2023 Inspire Award

PNAA’s Inspire Award honors businesses and individuals in the aerospace community that have shown exceptional creativity in working with schools to share the activities of manufacturing in an overall effort to cultivate interest and skills leading to aerospace careers.

Nikki Wegner has been devoted to helping others for almost two decades. After earning her bachelor’s degree from Seattle University in Criminal Justice in 2004, she began her career as a paraeducator working in a variety of non-profit and school district programs for youth with intellectual disabilities in the Seattle area. In 2006, she took a position as an Employment Consultant at Trillium Employment Services helping businesses recruit, train, and advance employees with developmental disabilities.  Following her passion to help individuals with disabilities, she pursued an Employment Professional Certification from Highline College and transitioned to an ACHIEVE Instructor at the college, working to help students with intellectual disabilities obtain a post-secondary certificate.

She received her master’s in public administration from The Evergreen State College in 2014 and subsequently became Vice President of Employment Services and Chief Operating Officer at Morningside, a public benefit corporation providing employment services to individuals with disabilities that operates in five counties in Washington. She later returned to Trillium Employment Services as Associate Director.

In December 2020, Nikki joined Chinook Enterprises in Mount Vernon as the new CEO. Founded in Skagit County in 1980, Chinook is a not-for-profit, social enterprise with a mission to support full participation in community life for people with disabilities or other barriers. Chinook operates three divisions that not only provide employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities, but also generate revenue to fund its mission.

Chinook's Aerospace Manufacturing Division manufactures and assembles goods - primarily aerospace parts - and provides them to Boeing and other sub-tier suppliers at competitive rates. Chinook holds Premier Bidder status and Silver status in quality with Boeing, as well as on time delivery. The Grounds Maintenance/Landscaping Division holds contracts with local businesses and large-scale entities to maintain their grounds and landscaping. These landscaping jobs afford individuals with disabilities to work alongside individuals without disabilities. Chinook’s Community Employment Division partners with government agencies to provide job placement, training, and retention services along with community inclusion services to qualified job seekers. Additionally, Chinook assists job seekers in finding employment opportunities and assists employers in finding great employees while tapping into strategies to secure more diverse talent, utilizing an equity lens. Chinook currently has 50 employees and over 3 million dollars in revenue generated in 2022 to fund its mission. It projects growth to 4.2 million dollars in revenue in 2023.

Nikki is passionate about collaborating with partners to extend quality employment services to people with disabilities and loves meeting and empowering new leaders in the field of disability rights and inclusive employment. PNAA Member Shawn Hosford states “Nikki Wegner takes the words collaborate and inclusion to a new and extraordinary level. When I heard Nikki speak at the PNAA Women in Aerospace event this last spring I was taken aback. I heard her talk through a reimagined level of aerospace collaboration and inclusion that was new and improved. Nikki's remarks were notable and refreshing, and she gives me hope for future generations. I trust Nikki will continue to be a worthy and wonderful example and inspiration to us all as she shines light in admirable places and spaces in our work towards collaboration and inclusion.”

In addition to her position at Chinook Enterprises, Nikki serves on the Board of Directors of both the Economic Development Council of Skagit County and the Community Employment Alliance (CEA).  She is also a member of the Mount Vernon Rotary Club. Nikki adds that her most important job is being a mom to her twin first graders!