Caroline Whalen, Director of the Department of Executive Services (DES), has announced that she will retire from King County in early September 2023. 

“I appointed Caroline our DES Director back in 2010 and she has proved time and again to be one of King County’s most effective and respected leaders, one who leads by example with both words and actions,” King County Executive Dow Constantine said. “As sad as I am to see Caroline go after a stellar 29-year King County career, I am incredibly grateful for her many years of service and counsel. She will be sorely missed.” 

Caroline was an early adopter of Lean, working to foster a culture of continuous improvement and standard work in DES, and this culture remains deeply embedded in DES today. She was honored with the 2019 Fred Jarrett Leadership Excellence Award in recognition of her exemplary leadership, embodiment of our values, and best-run government approach to her work. Earlier this year, Caroline was instrumental in the launch of the King County Customer Service Center, which opened to the public on April 20. Caroline provided leadership and strategic direction for the project, which delivered a new “one-stop shop” at King Street Center for many of the county’s most-requested services – just one of her many achievements for the County. 

An internal process to identify the next DES Director will begin soon, who is expected to be on board before Caroline’s retirement to ensure a smooth, seamless transition.    
Please join us in thanking and congratulating Caroline and wishing her the best in her next endeavors.