization that spun off that initiative.

Her eyes light up as she talks about the future of work – a future she sees as grounded in love, caring, concern, creativity, autonomy, and equity. While an authoritative, top-down style of leading might work in certain, limited circumstances, Miño chooses to “lead with the heart.” She applies this principal as she coaches leaders and develops and delivers leadership training, saying

I feel like we’ve got to connect with people as human beings and part of that is taking interest in their personal lives – their likes, their dislikes, who they are as people. Once you get to know your employees, you also get an opportunity to know what they do well, what their strengths are, and then what they aren’t able to do or what they don’t do well. That’s a basis to then know how you can support them – sending them to training, developing them in certain areas, or moving something off their plate so you aren’t setting them up for failure. 

As people and employees, we need immediate feedback. We need to know what we’re doing well and what areas we can improve in. We shouldn’t be waiting for a person’s annual review to point out something they need to work on or to praise them for a job well done. That post-World War II model of managing employees doesn’t work anymore. And we need to be sure we are giving more encouragement than criticism.

Why is this approach radical, necessary, and of particular importance as we work to build inclusive agencies and organizations? Because, says Miño, our work “really is about relationships. It’s relationships with your peers, those that you supervise. It’s your stakeholders. It’s your community members. It’s the citizens. It’s all about relationships.” Keeping the focus on these relationships and the mission you’re working towards often requires you to set aside your ego and a desire for “credit,” which can be a challenge for leaders entrenched in older ways of thinking.

Miño is also dedicated to bringing this heart-led and relationship centered approach out into the community. She co-created and co-leads “Community Conversations on Race,” a program in her small, rural community that provides space for participants to have structured, facilitated conversations on race-related topics while also learning how to become anti-racist. “I’m learning right along with them,” Mino says.“There’s so much that society has taught us that we need to unlearn.”Miño is also a part of the YWCA of Olympia’s Intercultural Foundations Community Institute – a program designed to build inclusive communities by identifying systems of oppression and shifting culture.

How the WA CPM® Fits In

Miño began the Washington Certified Public Manager® program in the fall of 2018, with more than 20 years of state government experience under her belt but a desire to change careers and focus more on developing leadership skills.  So why choose a program like this?

According to Miño,

I wasn’t really sure where the [CPM] program would take me. But, reflecting back on my career, I can see how things develop over time. Early on, you start out on the front lines and you’re in the weeds. Then you take it a little higher; you get more specific in your field, becoming an expert in certain areas. As you elevate yourself, you start seeing things from a larger, higher perspective.

Through my experience and education, I was at the 30,000-foot level. The CPM® program helped me take things to the next level by validating some of the thoughts, ideas, techniques, and patterns that I had already learned established over the years. But it then also introduced me to new ideas and ways of thinking. New books. New content authors, thought leaders, inspirational speakers, techniques and tools that then elevated me to the 50,000-foot level.

Miño says she continues to use the skills and tools she learned in the CPM® program. “The tools and skillsets I learned throughout the program are so helpful! I still refer back to my notes! Sometimes I’ll read them before I go into a meeting, and then I’ll be prepared to propose a new structure or process.”

And it’s not just the content or the resources from the program that she thinks makes the CPM® a powerful program with lasting impact. It’s the combination of content, cohort, and contributing instructors!

You’re around a cohort of professionals who have their own set of experiences, their own struggles [in the workplace], and their own perspectives that help awaken within yourself a new way of thinking. So it’s not just “I read a book, and I got smarter.”

It’s “I read the book. I did the assignments. I interacted with the class. And the instructors were helpful. Long story short, I loved being a part of the CPM® program!”

Learn more about the Washington Certified Public Manager® program or contact Saralyn Smith for more information!

Posted on 1 Comment on The Imperative to Innovate in Project Management

The Imperative to Innovate in Project Management

Professional development is not simply learning a few skills to put in your toolbox – it is about constantly improving yourself and being aware of trends. As a graduate of UW Tacoma’s Project Management program and a member of the Project Management Institute (PMI), I find it critical to stay up on both and encourage others to do the same. One recent article on PMI Thought Leadership, in particular, caught our attention here at the Professional Development Center: The Innovation Imperative (2020). We are in a time of nonstop disruption “and the need for unconventional thinking will only grow more urgent as organizations emerge from the COVID-19 crisis to face tremendous economic uncertainty.” 

