Dorene has been with DCYF since 1994. She began as a social worker and worked in CPS, Family Voluntary Services and Child and Family Welfare Services. She was a supervisor of an all-program office for nine years, where she initiated the quality assurance and continuous quality improvement processes. During that time, she also did project work as a statewide accreditation specialist and a change implementation manager for Region 2. Dorene has also participated in various statewide work groups.
She became an Area Administrator in 2011, providing leadership for the Richland and Yakima offices. For over three years, she was the Deputy Regional Administrator for Region 1 South. When DCYF was formed in 2018 she was appointed the Regional Administrator for the newly formed Region 2 Child Welfare section. Within this role she created an environment of innovation and professional development that led to many practice changes that were adopted across the State. Then in 2023 she was appointed to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Child Welfare.
She has two adult children, Alex and Hunter. For fun, she enjoys many of the outdoor activities Eastern Washington has to offer, such as mountain biking, hiking, and backpacking. She is an avid reader.
Dorene holds a Bachelor of Science in psychology with a minor in criminal justice from Washington State University and a master’s in social work from Eastern Washington University.