Demetria “Lynn” Strickland comes from a military family and is an Army veteran who served honorably in the Army for over nine years.  Lynn has 25+ years of management experience in several sectors.  She is a former Dean of Instruction at Bates Technical College where she supervised 14 apprenticeship programs, 11 career training programs and Continuing Education.

Lynn began working for the Aerospace Joint Apprenticeship Committee as a Program Manager in February 2012, was promoted to Deputy Director in July 2012 and has served as Executive Director since August 2014.  Lynn and the AJAC team develop and implement employer driven pre-apprenticeship and registered apprenticeship programs for the incumbent workforce which is open to all employers across Washington State in the advanced manufacturing industries.  AJAC, with Lynn’s leadership, developed and implemented the first state-wide registered youth apprenticeship programs in WA state.

AJAC apprenticeship programs use the dual training method allowing apprentices to “earn while they learn,” simultaneously pursue both an educational and career pathway, work full time, earn college credit, access a 2-year degree with no college debt while being instructed by current industry professionals.  AJAC also partners with secondary, post-secondary, community based organizations and state agencies to implement and expand apprenticeship program offerings.

Lynn has a M.A. in Organizational Leadership with a graduate certificate in Human Resources and a B.A. in Business Administration with an emphasis Management.

Get to know Lynn in a recent video about her pathway into leading AJAC’s organization.

Chris has over 15 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, including workforce development, philanthropy, youth development, and education. Chris holds a Master’s Degree of Public Administration from the University of Washington earned in 2008, and a Bachelor of Arts in History from Ohio University earned in 2000. Prior to coming to AJAC, he was the Program Manager at SkillUp Washington, a workforce funder collaborative at the Seattle Foundation, where he led numerous strategic planning and partnership building efforts to expand economic opportunities in the Puget Sound region for low-income communities and opportunity youth in the manufacturing, aviation and retail industries.

He was a Marano Fellow in the first Greater Seattle Sector Skills Academy in 2014 and ran the second Greater Seattle Sector Skills Academy in 2016 in partnership with the Aspen Institute. Chris entered the workforce development field managing youth employment programs at the YWCA of Seattle-King-Snohomish Counties, and a pre-employment internship program for homeless youth in the University District.

Elizabeth has over 40 years of experience in business administration and management relating to human resources, labor relations, organizational improvements, system upgrades and customer service. She has been a Trustee or Member of several Non Profit Committees, Executive Boards and Apprenticeship Programs, and former member of the International Federation of Employee Benefits & Pension (IFEBP).

After a long management career in the hospitality and service industry, Elizabeth spent 15+ years as a Worker Advocate for UNITEHERE Local 8, including 3 terms as the Local’s President. Her AJAC career began in 2011 as an Office Assistant, then assumed the role of Office Manager, advanced to Business Services Manager, and is currently the Director of Business Services.

Aaron has over 17 years of marketing communication experience in various industries including radio broadcasting, promotions, website development, blogging, advertising, social media, public relations and marketing. He has a diverse skill set in several key areas of communications including broadcasting, new communication technologies, organizational communications, English and digital marketing.  After graduating from Washington State University, Aaron completed a marketing internship at Nyhus Communications in May 2013 and a promotions internship at Sinclair Radio Seattle (formerly Fisher Communications).

In June 2013, Aaron was hired by AJAC has the Marketing Communications Intern. Since 2016, Aaron has overseen the organization’s marketing communications strategy and in 2021, was promoted to Director of Marketing Communications.

Leo comes to AJAC with over 12 years of experience in financial aid which spans career/adult education, private university education, and public/state university education. Prior to joining AJAC, Leo was the Assistant Director of Financial Aid at the University of California San Diego where he worked closely with many underrepresented student groups including student veterans, undocumented students, and first generation students to assist them with obtaining the funding needed to reach their goals.

Leo has led teams, overseen the implementation of large scale technological improvements, and managed awarding and policy for several state and federal grant funds. Leo has also been an active member in financial aid associations, including sitting on the executive council for WASFAA and serving as a trainer for the SDB Summer Institute.

Amy joined AJAC after working with the Seattle Mariners as Manager, Security for nearly seven seasons. While at the Mariners, she oversaw all aspects of the Event Security team to ensure the safety and security for 81 baseball games a year and numerous other events held at T-Mobile Park. This role included the hiring, training, scheduling and development of over 250 Event Security staff every season. Her favorite part of the job was working all the wonderful staff that helped make incredible guest experiences at the stadium,

Prior to the Seattle Mariners Amy  spent over 15 years at Microsoft in the Windows and Xbox Gaming Divisions. Her time there brought lots of opportunity with different roles including Software Tester, Test Lead and finally Release Manger.

Amy is also involved with volunteer groups in her community, serving in leadership roles when needed. She is a Washington native having grown up in Puyallup and graduated from Western Washington University. In her free time she can be found playing her favorite video games, camping up at Lake Cushman or planning her next trip to Disneyland. Amy was promoted to Director of Business Engagement in April 2025. 

Erica Staley brings more than 25 years of experience in the non-profit sector, where she has led a wide range of mission-driven programs supporting communities through workforce development, education, and economic opportunity. Her work has centered on environmental and social justice, with a strong emphasis on building equitable career pathways in the manufacturing industry.

Erica joins AJAC as the Director of Programs, bringing a deep passion for connecting people to meaningful careers. Most recently, she served in leadership roles at Manufacturing Renaissance in Chicago, where she helped develop and scale nationally recognized programs like Manufacturing Connect and the Young Manufacturers Association. These initiatives empowered hundreds of young people to explore manufacturing careers, earn industry credentials, and gain hands-on experience in the field.

With academic roots in ecological sciences (MA and BA), Erica approaches her work with a systems-thinking lens, building strong collaborations with employers, schools, and community partners. A proud west side Chicago native, Erica’s connection to manufacturing runs deep—both her father and grandfather worked in the industry. Her lived experience and professional journey fuel her commitment to ensuring manufacturing continues to serve as a pathway to stable, well-paying careers for the next generation.