King County Executive Dow Constantine today announced that Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) director Leo Flor will be departing King County service this month for a role outside of government. Kelly Rider, currently serving as the department’s chief of staff, will become interim director following Flor’s departure on Feb. 27.

Flor joined King County in 2017 to lead the renewal and expansion of the Veterans, Seniors, and Human Services Levy (VSHSL). In 2018, Executive Constantine appointed Flor to serve as DCHS Director. DCHS is a 580-person department that invests in services for older adults, behavioral health treatment, education and employment opportunities for youth, services for people with developmental disabilities, and affordable housing and community development.

During his tenure, Flor oversaw critical components of King County’s COVID-19 response, including the lifesaving isolation and quarantine operations, the move from congregate shelters to hotel-based emergency housing, and the nearly $400 million rent assistance program that helped more than 39,000 households remain housed. Under Flor’s leadership, DCHS developed successful proposals for the Crisis Care Centers Levy (2023) and the Health Through Housing initiative (2020), secured the public trust in renewing Best Starts for Kids (2021) and VSHSL (2023) levies, and supported the creation of the King County Integrated Care Network.

“Leo’s tenure at DCHS included some of the most transformational investments made for the people of King County,” said Executive Constantine. “Without Leo’s determination and leadership, we wouldn’t have acquired more than 1,000 housing units for the chronically homeless, distributed hundreds of millions of dollars in rental assistance, or been able to invest in the future of our youngest residents, or ensured that we served the most vulnerable members of our community. We’ll miss him at King County and wish him all the best as he departs for his new role outside of government.”

Executive Constantine also announced Kelly Rider will serve as interim director of DCHS beginning Feb. 27. Rider previously served as chief of staff at DCHS, where she oversaw legislative efforts, policy development, critical partnerships, and investments in our region. Over the past two decades, Rider has led strategic initiatives across all levels of government in Washington state. Since joining DCHS in 2017, Rider has built long-lasting partnerships with cities and providers across King County to expand the regional impact of human services initiatives. Rider’s experience will allow for continued focus on the region’s most pressing issues, and leadership on key initiatives, including Best Starts for Kids, Crisis Care Centers, VSHSL, and MIDD Behavioral Health Sales Tax Fund.

“The next chapter of DCHS includes implementing some of our boldest investments to date, everything from Crisis Care Centers, furthering Best Starts for Kids, and our recently renewed Veterans, Seniors, and Human Services levy, and Kelly will ensure that all of these mission critical initiatives will continue as Interim Director for the department,” said Executive Constantine. “Her leadership inside DCHS and externally amongst our community partners give her the background and experience necessary to further our goals of making this a community where every person has the opportunity to thrive.”

DCHS manages a range of programs and services to help King County residents and strengthen communities. The department is made up of five divisions: Adult Services, Behavioral Health and Recovery, Children, Youth, and Young Adults, Developmental Disabilities and Early Childhood Supports, and Housing, Homelessness and Community Development. Five taxpayer funded initiatives are driven by DCHS, including Best Starts for Kids, the Crisis Care Centers initiative, Health Through Housing, the MIDD, and the VSHSL.