Salary: $114,771.28 – $145,479.36 Annually  Location: Seattle, WA  Job Type: Career Service, Full Time, 40 hrs/week  Department: DLS – Department of Local Services  Job Number: 2019MCK09218  Closing: 2/4/2019 11:59 PM Pacific  King County’s new Department of Local Services (DLS) is currently recruiting for an External Relations Manager to work out of the Director office and serve as a key member of the Department’s Leadership team. The External Relations Manager will lead this new Department’s community engagement, strategic external and internal communications, media relations, public affairs, and community partnerships efforts to achieve the DLS goals and long-term… Read More

After assisting a staff member from the Assessor’s Office on a rush deed request, assistant archivist Amanda Demeter received the following praise:   “Woman – You Seriously Rock!!!! Thank you Thank you!”   Congrats and thank you to Amanda for delivering excellent service.

Sophia Lopez, King County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) public education coordinator, was featured in a December 19 Seattle Weekly article about how King County is preparing for a major earthquake such as a magnitude 9.0 Cascadia Subduction Zone quake.  Seattle Weekly contacted OEM in response to December’s earthquake in Alaska, and a report that questioned the Puget Sound region’s preparedness for such a disaster. Read the article here.

Crossposted from Tails from RASKC  We’d like to introduce you to Wilson, our Pet of the Week!  This super senior boy loves getting attention from his humans, and especially loves neck rubs! Wilson has an “Easy Going Green” personality, meaning he is adaptable, outgoing, and carefree. Wilson is also independent and likes to do his own thing at times.   Read more from Tails from RASKC

All Home is seeking volunteers outside of Seattle for Count Us In 2019, the annual Point in Time (PIT) Count of people experiencing homelessness. The count will take place in the early hours of the morning of January 25, 2019 from 2-6 a.m. The core purpose of the annual Point in Time (PIT) Count is to collect data on the needs of people experiencing homelessness in our community. The count also provides an excellent opportunity to increase awareness of homelessness and to spark action. A successful and accurate PIT Count is an… Read More

All staff are invited to learn about King County’s commitment to confront climate change and understand how to contribute to a major update to the County’s Strategic Climate Action Plan (SCAP) that will start in 2019. The SCAP is King County’s five-year blueprint for County action to confront climate change, integrating climate change considerations into all areas of County operations and our work with communities. Based on high demand, we’ve added an additional lunch and learn session to outline the SCAP update process and share how staff can engage and contribute ideas. Please RSVP for… Read More

Crossposted from Metro Matters  These are some of the most frequently asked questions from our riders about the viaduct closure and the new SR 99 tunnel. If you have additional questions, leave a comment below and we’ll answer them.  How much gridlock is anticipated during the State Route 99 closure? How will travel times change?  From Jan. 11 to the week of Feb. 3 – after the Alaskan Way Viaduct permanently closes and before the SR 99 tunnel opens – buses, trains and light rail will be more crowded than usual, especially during peak travel times… Read More

Retiring King County Sheriff Deputy Kurt Lysen was celebrated in the Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber with a featured profile for his 38 years serving the public of King County. The article highlighted his personal and professional background, his passion for being involved in the community and includes quotes from colleagues, friends, and fellow volunteers.  “Vashon is a unique community that requires a unique type of policing. Kurt was the perfect and most effective deputy Vashon could ask for,” said Deputy Jeff Hancock. “What I saw that set Kurt apart from all the other deputies working the island… Read More

Skype 101, Jan. 16 and 18: To support a more agile work force, King County has purchased a Microsoft package that includes the Skype software. This software has many uses and allows employees to avoid relying upon email for electronic communications. Skype was not only designed as a quick communication tool but also provides capabilities of remote meetings, video presentations as well as a great training tool. Register and learn more here for the 16 and here for the 18. You’re the Boss: Now What? Feb. 28: Has your job position changed and now you are in charge?… Read More

On Thursday, Jan. 10, King County’s 32nd annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration was held at The Sanctuary Seattle in downtown Seattle. The event focused on a unifying theme, drawing from a popular Dr. King quote, that truthfulness and love can have a profound impact on the world: “I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality.”  Executive Constantine shared how the event theme aligns with the work King County is doing to achieve equity and social justice for all residents.  “Dr. King’s reference to… Read More

King County and the City of Seattle have embraced the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) program as an effective and credible alternative for local law enforcement to booking people into jail for criminal activity that stems from untreated mental health or substance use disorders. By working with law enforcement to channel these individuals into community-based interventions, LEAD effectively disrupts their cycling repeatedly through our criminal justice system and gives them the tools and opportunity to achieve stability in the community.   Learn more about this innovative program at a LEAD Lunch and Learn held Friday, Jan…. Read More

Road Maintenance Manager Jeremy Ferguson was recently honored by the American Public Works Association (APWA) Washington State Chapter for his achievements in the public works profession. The Night of Excellence conference recognizes individuals for personal and team accomplishments.  First, Jeremy received the June Rosentreter Spence Award, which recognizes efforts to recruit individuals into the public works field, especially those historically underrepresented such as women, minorities, and people with disabilities. His recognition for this award can be viewed in this video. Jeremy was also a co-recipient of the APWA Committee in Action Award for his work on the Diversity Committee. This… Read More

A new podcast from King County Superior Court features Judge Laura Inveen, who has been on the bench for 26 years and spent the last two years as Presiding Judge. We talk to her about what a “PJ” does and how she works with 52 co-equal colleagues. Listen to the podcast here.  https://kingcocourt.podbean.com/e/what-is-a-presiding-judge-and-why-do-we-need-one/

