PNAA’s Inspire Award honors businesses and individuals in the aerospace community that have shown exceptional creativity in working with young people and diverse populations in an effort to promote diversity and inclusion in the aerospace industry and cultivate interest and skills leading to aerospace careers.

Since 1963, Pioneer Human Services has endeavored to be a loud, unified voice for people with criminal histories, ensuring that every person served has an opportunity to transcend their past and be embraced as a valuable member of society; an inspiring message which can be heard and felt across the state. The organization has expanded from a single halfway house to a robust non-profit, operating a broad range of programs in nearly 60 locations across Washington State. Their mission is to provide individuals with criminal histories the opportunity to lead healthy, productive lives.

Over the last 56 years, Pioneer has made many notable accomplishments, including sustained growth in both their service and business lines. Within the manufacturing division specifically they serve as a model for inclusive hiring practices with 67% of the workforce having experience in the criminal justice system and/or being in recovery from substance abuse.

“We are dedicated to building a world-class aerospace manufacturing company that provides living wage jobs for our employees while consistently exceeding our customers’ expectations on quality, delivery and customer service,” said Mark Behrends, VP Pioneer Enterprises. “Over the last few years, we have invested in cutting edge machinery that has allowed us to almost double our production of machined parts. We produced more than 2 million total parts last year – our most productive year ever – and we are committed to continuing to expand our capabilities and hone our expertise moving forward.”

Committed to providing career paths that lead to economic stability, Pioneer supports their employees in pursuing these paths through a range of education opportunities from apprenticeship tracks to 100% college tuition payment. “Over the past year, I have learned a lot – including how to love myself. I have really stayed on the right track this time and I can say that I am proud of my accomplishments. Every direction I turn Pioneer has supported and helped me with what I need,” said Lynette, an employee.

In recent years, Pioneer has left lasting impressions across the state, receiving the Regence Employer Value Award for HOPE from Regence BlueShield of Washington, the Economic Opportunity Award  from Puget Sound Business, the Achieve Award from the Association of Washington Business (AWB) and the Large Nonprofit Employer of the Year through Washington State Governor’s Employee Award.

At the organizational level, Pioneer believes it has a responsibility to help shape a more just society in which people truly have an opportunity to overcome their pasts and be welcomed as valuable members of our community. As such, they have played a key leadership role in advancing legislation at the local and state level to decrease discrimination in both housing and employment.

Today, Pioneer Human Services has grown to be a leading organization in Washington State that offers an integrated array of services that provides more than 10,000 people a year with the tools they need to build better lives.