The CoE-HSEM, along with the other ten Centers of Excellence, report to the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges. In 2009, Washington State became the first and only state in the nation to codify Centers of Excellence (COE) into state statute (HB 1323) under the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC). The statute designated the Centers as statewide leaders in industry-specific community and technical college workforce education and training. The legislation states, “It is the role of Centers to employ strategies to create educational efficiencies; build a diverse, competitive workforce for strategic industries; maintain an institutional reputation for innovation and responsiveness; develop innovative curriculum and means of delivering education and training; act as a broker of information and resources related to community and technical college education and training for the targeted industry; and serve as partners with workforce development councils, associate development organizations, and other workforce and economic development organizations.”