We Are DES: Meet Annaliese D’Angelo

This is a part of our featured story series “We Are DES.” These stories will introduce you to an individual at DES and the work they do to help fulfill the DES mission — you’ll also learn some fun details about how they spend time outside of work.

Name: Annaliese D’Angelo

Division: Strategy & Performance (S&P)

Job title: Strategy & Performance Consultant

What year did you start at DES? 2021

What year did you begin working for Washington state? 2014

In two sentences or less, describe what you do at DES. I help people connect ideals and ideas with action.

How do you believe your role supports the DES mission of strengthening the business of government? When we find ways to bring our values and ideals to life, we can be more authentic. When we’re more authentic, we connect more meaningfully. Our connections allow us to support each other and make us stronger together. This, in turn, strengthens our organization and allows us to better fulfill our mission.

In what ways do you experience DES values in your everyday work? (respect; integrity; excellence; diversity, equity & inclusion)

Our values show up differently in every area of the agency. I experience them in my work team in the following ways:

• Flexibility in when and how I do my work (respect, excellence, DEI).
• Being able to connect in whatever manner works best for me. Sometimes that’s in person, sometimes that’s remote. I might be on or off camera and I might be using chat, emojis, gifs, memes and so on. No matter how I show up, I still feel heard and valued and don’t feel judged for having different styles and needs (respect, DEI).
• The trust and safety to name not just my successes and goals, but also when I’m struggling or stumbling — whether that struggle is with words, an assignment, or an internal experience. This helps me work through challenges, opens the door for support, and gives me and others a way to hold me accountable for what I want to do and how I want to show up (respect, integrity, excellence, DEI).

My teammates ask for help when they need it, allowing me to support them (integrity, excellence).

What did you do before working at DES?

I love learning and see work as an important way to learn from experience. As a result, I’ve held a lot of different jobs! In the private sector, I’ve been a housekeeper, retail worker, customer service associate, theater technician, stage manager, video game programmer, counselor and basic IT customer support person. In state government, I’ve been an office assistant, data compiler, program coordinator, worker’s compensation adjudicator, management analyst and union shop steward.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work? I enjoy all sorts of tabletop and video games, spoiling my cat, cooking, writing, music, dancing, knitting and reorganizing my house. I also do a lot of independent study on anything I’m curious about. Right now, I’m learning a new language and refreshing my knowledge of a secondary language that I don’t use too often.

What is a fun fact about you? When I was young, I was a competitive ice skater. Nowadays I just wobble around close to the sides or fall on my face, but it’s still fun!