Salary: $107,762.09 – $130,276.64 Annually  Location: Seattle, WA  Job Type: Career Service, Full Time, 40 hrs/week  Department: MTD – Metro Transit  Job Number: 2018EE09146  Closing: 1/17/2019 11:59 PM Pacific  King County Metro – recently named North America’s most outstanding large transit system – is a leader in helping people move quickly throughout the region, reducing commuter stress, greening the environment and radically improving urban air quality, by providing comfortable, effective transit services for the thousands of commuters and other residents of King County, Washington. We provides mobility services that connect people and communities in Seattle… Read More

Crossposted from Tails from RASKC  This girl needs a new home in the New Year – meet Pearl, our Pet of the Week!  She was brought in by a good Samaritan last May, and thought she had found her forever home. Unfortunately though, Pearl had to come back to us because her adopter was allergic. They did say that Pearl was a great pet, potty trained, and super well behaved.  Read more from Tails from RASKC

This piece was featured at the top of the Seattle Times’ Rant and Raves list for December 30, 2018. Kudos to our efficient King County Metro Transit!   “RAVE To Sound Transit, King County Metro Transit and Seattle Center Monorail for providing me and my out-of-town visitor a pleasant adventure from Auburn into Seattle, all on public transportation! From the kind attendant in Auburn who alerted us that we were on the wrong side of the train platform, to the friendly enforcers who boarded the train to verify riders had paid. Once into Seattle, everyone was… Read More

Lean Problem-Solving Basics, Feb. 5: Do you feel like you tackle the same problems over and over again? In order to effectively solve problems once and for all, they must be solved at the root! Attendees will learn basic A3 Problem Solving, the powerful method borrowed from the Toyota Production System (TPS), learn techniques to incorporate problem solving and continuous improvement in daily work and build on existing Lean practices within your organization. Register and learn more.  Introduction to Career Development, Feb. 5: In this workshop you will learn the key elements of career development,… Read More

Councilmember Rod Dembowski has been elected as the new Chair of the King County Council.  The decision was made earlier this afternoon following passage of a reorganization motion approved by the council. The legislation also appointed Reagan Dunn and reappointed Claudia Balducci to serve as Vice Chairs.  Read more in the official press release. 

You and your spouse or significant other are invited to learn more about the King County Deferred Compensation Plan at education sessions offered throughout the year.  In-person sessions are coming up Jan. 15–17. Click here for details and registration.   For more information about Deferred Compensation Plan education, including webinars, go to the Deferred Compensation web page.  If you have any questions, please contact KC Deferred Comp.   

King County’s work is receiving national recognition through awards, honors, and accreditations by outside organizations from across the United States, and a new website has been launched to showcase some of the services and programs that have received recognition. These recognitions range from Best Large Transit System in North America to Wastewater Treatment Outstanding Performance Awards, and include accreditations that our programs have received and individual employees who have been recognized for their work.  “The work that our employees are doing is being noticed on the national stage and we want to make sure… Read More

Registration is open to all King County employees for Basic CPR classes offered in the Chinook Building.  Classes cover Adult, Child and Infant CPR, AED, and Choking Rescue. To register, visit www.kccpr.eventbrite.com. Tuesday, January 29, 2019, 1-4 p.m., Chinook Building, Room 126 Monday, February 11, 2019, 1-4 p.m., Chinook Building, Room 126 Monday, March 4, 2019, 1-4 p.m., Chinook Building, Room 126 Additionally, registration is open for BLS for the Health Care Provider classes.  This class is intended for Public Health- Seattle & King County employees who are required to have  BLS for Healthcare provider card… Read More

At the recently held 2018 Washington State Lean Transformation Conference hosted by Results Washington, the Office of Risk Management Services (ORMS) and the Finance and Business Division (FBOD) within the Department of Executive Services (DES) were invited to present how team cohesion work has helped them attain better results and build a more conducive work environment. Members from ORMS and FBOD presented in two breakout sessions titled “The People Side of Lean – An Interactive Experience for Improving Teamwork.” From ORMS, Business and Finance Officer Delena Carpenter, Litigation Data Solutions Manager Stephanie… Read More

Several employees at the Department of Public Defense (DPD) took advantage of the department’s first Public Defense 101 trainings in December, an opportunity for administrative staff to learn the nuts and bolts of public defense. Two 90-minute sessions were held, one for staff in Seattle and another for staff in Kent, led by three members of DPD’s management team – Katherine Hurley, Tara Urs, and Adrien Leavitt. The three attorneys discussed many aspects of public defense as it is practiced in King County – from how the department is set up, to the… Read More

Salary: $19.43 – $24.63 Hourly  Location: Seattle, WA  Job Type: Intern  Department: DES – Executive Services  Job Number: 2018TR09148  Closing: 1/21/2019 11:59 PM Pacific  King County International Airport supports internship programs that provide work experience for students in an accredited post-secondary institution that is related to their course of study. The internship program is designed so that the student will have the opportunity to apply principles and theories learned in the classroom, gain new skills, explore a career path and be supervised and mentored by a professional in their field. The public… Read More

Crossposted from Tails from RASKC  Let’s get this girl her forever home – it’s Flower, our Pet of the Week!  This sweet girl has a huge personality and a lot of favorite activities! One of her favorite things to do is go for walks and explore. Flower would make a great adventure buddy. She also loves to play fetch and will even bark at you to throw her toy. She’s not always excited about bringing it back though, so playing with two toys at once is a good option for her.  Read… Read More