Here are the three big ideas for innovative companies to focus on – and how UW Tacoma can help you: 

  • Future-Proof the Project Team 
    • Hire people with the skills. Invest in them. 
  • Put Data in the Driver’s Seat 
    • Avoid making decisions on faulty information. 
  • Build the Infrastructure 
    • Create a culture of innovation. 

According to the Project Management Institute, “three in four project leaders say their organizations will invest more to promote project management innovation over the next 10 years.” Learn more about the current trends of innovative organizations and the keys to focus.

What are you waiting for? Get all of your team up to speed on these skills and trends with our Project Management course taught by Angel Latterell, which starts on February 4th! 

Contact Christopher Cellars, or the rest of our team, at uwtpdc@uw.edu if you have questions about this program or any others offered through the UW Tacoma Professional Development Center. 

Posted on

Lessons from the Lean Transformation Conference

While the Professional Development Center staff were disappointed not to be able to exhibit at a physical Lean Transformation Conference this year, we did take advantage of many of the virtual sessions Results Washington still hosted as an opportunity for state employees to learn, share, and grow their Lean skills. The main focus of the conference may have been on state employees but the applicability of the sessions went far beyond the government sector.

The main focus of the conference may have been on state employees, but the applicability of the sessions went far beyond the government sector.

Here are some key learnings we left with:

Find the tools that work for you and adapt them

Lean is a flexible approach that can be applied to many different organizational structures, industries, and processes. Its many tools can be combined and remixed in a variety of ways to fit your needs. For example:

  • While a Value Stream Map is a core tool for identifying work pile-ups and the impact of time on a process, you may be better served by a flow chart if there are decision points involved.
  • Lean’s foundations are in manufacturing where suppliers and customers are distinct entities, but that’s not always the case in government and service work. What changes when the person who supplies you information is also the recipient of what you do with it?
  • Measurement may mean clocking processes with a stopwatch, time stamping a document as it moves through a process, or counting inventory. It all depends!

Lean, at its core

Speakers across the sessions reiterated that it can be very easy to get caught up in all the tools and processes related to Lean, but that practitioners can anchor themselves with a few key concepts:

  • Eden Teachout (“Mapping Your Path – Using Value Stream Maps to Improve” session): Lean is “work science” based on flow and how energy or items move through a system, as Joanne Gaudet and Fance Bergeron define it in “Lean: it’s not rocket science, it’s work science”.
  • PDC White Belt alum Sam Wilson (“Lean Basics” session): “Lean is always about making things better.”
  • Governor Jay Inslee (Opening Remarks): “It’s about how we get the community to work together in a more efficient, effective, and more resilient way. That’s what Results Washington and Lean Washington is about.”

Lean is about people

From the Governor’s opening remarks through the following six days of sessions, speakers emphasized that Lean is not just about processes. It’s about people. A truly effective Lean practitioner knows they must also build their leadership and management skills to lead projects to success.

Sam Wilson and Mike Fay posited that the “people side of lean” is just as important as the analytic side, building on Vann Smiley’s concept of Lean L3 (Listen, Learn, Lead) in his keynote. UWT Professional Development Center instructor Wendy Fraser taught the importance of building and repairing trust within your team, without which your efforts may fail. Other sessions covered the importance of coaching conversations, leading with integrity and intention, communication, and change management. 

The continuous process of improving yourself

Results Washington puts on the Lean Transformation Conference every year to continue developing Lean skills in our state. But you can only learn so much in a 1-hour webinar. What’s your next step?

  • Just starting out with Lean Six Sigma? Our 5-hour, introductory White Belt training will be offered online over two days (Nov 20 and Dec 4)
  • Ready to jump in and become a true Lean Six Sigma practitioner? Green Belt classes start back up in January 2021, fully online.
  • Stepping up as a Lean leader? Lean Six Sigma Black Belt is offered three times a year for active Green Belts who want to move into coaching and supervisory roles.

Contact Saralyn Smith, or the rest of our team, at uwtpdc@uw.edu if you have questions about the Lean Six Sigma program or any others offered through the UW Tacoma Professional Development Center. 

