In September, following a long career of public service, the Executive Director of the Washington Medical Commission (WMC)...



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press release - washington medical commission
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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Melanie de Leon, JD, MPA, Executive Director of the Washington Medical Commission
Retires in September

OLYMPIA, WA ? In September, following a long career of public service, the Executive Director of the Washington Medical Commission (WMC), Melanie de Leon, will retire. Melanie came to the commission after serving in the Air Force and working for the State Attorney General?s Office as an Assistant Attorney General and as the Executive Director for the Executive Ethics Board. Bringing her wealth of knowledge to the executive role, Melanie arrived at a critical moment on August 1, 2014.

"Melanie came to the WMC at a transformational time and we started our journey in leadership here together. We experienced 100 percent turnover in leadership due to retirements and promotions, she made lean governance and innovation a core competency of the organization,? said Micah Matthews, WMC Deputy Executive Director. ?Melanie reshaped how medical regulators in the U.S. and internationally approach issues of sexual misconduct among licensees. She leaves a rock-solid reputation with the WMC and a staff that has grown to respect and appreciate her leadership and mentorship."

Melanie has not only provided years of outstanding service to Washington state but provided strategic leadership and valuable counsel to commissioners and staff. While with the commission for the last nine years, she was instrumental in establishing a new process for handling sexual misconduct cases by establishing Sexual Misconduct Assessment and Review Teams (SMART).?

Melanie De Leon

Implementation of the SMART process required new training for staff and commissioners in trauma-informed sexual assault investigations that increased awareness, decreased bias, and clarified disciplinary standards. Washington is the first medical regulator in the nation to make this training mandatory. Melanie traveled around the country teaching the SMART concept to other medical boards and international regulators.

?It?s been the highlight of my career to lead the commission. The last couple year?s through COVID have really shown me the resilience of our team and the importance of innovation and transparent public health policy. Upholding the law and protecting the public, as both an attorney and regulator, while being ethical in all the choices we make, has been a common theme of my career,? said Melanie. ?These principles have been the foundation of my time at the commission, and we have made great strides to earn the public trust. Some of the best memories I have from my work life will be the experiences with the amazing WMC staff and their support of my vision as their Executive Director.??

While Melanie is retiring, she doesn?t plan on slowing down. She has become an active member of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). The society is committed to historic preservation, education and patriotism and examining history to help us all better understand our nation?s long struggle to provide equality, justice and humanity for Americans.

?Melanie leaves big shoes to fill, and I will miss her both as a colleague and a mentor. I am thankful for her work. She paved the way for me to continue WMC efforts leading state medical boards as a champion of ethics and innovation,? said Kyle Karinen, the newly appointed Executive Director.?

Melanie will be joined in retirement with her husband of 30+ years at their Tacoma home and spending time with their grown children, grandkids and grandpups.

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The Washington Medical Commission promotes patient safety and enhances the integrity of the medical profession through licensing, rule-making, discipline, and education. Learn more about the commission at?wmc.wa.gov [ [link removed] ]. Follow the WMC on?Facebook [ [link removed] ]?and?Twitter [ [link removed] ].





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