Learn more about each of the 2023 Professional Women of the Year and the Community Legacy Award by clicking on the names below.
(from left to right)
Harneet kaur Sihota
Professional Woman of the Year
Harneet Kaur Sihota is the co-founder and VP of Human Resources at Kam-Way Transportation, Inc., a Freight, Logistics and Transportation Services company founded in 2008 and headquartered in the Pacific Northwest in Blaine Washington for over 15 years. Kam-Way boasts a Freight brokerage network of over 15,000 carriers in the US & Canada in addition to their own fleet of 280 company owned trucks and 600+ company trailers. Kam-Way has offices in Sumner and Spokane Washington. As well Fresno California and Surrey British Columbia.
With a passion for building and enhancing the Human Resources department, Harneet has dedicated her expertise to the organization since its formation. She began her journey as a department of one, but through her strategic planning, strong business acumen, and big picture thinking helped grow the company to over 350 team members by leading training and human resources.
Harneet holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree in Business Administration and Management, General from the University of Phoenix, which she earned from 2007 to 2009. Prior to that, she completed her Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Organizational Leadership at Fresno Pacific University from 2003 to 2007.
Committed to ongoing professional development, she has served on the board for the Mt. Baker Chapter of the Society of Human Resources Management. Within the organization she acted as the Co-Director of Membership, dedicating her time and expertise for 10 years.
Recognizing the importance of social responsibility, Harneet also serves on the Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT) Advisory Board since August 2021. Through this role, she actively contributes to raising awareness and combating human trafficking by training drivers and increasing public awareness with fully wrapped trailers highlighting the cause. Harneet also leads Kam-Way’s involvement with the Homeward Bound Program in partnership with the Washington State Patrol helping families reunite with their loved ones who have gone missing. The program is recognized as a major force in helping families and communities to find their loved ones.
Harneet along with her son Arjun and her husband Kam Sihota, Founder and CEO of Kam-Way have strong ties to the Sikh community and actively participate in support work in Kam’s mother’s hometown of Mazara Raja Sahib in Punjab India. They annually serve in a mission to support community infrastructure to give back to their local and international community have always been a strong innovative when they began the venture of Kam-Way Transportation
Rita Jefferson
Professional Woman of the Year
Ey’skweyeL, o’ ne-schaLeche Yet yatul wet sen ne sna’ che Xwelemi sen (Good day, my friends and relatives Yet yatul wut is my ancestral name and I am from Lummi Nation)
Rita Jefferson is currently the Chief Operating Officer of the Silver Reef Casino Resort, holding that position for over six years. Rita brings enthusiasm, continual intellectual curiosity, and dynamic leadership to reposition, turn around, and drive sustainable growth across a multi-million-dollar gaming and hospitality environment. Her strengths are project management, financial & business development, organizational and departmental KPIs, internal controls, and financial analysis. She is passionate about team development and prides herself on being a team player.
Rita's prior positions include former Lummi Nation Council Member and Treasurer, Economic Development Task Force Project Manager, and Lummi Community Development Financial Institution Director.
Rita is very proud of her servant leadership contribution to the evolution of the Whatcom County Racial Equity Commission as she served on the Working Group and Planning Group with the Chuckanut Health Foundation. The working group was a significant support team that provided research and wisdom to community members, employees, and co-founders as stewards on navigating the system of passing policy and bureaucracy of the jurisdictions of Whatcom County. She served as a strategic thinker in helping to maintain alignment in the Planning Group with other elected officials and build and maintain community relationships. This alignment will provide the framework to address racial equity, civil rights, social justice, and systematic oppression. As a Native American, Rita has experienced racial disparities and oppression firsthand and utilized her role and knowledge to contribute to breaking down barriers in accomplishing this generational resolution.
Rita currently provides impactful leadership in a fiscally responsible manner in serving on not-for-profit boards of Mother Nation based in Seattle and the Lhaqtemish Foundation of the Lummi Nation. Past board leadership includes YWCA of Bellingham and Lummi Community Development Financial Institution. Rita is a Global Gaming in Women (GGW) member, serves as a Moderator for a GGW Lean In Circle, and is on the Education Committee. One of Rita’s passions is utilizing her leadership positions, relationships, and knowledge to break the glass ceiling further and empower other women to succeed in their career, educational, and family goals.
Rita holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management and is an SHRM Certified Professional and Lean Six Sigma Green Belt. Rita loves raising her son and daughter and spending time with family. In her free time, she actively participates in outrigger & canoe pulling events and fundraisers for Multiple Sclerosis (MS).
ROBIN ROBERTSON
Professional Woman of the Year
Robin’s activities run the gamut from owning and managing a very successful small business, with decades of commitment to volunteering for community improvement, a life-long commitment to athletics, as well as some quirky and fun activities that give that extra spark to every facet of her life and involvement in Whatcom County.
