Recruit, Cultivate, & Retain: Winter Cohort

Meet the Trainers

Cesilee Coulson is the Executive Director of the Washington Initiative for Supported Employment; Wise. Cesilee uses her 28 years of experience with employment training and technical assistance to enhance government systems and community employment services. She specializes in the following consultation and training topics: Organizational Strategic Planning; Leadership Development; Executive Management Coaching; State Employment Systems Design; and Policies and Organizational practices related to employment services delivery to Individuals with Disabilities.

Cesilee holds a master’s degree in Sports Psychology, a bachelor’s degree in Exercise and Movement Sciences, an Executive Coaching certification from the Hudson Institute and a Somatic Coaching certification from the Strozzi Institute.

Cesilee was appointed in 2015 by the U. S. Secretary of Labor to the Advisory Committee on Increasing Competitive Integrated Employment for Individuals with Disabilities, which was created in the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and served as the Chair of the Sub-Committee on Capacity Building. She was a Subject Matter Expert with the Employment First State Leadership Mentoring Program through the US Department of Labor Office of Disability and Employment Policy and is currently serving as the Co-chair of the National TASH employment community of practice.

Jaimie Laitinen has spent the past 15 years working for Wise providing technical assistance and training to promote employment for all people with disabilities. During her time at Wise, she has enjoyed a wide range of roles and experiences in working toward getting people with disabilities into the workforce. In her current role at Wise, she specializes in contract and project management, working with employment service providers, schools and other agency partners in supporting individuals and their families in their journey to find the right job. She is also a trainer in the Wise Online Academy ACRE Series and has presented at national and local conferences on School to Work and Transition, Person Centered Planning, Organizational Culture and Development, as well as strategies on recruitment, training and retention of staff in this industry. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for National APSE as the Western Regional Delegate. Her passion for this field is nurtured by being part of a determined community which shares the belief that each person has value to contribute and that everyone can work.

Anne-Marie Lake came to the field of Supported Employment in 2012 with a varied background in fundraising, marketing/communications, vocal performance, teaching and direct support/management. Anne-Marie holds a B.A. in Interpersonal Communication from Seattle Pacific University and is a Certified Employment Specialist through Highline College. Working in one of Washington state’s top providers of customized, integrated employment and transition services, she learned job development and job coaching, positive behavior support and person-centered approaches. Working successively as an Employment Consultant, Program Manager, Recruiter and finally Training Manager, she gained in-depth knowledge of the systems and processes that contribute to agency-wide success in the field. Her passion lies in training and developing staff so they can achieve best outcomes, promoting the career opportunities this field offers and bringing different groups together to work on joint projects that benefit those we serve.

Anne-Marie joined the Wise staff in 2023, and is using her experiences in direct service, management, and training as part of the WOA 100 training team, in county Technical Assistance systems support, creating and managing learning content, and helping agencies of all sizes develop training programs that will enable their staff and managers to incorporate best practices into their daily efforts.

When not at work, you might find Anne-Marie hiking in the woods with her husband, doing science projects with her grandson, leading the church choir or coaxing flowers and veggies to grow big in small spaces.

Wally is a recognized leader in the field of Supported Employment, with over 25 years of experience working with people with disabilities and leading advocacy and policy efforts that create positive impacts on communities. He has served as a director of several employment agencies in Washington State, serving various populations. He also is a local and national speaker, trainer, and consultant on best practices around community integrated employment, organizational development, and diversity, equity, and true inclusion.

Wally has served as the President of the Washington State Board of APSE (Association of People Supporting Employment First) and was elected to the National Board of APSE in 2017. He was recently chosen as the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Officer on the National Board.