Heather Kurtenbach
Heather Kurtenbach (she/her) is the Executive Secretary of the Washington State Building & Construction Trades Council (WSBCTC), where she helps guide statewide workforce strategy across the unionized construction trades.
In her role as Executive Secretary, Heather sits at the center of conversations about workforce development, equity, and long‑term talent pipelines across the trades. Since joining WSBCTC in 2024, she has advanced efforts to:
- Expand access to union apprenticeship across all communities
- Strengthen pathways for women, BIPOC, veterans, and re‑entry workers
- Advocate for family‑wage jobs, workforce justice, and safe job sites
- Build a resilient, highly skilled labor force ready for Washington’s infrastructure and clean energy future
Heather’s perspective is grounded in lived experience. She began her career in the construction industry in 2005 as an ironworker. She has served in union leadership roles and worked as a general foreman on the SR 520 Bridge project, one of the region’s most complex infrastructure efforts. In 2019, she was appointed Political Director of Iron Workers Local 86, where she advocated for workers’ rights and engaged directly with policymakers on issues shaping Washington’s construction workforce.
Heather has also cultivated deep governance experience through her service on the Workforce Education Investment Accountability and Oversight Board, the board of Kids’ Chance of Washington, and as founder and Board President of BuildUp, an organization focused on expanding access to registered apprenticeship for historically marginalized communities.