Posted on 2 Comments on Meet the Instructors: Dr. LaMont Green

Meet the Instructors: Dr. LaMont Green

[Meet the Instructors is a series intended to introduce you to one of the greatest resources the University of Washington Tacoma Professional Development Center has to offer: its diverse team of veteran, industry-tested professionals. The Center’s professional development programs are designed to be rewarding, challenging and cutting-edge. Our instructors play no small part in that, ensuring students are exposed to the most current industry trends while remaining well-versed in the tried-and-true best practices of their professions. We’re excited to share our instructors with you, and their stories are a great place to start.]

Tell me a little bit about yourself.

My name is LaMont Green. I am a descendant of the Gullah Geechee people from the Low County area of South Carolina, where I was born. I’ve lived in Tacoma for over 20 years and graduated with a degree in Social Work from UW Tacoma – I love our diverse community!

For nearly 20 years, I have worked to help local communities and governments identify and dismantle the persistent drivers of inequity across human services, homelessness, housing, behavioral health, and criminal justice systems. I have been very fortunate to lead several community-driven initiatives centered on improving care systems for complex health and historically disenfranchised populations. I received a Doctorate of Social Work from the University of Southern California with a focus on harnessing social innovation to address the Grand Challenge of Achieving Equal Opportunity and Justice for All. But, most importantly, I am the father of 2 wonderful Labradoodles – Buddy and Brodie:-)

What led you to your Special Initiatives Director position for King County?

King County was awarded a 5.4 million dollar grant from HUD – the Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program (YHDP) – to test strategies to end unaccompanied youth and young adult homelessness effectively. I was hired to implement the program and lead King County’s Campaign to End Youth Homelessness. The Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program resulted in significant reductions of unaccompanied youth experiencing unsheltered homelessness by advancing young adult voices and participation in governance, design, and evaluation of housing and supportive services.

Youth Homelessness has been an issue close to my heart for some time now. As a young man, after military service, I became homeless, depressed, and drug-addicted, struggling with my own internalized demons resulting from living in a society that constantly reminded me that due to my skin color or sexual orientation that I am inferior; I do not belong, and I am a second class citizen. Luckily, as a Veteran, there were services available to help support my recovery; however, this is not the case for many young people in our community. Black, Brown, Indigenous, LGBTQ, and Trans* youth are tremendously overrepresented in the homelessness system due to the generational impacts of systemic oppression intersecting with race, gender, and class.
I enjoy this work and learn so much from young people experiencing homelessness. Their resiliency, creativity, and bravery in the face of rejection, othering, and shaming fuels me to join with them and others to create liberating communities where we all belong and have opportunities to thrive.

Who do you see benefiting from these two day-long workshops on institutional racism in the nonprofit sector?

Anyone and everyone that works in the nonprofit sector. This training is beneficial for case managers, nonprofit executives, board of directors, program directors, senior leadership, data specialists, outreach specialists, behavioral health professionals, medical staff, etc. We all play a crucial role in ensuring that we address the persistent drivers of inequity.

What are your goals for students to bring back to their organization?

There are three things that I want students to learn and bring back to their organization:

  1. A deep understanding of the history of systemic racism and connecting that history to present-day manifestations of inequity;
  2. Gaining greater competency in identifying, describing, and undoing organizational policies, procedures, and practices that continue to drive racial disparities; and
  3. Becoming familiar with helpful frameworks and tools that can be utilized to lead programmatic and systems change efforts that eliminate racial and social disparities.

 

Join Dr. Green and Nick Bayard at their upcoming workshops September 18th, on Race, Power and Social Impact and on October 2nd, Advance Strategies for Racial Equity Within Nonprofits.
Posted on

UW Tacoma Black Belt graduate receives Governor’s Leadership in Management Award

A graduate of the University of Washington Tacoma’s Lean Six Sigma: Black Belt program was presented the Governor’s Leadership in Management Award in a ceremony recently.

Lisa Heaton, who attended the UW Tacoma Professional Development Center program in 2018, led a program team that “recovered almost $16 million for Washington consumers” as a result of complaints filed with the Office of the Insurance Commissioner.  Her Black Belt project streamlined processes to improve information flow for executive decision-making.  She and her team “use performance metrics to measure improvement,” according to a citation listed on the Washington governor’s website. The award “recognizes managers in state government who demonstrate extraordinary leadership through performance results in the previous year.”

