Our Team
The people behind the work.
We’re Here To Help!
Monica Blackwood, CSP, SPHR, SHRM-SCP
President and CEO
Monica brought West Sound Workforce into its next generation of leadership by becoming President, CEO, and owner in 2018.
Monica finds incredible fulfillment in seeing people use their skills and talents to succeed in their professional lives. Ultimately, it’s a community’s workforce that allows all to thrive! If you don’t find Monica in the office, it’s because she is volunteering, serving, and lending her talents to boards and organizations aligning with economic development, education, workforce training/HR, diversity, and many other things.
Graduating from the University of Washington as a third-generation Husky, Monica went on to earn an MBA in Strategic Leadership from Amberton University. She loves to have meaningful conversations, build sandcastles, and always finds a good reason to travel the world with her family.
Richard Rivera
Business Development Representative
If you’re looking for someone who genuinely wants to understand your business before offering solutions, you’ll enjoy working with Richard. As a Business Development Representative at West Sound Workforce, Richard is all about listening first and partnering with clients to find staffing solutions that truly support their goals—not just selling a service and moving on.
With a background in sales, account management, and customer service, Richard brings a thoughtful, responsive approach to every conversation. He’s also bilingual in Spanish, helping him connect with a broader range of clients and candidates across our communities.
When he’s not working, Richard can usually be found on the tennis or basketball court, fueled by fruit and chocolate, and energized by music. If he could choose a superpower, it would be reading people’s minds—though he does a pretty great job of that already by asking the right questions!
Lynnea Tweed
Senior Recruiter
Lynnea is the recruiting face of West Sound Workforce in the community—if you’ve been to a job fair, GreenDrinks, or WSHRMA luncheon in the past 20 years, chances are you’ve met her! With WSW since 2005, she brings deep expertise in placing talent across multiple industries, including the public sector, engineering, and executive-level roles.
She builds lasting partnerships with clients and candidates alike, helping organizations navigate complex hiring needs with care and precision. A long-time member of WSHRMA and active supporter of local chambers of commerce, Lynnea also gives back through career development efforts, participating in mock interviews at West Sound Tech and offering job search guidance at Olympic College and WorkSource Kitsap.
When she’s not making placements, Lynnea’s winning dance competitions—because if there’s one thing she’s mastered, it’s knowing how to close… be it a candidate or a cha-cha.
Crystal Nixon, CSP
Senior Recruiter
Crystal, a Kitsap County native and South Kitsap High School graduate, is a Certified Staffing Professional with a degree in business and a concentration in Human Resources Management.
A self-proclaimed HR nerd, Crystal thrives on matching companies with the perfect candidates. Her dynamic, high-energy personality and love for a good challenge (and challenging personalities!) make her a standout in talent acquisition.
At West Sound Workforce, Crystal balances high standards with a healthy dose of humor — after all, “I have high expectations for performance and professionalism, but you’ve got to know when to drop it all and take a cartwheel break.”
Valerie Dorsch
HR Assistant
Valerie is the friendly voice you’ll hear when you call and the calm at the center of our daily storm. She wrangles recruiter calendars, keeps our databases in check, and manages everything from time sheets to job board questions. Whether she’s troubleshooting a login issue or juggling a dozen moving parts, Valerie makes it look easy. With a background spanning education, retail, and admin roles, she keeps everything moving smoothly. Well-traveled but now rooted in the PNW, Valerie’s embracing the region’s beauty and couldn’t imagine calling anywhere else home.
Allyson Willoughby
Operations Coordinator
HR is synonymous with “documentation and policy” in many minds. In a staffing firm, there’s always one person making sure that everyone else practices what HR preaches. Allyson is that person for us, and she’s fantastic at it! She keeps the operations in order, whether it’s collecting missing timesheets so payroll can be completed, following compliance practices, acting as the IT liaison and oh, so much more. Our team appreciates her wide range of talents and willingness to dive in – maybe traits from her early lifeguarding career? Regardless, her abilities are one reason why we never stop counting how many technical difficulties we’ve averted!
George Unruh
Controller
George’s expertise with all things accounting-related brings him to our team, making sure our bookkeeping is in order, payroll is processed, and invoices are sent. His steady presence helps ground the rest of our team when dealing with the fast-moving changes found in the staffing industry. After all, he is the one that provides us with weekly quotes of inspiration and uses his business acumen gained over the years to provide helpful insights as well.
It is said that George alone accounts for the majority of the hikes counted in our “fun facts” on the home page. If you’re looking for a place to enjoy the ridges and ravines of PNW, you’ll want to talk with him!