Robin and her husband, Doug Robertson, have owned and operated the Bellingham Training and Tennis Club since 2000. They bought the Club as a failing business, and Robin entered an unfamiliar role as General Manager. Over the last 23 years, she has cleaned up, repaired, remodeled, and expanded the facility to its current beautiful state. It now includes five indoor tennis courts, two workout areas, one indoor cycling studio supported by member locker rooms, a member lounge with a fireplace, and complimentary coffee and tea. Her team has grown from 9 employees to 39, and membership has increased from less than 150 to over 800. She is proud of the Club and the community it has become.
Robin was born with a rare congenital condition in her knees, resulting in 12 knee surgeries. Her orthopedic surgeon remarked that she was in such good physical condition despite all the knee trauma. That inspired Robin to write down her secrets to good knee health and share it with the world. She is an international best-selling author of three Healthy Knees Books. She created the Healthy Knees Formula online program and offers the 8-week Healthy Knees Strength & Cycle Clinic at the Bellingham Training & Tennis Club.
Supporting the community through volunteering in various roles has always been a part of Robin’s life, as she believes that helping the world to be a better place is so important. She received the Golden Acorn award for PTA contributions at Parkview Elementary School, served on the Washington State Recycling Association, Whatcom County Solid Waste Advisory Committee, was Board Directors of RE-Sources, and helped to start the RE-Store. She spent three years on the Fairhaven Parking Task Force and currently serves as the President of the Fairhaven Association, helping to create the Dirty Dan Murder Mystery and to bring back the Saturday Movies on the Village Green.
Even with her bad knees, Robin has ridden around the world on her bicycle. She loves to travel by bicycle, and she and her husband recently completed her bucket list item of riding their bikes, self-supported, across the country. They tackled this epic adventure in 4 stages. They began with dipping their tires in Bellingham Bay and ending with a splash in the Atlantic in Yorktown, Virginia.
Robin loves to enjoy life! She created the “Learn the Thriller” dance as a fundraiser at the Bellingham Training & Tennis Club for Blue Skies for Children. Over 60 zombies learned the famous Michael Jackson dance and performed for an audience of 1,000s on Halloween.
Robin says she is most proud of celebrating 35 years of marriage with her husband and so proud of their two children, Elena & Foster, and their families. Her favorite times are sharing a meal, playing board games, gardening, sewing, and traveling with their extended family.
Robin’s Motto is to “Always Improve,” and she helps and encourages everyone around her to do the same.
KIRSTEN BARRON
Community Legacy Award
Kirsten has been a lawyer for over 30 years, practicing in business and employment law. Her professional life reflects her personal mission to use her skills and energy to help people solve and prevent problems, accomplish their goals and lead a better life.
As a professional, Kirsten advises businesses, large and small. Her role is often similar to an in-house general counsel. She loves being part the client’s team. Her work as a lawyer is an expression of what she cares about: helping people. Recognizing the challenges and stresses of practicing law, Kirsten makes a point to reach out to new lawyers in town and to support other lawyers in their work.
Kirsten also co-hosts the podcast Crina and Kirsten Get To Work with Crina Hoyer, which focuses on women achieving more ease, meaning and joy in their work – addressing topics such as how to ask for what you want, avoid burnout, and the state of women at work.
Kirsten spends about a quarter of her time on volunteer activities, including representing non-profit organizations and people pro bono. Her current volunteer activities include: Whatcom Family YMCA Board Member and incoming Chair (because kids and families and a healthy community are great),; Washington State Campaign for Equal Justice Commission, Member; LAW Advocates, Current Advisory Board Member and former Member and Chair (because access to justice for all is promise we must make real); and League of Women Voters – Bellingham/Whatcom County, current Committee Member (because all votes count and everyone loves an informed voter).
She has also served on the Washington Citizens’ Commission on Salaries for Elected Officials (WCCSEO), Washington State Access to Justice Board of Directors, prior Chair and member; Whatcom FC Rangers, past Board Member; Washington State Supreme Court Public Trust and Confidence Committee, prior Member; Southside Soccer Board of Directors, prior Member; Pickford Film Association, prior Board Member; Slum Doctor Programme, prior Board Member; and Allied Arts of Whatcom County, prior Board Member.
While all of this professional and volunteer activity is challenging, exciting and rewarding, Kirsten’s greatest pleasure is her family. She has three kids who are smart, kind, hard-working and fun to be with – and a wonderful husband who not only puts up with, but encourages all of this.
Kirsten believes all of us have unique gifts and talents and using those gifts and talents to make a difference is the path to joy.