Heaton currently serves as the Consumer Advocacy Program Manager within the Consumer Protection Division at the Office of the Insurance Commissioner. Doing that work, she oversees a program responsible for protecting and advising insurance consumers in Washington state.

“It’s a lot of work because we always have to be up on the new laws and regulations in our state, also with what’s happening on the federal level – that’s a fast moving train,” said Heaton.

While Heaton is quick to credit her staff for the impressive results that earned the award, it is easy to see the impact her Lean Six Sigma initiatives have had on the office.

“When I started here, I felt as program manager it was really helpful to be able to identify changes in our processes, to better inform our deputies and commissioners,” said Heaton.

“That’s why I wanted to take the Black Belt. It helps me as a program manager better understand how to actively involve our subject matter experts to identify problems and develop processes that work best for our customers and employees within state government,” she said.

In the program’s offices, Heaton encourages her staff to use a shared idea board – a practice she said helps problems get solved more effectively. This is another Lean Six Sigma approach, and while Heaton’s staff isn’t pulling Andon Cords on an assembly line, they are empowered with the responsibility to call attention to identify problems as they arise.

“Setting up new implementation processes, you have to understand how mapping works and how to involve the subject matter experts who are actually doing the work,” she said. “They can really point out how a process should work because they’re aware of any gaps.”

Heaton said she is happy with her decision to pursue a Black Belt at the UW Tacoma PDC.

“I would recommend this kind of training for any manager,” she said.

Before she attended the Black Belt program, Heaton had a journey through education, and Latin America, to get here. Heaton grew up in Panama, completed a master’s degree in Chile and moved to Bolivia before earning her doctorate from the University of Wisconsin – Madison.

She had planned to return to Bolivia to work in international development, but her focus changed when she moved to Washington with her husband and took a job in state government. In this new context, process improvement caught her attention.

“I’m at heart more of a social science researcher, so everything I look at is like a social science experiment,” she said. “I like to see how people and organizational culture changes.”

“I was in Chile when they were instituting national education reform,” she said. “So everything I’ve learned from organizational culture and transformation of a workplace, I’ve seen happen on large scales, as well.”

She also experienced major changes in higher education while working for a university in Bolivia. Seeing how theories are used to bring about practical change is part of what drew Heaton to the Black Belt program at UW Tacoma.

“I soaked up all the information [instructor Wendy Fraser] provided in her articles. You have to start with a concept or a theory to get to practical action,” said Heaton.

Heaton has been using Lean Six Sigma since around 2015, when she took a Green Belt equivalent program through the state’s Department of Enterprise Services. She especially enjoyed the Black Belt program, she said.

“I did the course on Fridays. I was with mostly other people who were working in state government,” she said. “It was an ideal setting, having a small group, because we could really talk about our experiences and talk through some of the challenges.”

Beyond just the content, Heaton said the instructor’s innovative style of leading the program added value to her experience.

“I thought it was a well thought out course that Wendy designed,” said Heaton. “She clearly has a broad depth of experience, which I think is important for students who are practitioners.”

“I’ve been in courses where it’s lecture formatted – with her it was much more experiential and driven by a really well selected curation of articles by topic,” she said.

In some instances, Heaton was able to immediately apply what she learned in class to her work.

“We worked on real projects in class,” she said. “I selected a project that would help us better escalate consumer complaints to make sure they were addressed more quickly and to streamline and map out processes when we send them to enforcement.”

“It was definitely useful,” said Heaton. “I would recommend this kind of training for any manager.”

Even though she has graduated, future PDC students may find themselves sitting next to Heaton in another classroom someday.

“No matter where you are in life, you don’t stop learning,” said Heaton. “I have to constantly be taking courses and stay up-to-date on things.”

UW Tacoma’s Lean Six Sigma: Black Belt class is offered at locations ranging from Lacey to Everett. The program, which meets weekdays and weekday evenings depending on the location, is designed for experienced Lean Six Sigma practitioners who wish to develop critical skills for leadership in government, manufacturing, service and any professional field that involves processes.

