We Are DES: Meet Melynda Campbell
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: Melynda Campbell
Division: Office of Risk Management (ORM)
Job title: Executive Assistant to the State Risk Manager
What year did you start at DES? 2011
What year did you begin working for Washington state? 2000
In two sentences or less, describe what you do at DES. I’m Executive Assistant to the State Risk Manager, Jason Siems. I provide high-level administrative support to him and our division’s work to process and resolve tort claims. I also serve as ORM’s office manager and administer statewide programs including tribal police certification, sundry claims, medical malpractice data reporting, Medicare secondary payer reporting and issuing certificates of insurance.
How do you believe your role supports the DES mission of strengthening the business of government? We process tort claims for state agencies when their clients and customers experience damages. By processing the claims for them, state agencies can continue with their individual missions. We also make sure our state’s citizens are fairly compensated for their losses.
In what ways do you experience DES values in your everyday work? (respect; integrity; excellence; diversity, equity & inclusion)I work with a diverse team that respects and values each other’s differences, abilities and backgrounds as well as everyone’s interests and commitments outside of the office. I feel empowered to take charge in my day-to-day work life and make professional decisions, all while feeling supported by my manager and coworkers.
What did you do before working at DES? I began working for Office of Risk Management in 2011 shortly before it merged into the newly formed DES. Five years before that, I was Legal Affairs Coordinator and Executive Assistant to Governor Gregoire’s general counsel. And before that, I was a paralegal at the Attorney General’s office.
What do you enjoy doing outside of work? I love to spend time in the woods — I’m an avid walker and hiker. My dogs and I spend hours wandering around in the forest. I also spend a lot of my free time hanging out with my granddaughter and helping to run the thrift store my husband and I own in Yelm.
What is a fun fact about you? Last year, I joined a challenge to walk 2,021 miles in 2021. I completed over 2,500 miles. That’s an average of 6.8 miles per day!
