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There is a certain kind of leader who does not simply occupy a role but redefines what that role can accomplish. Daniel Blakesley is that kind of leader. And the Spokane Workforce Council is proud to welcome him to our Board of Directors.

Discipline Born in Service

Before Daniel ever stepped into a government office, he was standing in the uniform of the United States Air Force. As a Senior Airman deployed during Operation Enduring Freedom, he learned something that no MBA program teaches: how to lead when the pressure is real, the stakes are high, and there is no room for ambiguity.

That foundation did not leave him when he came home. It followed him through the Department of Corrections, through behavioral health services, and into the halls of state government, where it continues to shape every decision he makes.

The Architect of Operational Excellence

Today, Daniel serves as CSO Administrator for the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), overseeing operations for both Spokane Community Service Offices. He manages multi-million-dollar budgets and leads a workforce of more than 100 personnel delivering essential state and federal programs to people who depend on them every single day.

But Daniel is not content with simply keeping the lights on. He has spent his career asking a harder question: how do we do this better? By weaving Lean methodology and Human-Centered Design into the fabric of state service delivery, he has modernized operations in ways that are both fiscally responsible and deeply human. His expertise in quality assurance and auditing allows him to see beyond the numbers, translating complex data into real improvements for real people.

The Bridge Builder

What makes Daniel’s leadership genuinely distinctive is his ability to bring people together across lines that are often difficult to cross. He has built lasting collaborative relationships with tribal leaders, community partners, and regional stakeholders, not as a checkbox exercise, but as a core belief that lasting workforce outcomes require lasting trust.

His understanding of labor relations and strategic partnership-building is sophisticated and earned. He knows that systems do not change communities. People do.

Summa Cum Laude and Still Learning

Daniel holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Eastern Washington University, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude. He is also a graduate of the DSHS Leadership Development Program. But what stands out is not just the credentials. It is that he continues to pursue knowledge and growth long after the diplomas were framed. That intellectual humility, combined with hard-won operational experience, makes him a rare and valuable voice in any room.

What He Brings to Our Board

The people the Spokane Workforce Council serves are often navigating the hardest seasons of their lives. They need a workforce system led by people who understand complexity, who have sat with difficult realities, and who believe that transformation is possible even in the most challenging circumstances.

Daniel Blakesley has spent more than 20 years proving exactly that.

We are honored to have him at the table.

Spokane Workforce Council
140 S. Arthur St. Suite 300A
marketing@spokaneworkforce.org