“I would highly recommend it to anybody. It’s relevant, it’s up to date, it’s stuff that incorporates all the other approaches,” she said. “When I hear ‘it’s the flavor of the day,’ I don’t agree. I think it’s something everybody in government should be trained in.”

It’s about serving the public, your customer, better,” said Heaton. “That’s what we’re in the business of doing in state government.”

For more information about Lean Six Sigma programs at the UW Tacoma Professional Development Center, please visit our website.

Posted on 2 Comments on Meet the Instructors: Ariel Klein, Mastering Beer Styles

Meet the Instructors: Ariel Klein, Mastering Beer Styles

[Meet the Instructors is a series intended to introduce you to one of the greatest resources the University of Washington Tacoma Professional Development Center has to offer: its diverse team of veteran, industry-tested professionals. The Center’s professional development programs are designed to be rewarding, challenging and cutting-edge. Our instructors play no small part in that, ensuring students are exposed to the most current industry trends while remaining well-versed in the tried-and-true best practices of their professions. We’re excited to share our instructors with you, and their stories are a great place to start.]

You’ve been a homebrewer and now a professional brewer – tell us about that journey. How did you decide to brew professionally?

My journey from homebrew to professional brewing happened surprisingly organically. I started homebrewing over well over a decade ago while in college, and the hobby grew from there. While living in Bristol, England, I became more and more fascinated with sensory analysis and began to be more involved in stewarding and judging homebrew competitions. Eventually, I was able to earn my BJCP judging certifications. By 2015, I had become more ensconced in the beer industry, and when a friend of mine, Richard Poole, was hired on as the Head Brewer for a brewery called Left Handed Giant, he asked if I’d like to help out. The choice seemed obvious, and I have not looked back since!

What is the biggest difference between brewing for fun and as a professional?

Of course the first thing that strikes every homebrewer who enters a brewery is the scale, the sheer size of everything, plus the complex equipment. I have a distinct recollection of my first day in a professional brewery, being told to weigh out 24kg of hops and being blown away at the sheer quantity! However, I would argue that the real difference is the stakes are much, much higher. In homebrewing, if you mess up some aspect of a batch, it’s certainly not fun, and is of course disappointing, but your livelihood is not on the line. In comparison, for nano and microbreweries, a ruined batch can mean the difference between a given brewery’s success or failure. As such, all good brewers develop a keen attention to detail, ensuring that you are creating the best product possible.

Are there any “homebrewer tricks” that you apply to your work now?

I don’t know that I would call it a “trick” per se, but I believe I’ve taken the “MacGyver” spirit that so many homebrewers have, and translated that to my professional life – I am more prone to creative problem solving (that may or may not work). I think this is one of the biggest differences between those who have spent time homebrewing and those who have not. When the wrong fitting was ordered or some other minor issue crops up, a creative solution can always be found!

Oppositely, what is some pro-brewing knowledge you think a good home brewer could take advantage of?

I think many homebrewers ignore their water. More and more research is constantly coming to the fore that demonstrates how essential our water treatment is! I know many homebrewers are starting to catch on to this, and are doing their own research and making huge improvements, but it’s still too widely ignored. We’re very lucky that in the Seattle area, we have some great water that’s essentially the closest to a blank slate that you can get. Unfortunately, in order to make styles from around the world, the first step is to attempt to emulate the naturally occurring water in those regions. If you’ve ever wondered why your stout isn’t quite smooth enough, or your pilsner has a harsh finish, it’s likely due to water chemistry.

You work at two breweries – both Outer Planet and Lowercase Brewing? What’s that like?

It’s fantastic! I get to have the best of both worlds – I love the creative freedom I’m allotted at OPB, and the real sense of control I have in the product. However, as OPB is a smaller brewery, we don’t have the resources to make certain styles (lagers in particular) or to use certain equipment. I have the unique opportunity to learn from John Marti at Lowercase, working to perfect lager techniques, as well as learning to use higher end lab equipment and larger, more complex equipment.

What is your favorite type of beer to brew? To drink?

My favorite beers have always been Belgians! My first real love affair with beer was tasting Belgian ales in college, though I will admit that my taste has developed drastically since then. Having trained in the U.K., I also have quite a soft spot for British Ales – give me a good Wee Heavy or a proper stout and I’ll be happy.

