King County Executive Girmay Zahilay appointed Matt Smith to serve as the Director of the King County Department of Human Resources (DHR), pending Council confirmation. Smith will lead the department which supports King County’s workforce of more than 18,000 employees.

“Matt Smith is an accomplished leader who shares my belief that an organization’s greatest strength lies in its people,” said Executive Zahilay. “He has a deep understanding of human resources strategy, leadership, and labor and employment law. I look forward to Matt’s leadership to advance King County’s priorities and to support our talented, innovative, diverse, and inclusive workforce that aims to make a difference in their communities and the lives of the people they serve.”

“I am grateful for this opportunity to serve King County. My career has focused on building fair, effective, and responsive workplace practices across labor relations, employee relations, total rewards, and organizational strategy,” said Matt Smith. “I am excited to join this DHR team, bring that experience to this role, and work alongside colleagues to support employees, strengthen the workplace, and serve the needs of the County and our community.” Read more.