Photo: DEQ Director Leah Feldon, Angel Gillette, Zach Mandera and DEQ Lab Administrator, Lori Pillsbury celebrating graduation, Dec. 2023.
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality is proud of Angel Gillette and Zach Mandera for recently completing the Leadership Oregon program, the executive leadership development program for the State of Oregon.
Leadership Oregon’s mission is to strengthen the professional and personal development of state managers, preparing them for leadership roles in state government. The Department of Administrative Services established the program in 1989.
“Because of Leadership Oregon, I have grown in self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and confidence,” said Angel, DEQ’s chief information officer. “I am grateful for the opportunity I had to learn with other public servants, and I made friends that I will likely keep for the rest of my life.”
Angel has worked in information technology management for more than 20 years in the public and private sectors. She joined DEQ more than seven years ago as an enterprise project manager and is thriving in her current position. Most importantly, she’s passionate about her work. She enjoys swimming, biking and running, and has completed the Salem Ironman 70.3 the last three years.
Zach has been DEQ’s inorganic laboratory manager at DEQ’s lab in Hillsboro for ten years. He leads a team of chemists and environmental professionals working collaboratively with Oregonians for a healthy, sustainable environment.
“Leadership Oregon opened my eyes even wider to the great work done by the many tremendous leaders across Oregon state government,” said Zach. “The opportunity to network and learn new skills alongside other dedicated individuals in the cohort has provided me with a newfound sense of community, and a renewed understanding that we are all in this together; and, that we can, and should, rely on one another in times of need.”
By Jennifer Flynt, public affairs specialist