I love brewing Belgian Witbiers. I have done quite a bit of experimentation, and have found it to be a surprisingly versatile style. The flavors that the yeast emits pair amazingly with so many flavors, not just the traditional coriander and orange peel. I wish they were more popular in the area so I could brew more of them!

You’re now adding teaching about beer to your career – what makes you want to do that?

I have actually been teaching off flavor classes at Sound Homebrew Supply in Georgetown for about a year now. I find that I thoroughly enjoy helping students really learn to pick apart a beer and the flavors they taste. I love seeing a student realize that they can indeed recognize and diagnose problems, they just need a little help to recognize the flavors.

Have you ever had any brewing education yourself? If not, how did you learn your trade?

Generally speaking, I am self-taught. I started homebrewing as a hobby, not imagining it would amount to more than a fun way to pass the time and a cheaper way to drink beer. The more I learned, the more I realized I knew pretty much nothing. I read voraciously and conducted my own experiments with hops and water treatments.

It was eventually suggested to me that I just go ahead and take the judging certification exam, which I studied for quite intensely. This involved a huge amount of reading, as well as tasting beers from around the world (whether I had interest in them or not – I recall a few days in particular spent tasting American Light Lagers, which was certainly not an interest of mine at the time!)

Why should a student interested in beer or a career in craft brewing take a course like Mastering Beer Styles?

First of all, learning the basics of the industry is incredibly important – I often wish I had been able to take a class like this before I entered the professional industry. I also I feel strongly that part of truly understanding beer is to spend time with many different beers from varying places. As I mentioned earlier, in preparation for my exams I spent quite a bit of time tasting beers that I might not have thought about twice, but spending that time thinking critically about them gave me new insights into the product.

Perhaps even more important is understanding your own palette. I cannot emphasize enough that every person’s palette is totally unique. What I might perceive in some beers, you may experience totally differently! It is essential to understand this, and to understand how your taste receptors process flavors and mouthfeel. I think this is probably one of the most fundamental aspects of brewing that is frequently overlooked.

Why is it important to have a handle on beer styles?

There are so many reasons! First of all, if you know what styles should taste like, you can work towards accurately recreating them. Think about it this way: if you were a chef, would you attempt to create a complex mole sauce or a bouillabaisse without knowing what it should taste like? Second, once you have an understanding of how a style should taste and is traditionally brewed, you can begin to put your own spin on it and truly flex your creative muscles! And third, having a handle on these styles allows you to be part of a greater conversation – you can contribute to industry conversations on how styles are shifting or changing. Pale ale and the IPA are perfect examples right now: the definition of both of these is beginning to shift in the public eye (in my opinion), and if you don’t understand what the fundamental definition of the beer is, then you cannot begin to understand how it has changed.

What most excites you about this new endeavor?

Introducing students to exciting new styles that they never knew existed! As well as helping students understand their own palettes – seeing a student realize that they taste something differently than everyone else and finally understanding how that plays into their craft is immensely satisfying. I’m hoping I can truly help some people to get to know their taste buds on a deeper level.

What excites you about the craft beer industry today? In Seattle, in Washington and in general?

I find the creativity and willingness to take risks is one of the best parts of the beer industry today. Ten years ago, you would never have seen tiny nanobreweries creating ancient styles using insane ingredients and not only seeing mild success, but have their bottles widely sought after. I love witnessing the incredible amount of innovation that goes in to some of these beers! I think this is something that Seattle, and Washington in general, excel at. I suspect a beer brewed using 700F pillow basalt would not have gone over quite as well a decade ago (a beer Lowercase made early last year)!

I also think that the push for more local and more sustainable ingredients and techniques is very exciting. I love seeing breweries pair with sustainable hop farms and maltsters, working to lower than carbon footprint by using more energy efficient equipment, changing up water procedures and moving away from gas-fired systems.

What do you hope your students take away from Mastering Beer Styles?

If nothing else, I hope they take away a greater appreciation for styles that they might not have put much stock into previously. I would love to see students really pick apart styles they hadn’t thought about before, and see that every region has evolved wildly different styles of beer.

