WDVA Manager Melissa Weitzel Honored with Governor’s Outstanding Leadership Award 

WDVA Manager Melissa Weitzel Honored with Governor’s Outstanding Leadership Award  

Olympia - “Melissa Weitzel’s work has changed lives across Washington,” said WDVA Director David Puente Jr. “Her vision and steady leadership turned a program into a pathway home for hundreds of Veterans, blending innovation with compassion and a relentless focus on equity. This recognition from Governor Ferguson is well deserved and reflects the way Melissa and her Transitional Housing Program team lift up veterans with dignity and measurable results.” 

The Washington Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA) is excited to announce that Melissa Weitzel, Transitional Housing Program Manager, has been selected for a Governor’s Outstanding Leadership Award in recognition of her transformative leadership expanding and modernizing transitional housing for Washington’s Veterans. 

Photo courtesy of Governor Ferguson's communications office

Melissa Weitzel & Transitional Housing Program Contributions and Impact: 

• Program growth and housing placements: Worked with her team to grow the Transitional Housing Program to 135 beds and helped place 132 veterans into permanent housing in FFY2024 and 138 veterans in the first half of FFY2025. 

• Facility modernization: Coordinated the completion of two federally funded capital improvement projects that modernized 98 rooms into private, dignified living spaces with en-suite bathrooms, with partnership from THP, Capital Projects, and Facilities Team Members. 

• Service expansion: Partnered with VA Puget Sound to launch medical recuperative care and built cross-functional partnerships connecting veterans to healthcare, employment assistance, legal aid, substance use recovery, and permanent housing placements. 

• Equity and inclusion: Developed culturally responsive programming and ensured equitable access for women veterans, including the development of the Betsy Ross House for female participants. 

• Leadership qualities: Recognized by colleagues as a supportive, present, and empathetic leader who fosters connection and celebrates personal and professional growth. 

The Governor’s Outstanding Leadership Awards honor exceptional managers who exemplify excellence in performance and accomplishments, demonstrate leadership competencies that advance a performance-driven culture, and model the values and behaviors that promote a diverse and inclusive workforce. The awards were created in 1985 by Governor Booth Gardner. Governor Bob Ferguson noted the honorees include managers across state agencies and higher education and praised Washington’s public employees as the backbone of state government, highlighting their essential roles and expressing gratitude for their work in challenging times. 

Read the full list of Governor’s Outstanding Leadership Award recipients: Governor Ferguson celebrates Outstanding Leadership Award recipients