When Chevron Shipping declined to participate in an unannounced oil spill preparedness drill in December 2005, Linda Pilkey-Jarvis immediately began working with the Legislature to create mandatory participation in such drills for ships entering Washington waters.

Within a year, a law was passed.

"We learned that laws weren't quite in place, so we worked with the Legislature right away to get that in place," said Pilkey-Jarvis, who works for the Department of Ecology.

During her eight years with the oil spill preparedness program, Pilkey-Jarvis said she's seen better staging of spill response equipment.

Additionally, companies have grown in their ability to report disasters using the incident command system, she said.

"Linda is one of the hardest workers I know," her boss, Dale Jensen, said. "She ensures that the state's natural resources are protected from oil."

Pilkey-Jarvis's work earned her the 2006 Governor's Award for Leadership in Management, which she received in June.

The award is given annually to managers in state government for improving the delivery of state services in a significant, sustainable way.

Jensen nominated Pilkey-Jarvis.

"I'm so proud and excited about it, not for myself, but for the spill program and the Department of Ecology," Pilkey-Jarvis said.

As for her future work, she said her department is on the verge of making final two oil spill related rules, which will take the department to a new level.

Jensen complemented Pilkey-Jarvis on her leadership skills and ability to make changes happen.

"She is a well rounded leader who will go on to do great things," Jensen said.

"She is a very hardworking public servant and she has a passion for protecting our environment."

In between implementing the new rules, Pilkey-Jarvis said she hopes to take a trip with her dad and two nep hews to San Francisco.