I also hope they come away from the class with more of an understanding of their own personal palette. Every person tastes differently, and learning how your palette differs from someone else’s and how you perceive certain flavors if one of the best tools you can have in your arsenal.

Posted on 1 Comment on Meet the Instructors: Davis Freeman, Art and Business of Photography

Meet the Instructors: Davis Freeman, Art and Business of Photography

[Meet the Instructors is a series intended to introduce you to one of the greatest resources the University of Washington Tacoma Professional Development Center has to offer: its diverse team of veteran, industry-tested professionals. The Center’s professional development programs are designed to be rewarding, challenging and cutting-edge. Our instructors play no small part in that, ensuring students are exposed to the most current industry trends while remaining well-versed in the tried-and-true best practices of their professions. We’re excited to share our instructors with you, and their stories are a great place to start.]

Davis Freeman has photographed a wide variety of subjects, from the Dalai Llama and the first brain surgery broadcast around the world to his barber and the covers of corporate annual reports. To say that he is an experienced photographer is truly an understatement.

This year, he will be teaching others how to pursue their own photographic dreams. Freeman joins the team at the UW Tacoma Professional Development Center as an instructor in a brand-new program, Art and Business of Photography.

This non-credit certificate program is designed for photographers who are interested in going into business, as well as working photographers looking to revamp their businesses or head in another direction in the world of photography. In short, and as named, the program will look at the world of professional photography from the perspectives of both art and business.

Freeman’s first official gig was as his high school’s yearbook photographer. Something about seeing a picture emerge in the darkroom, he said, got him hooked. Freeman took a hiatus from photography in college, getting a degree in social sciences. He discovered it again when he was drafted to serve during the Vietnam War. His army post had a darkroom, and Freeman spent his free time there learning the art of making negatives come to life.

After his military service and a second degree in psychology, he took his passion for people to the business world.  Freeman received his third degree, cum laude, from an esteemed program in biomedical photography and spent his next years photographing medical procedures in hospitals. Next, the University of Washington asked him to become the head of its staff photography department, a position he held for many years.  Eventually, he felt a call to begin his own business. Since then, Freeman’s career has included all types of corporate, retail and fine art photography.

“I’m a person who likes diversity,” he said. “That’s why I went from the university, which is by most standards a job for life, on to the corporate world to the family portrait world, from there to books and teaching.”

Through all of it, Freeman said his favorite job is “the next one.”

“There’s so much to photograph,” he said.  “It gives me an entry to life.”

Looking back, today Freeman thinks the trait that enabled him to have such a long and successful career was his interest in people and dedication to his work, no matter what it was.

“To be successful creatively, you need a love affair,” he said. “To be successful financially, you need to understand business. Two very different skillsets, but they’re both very important.”

Freeman, who has succeeded in both realms, is excited to impart the lessons he has learned in this new program.

“I’ve designed this program to be interactive, to get people involved much earlier on in using the techniques that we’ll talk about for business or photography,” he said.

“We’ll do a lot of work on marketing and sales,” he said. “What this is going to offer students is an entrée to what they’ll need to do to start a business. This will be a stepping-stone to a career. If you’re extremely dedicated, you can take this into a career, take it into the real world.”

Art and Business of Photography is scheduled to start Sept. 28. Registration is open to the public, with no application required. For more information, visit the program’s webpage here.

Posted on 3 Comments on Better Events, Bigger Returns: Seattle Fundraising Duo Brings Workshop to Tacoma

Better Events, Bigger Returns: Seattle Fundraising Duo Brings Workshop to Tacoma

Rebecca Dietz and Carol Dole knew right away that they wanted to go into business together.

It was 2008 and Barack Obama had just been elected president.

“We were very excited about Obama winning the presidency and we were not going to fly to Washington D.C., so we said, ‘let’s have our own ball,’” remembered Dietz. “We planned a phenomenal inaugural ball. We had people dressed up in costumes, we had entertainment, it was amazing.”

“People loved it. We realized we worked really well together,” she said. “We looked at each other and said, ‘let’s start this business.’”

Since then, Dietz, a former designer and project manager, and Dole, who previously worked as a producer in Hollywood, have been joined at the hip as the “duo of inspired professionals” behind Well Done Events, LLC. Managing events ranging from small gatherings to large productions with thousands in attendance, the two combine their skills effectively to pull off events for clients. They typically work in the nonprofit space with organizations with small staffs and development operations.

