Leadership Committee

Samuel Bradshaw is the Business Solutions Manager for WorkForce Central, and a proud member of the Pierce County Community Engagement Task Force leadership team. He has over 12 years of business consulting experience working with companies of all sizes, ranging from 4 to 5 employees to Fortune 500 organizations. Samuel is a Certified Diversity Consultant and a Windmills Certified instructor who can facilitate organizations to better work with individuals who are differently-abled.

Julianna Flanders serves as Creative Strategies Manager in the Communications Department at WorkForce Central, where she designs brand identity and assets for a wide variety of workforce programs in Pierce County. She has over eight years of experience in branding, web and graphic design, and marketing. Born and raised in Pierce County, Julianna is passionate about increasing awareness and access to vital programs and services in her community.

Tamar Jackson, Senior Director of Community Engagement for WorkForce Central, is the leader of the Pierce County Community Engagement Task Force, an initiative powered by WorkForce Central. He was born and raised in Tacoma, Washington, which spurs his passion to make Tacoma the best place to live. Tamar focuses on highlighting community voices to achieve common goals and addressing challenges that may arise from workplace diversity, conflicting viewpoints, and workplace fairness.

Joanna Rasmussen serves as the Director of Communications for WorkForce Central. She has more than 15 years of experience in communications and marketing with an emphasis on outreach to the community. Raised in Pierce County, Joanna is passionate about serving the Pierce County community and promoting programs that aid individuals and families to rise out of poverty and flourish in their careers and lives.

Chloe Wilhelm serves as a Program Assistant for WorkForce Central, where she assists in the coordination of daily operations for program activities relating to workforce services and initiatives. As a proud member of the Task Force, she co-leads the Lens of Equity Committee and has a strong commitment to Diversity, Equity, Access, and Inclusion (DEAI) work. She is passionate about serving her community and helping foster the economic mobility of individuals and families in Pierce County.

Shellie D. Willis is a U.S. Army Veteran and is the Senior Director of Collective Impact at WorkForce Central. Shellie leads military initiatives in Pierce County and assists in designing, facilitating, and leading workforce system initiatives locally and regionally. Shellie holds a Master’s Degree in Nonprofit Management.

Courtney Acoff currently serves as the Pierce County District Representative for Congressman Derek Kilmer’s Office (WA-6). As a Certified Diversity Consultant, her focus is to acknowledge the intersectionality of life, along with the complexity those intersections bring to community and service organizations. Courtney also serves on the board as a Commissioner to the Human Rights Commission for the City of Tacoma, an At-Large Trustee to the University of Washington Alumni Association, and is an active member on the UWT Alumni Council.

Julie Baxter is part of the Task Force as an independent contributor who aims to represent the communities of Pierce County that often do not have a voice in decision-making spaces. They are a dedicated practitioner of socially just community development, equitable systems change, and empathetic leadership. Julie often spans existing boundaries and occupies liminal, transitional spaces to provide clarity, connection, translation, and alignment in the pursuit of a just and equitable society.

Kelly Blucher is passionate about her community having experienced many of the same issues such as homelessness, poverty, addiction, and such as many we serve. A fierce advocate for policy change, she has spoken at Federal, State, and local levels to ensure that laws and policies apply to those living in poverty. Kelly’s leadership in Collaboration for a Cause and Hire 253 has served over 6,000 individuals and families in Pierce County through her enormous outreach efforts to those often underserved.