This spring, they will be leading a workshop designed to help nonprofit organizations navigate the complex world of fundraising events, with a focus on planning, purpose and strategy. Titled “Better Events, Bigger Returns: Fundraising Events Management,” the workshop will meet the evenings of June 18 and 20 at UW Tacoma.

Registration for the workshop is open to the public through the UW Tacoma Professional Development Center, who also offers certificates and short courses in Nonprofit and Fundraising Management. Unlike the certificate programs, which offer more comprehensive curriculums, this workshop offers attendees six hours focused exclusively on the topic of event management.

Events shouldn’t be isolated incidents, cutoff from the rest of an organization’s operations, Dietz and Dole are quick to point out. Events are most effective when they are integrated with a nonprofit’s development strategy.

“You don’t just have a party because it feels good or because the neighbor is having one,” said Dietz. “To do it effectively, you need to think about what your strategy is for the next few years.”

Over the course of two evenings, the workshop will go beyond what it takes to run an event successfully to exploring questions like, “Why are we having an event in the first place?” to “What is your ‘ask’ going to be at this event?”

Unpacked, the “better” in the workshop’s title goes beyond making an event flashy and fun. To Dietz and Dole, a “better event” is one whose design incorporates strategy, public relations and branding with intention.

“The misunderstanding we run into all the time is ‘we’re having an auction because everyone else is having an auction; we’re going to make $200,000 at the auction because this organization made that much at an auction,’” said Dietz.

Here, Dole said, is where they often see organizations making mistakes.

“They haven’t really thought about first of all, how are we making $200,000 at this auction, whose coming? It gets into a cycle that is not good business planning and not maximizing what events should be,” she said.

That’s not to say that Dietz and Dole are down on nonprofits; they are very excited about working in the sector.

“They’re doing great work and that’s why we love to work with them,” said Dole.

The mission of Well Done Events, and the UW Tacoma workshop, is to enhance local nonprofits’ use of events as a strategic tool.

“It’s really about getting out in the community, finding the people who believe in the work, moving the mission along and that takes time,” said Dietz.

“At events you’re thanking people, you’re acknowledging people, you’re bringing your community together, but as we often say: Bill Gates is not going to come to your auction and raise his paddle for $10 million,” said Dietz.

“That’s not how you’re going to get money from Bill and his friends,” she said. “He might come to your auction, but if you don’t have a strategy as to how you’re going to follow up with Bill for one, two, five, ten years, to get that kind of money, why are you having that event?”

“We come in and say, ‘Why are you doing this?’” said Dole. “The more savvy people going into the industry are about the role events should be playing, the better for everybody.”

To learn more from Dietz and Dole, you will have to join them in person this June at “Better Events, Bigger Returns: Fundraising Events Management.” You can learn more about the duo on their website, Well Done Events. For more information on our Fundraising and Nonprofit programs, visit our website.

Posted on

Meet the Instructors: Wendy Fraser, Lean Six Sigma and CPM®

[Meet the Instructors is a series intended to introduce you to one of the greatest resources the University of Washington Tacoma Professional Development Center has to offer: its diverse team of veteran, industry-tested professionals. The Center’s professional development programs are designed to be rewarding, challenging and cutting-edge. Our instructors play no small part in that, ensuring students are exposed to the most current industry trends while remaining well-versed in the tried-and-true best practices of their professions. We’re excited to share our instructors with you, and their stories are a great place to start.]

Dr. Wendy Fraser is no stranger to the UW Tacoma Professional Development Center. We know her type well.

Fraser is what you call a lifelong learner. Like many PDC students, she has a passion for learning and sees the value of pursuing new educational experiences. Graduating from Saint Martin’s University with a Bachelor’s in Management and Finance, Fraser was only getting started on her journey through higher education. Since 1991, she has gone on to earn Master’s degrees in human resources, organizational leadership and human and organizational systems. She completed her Doctorate in Human and Organizational Development from Fielding Graduate University in 2010. Read more Meet the Instructors: Wendy Fraser, Lean Six Sigma and CPM®