May is proclaimed Jewish American Heritage Month
King County Executive Dow Constantine has proclaimed the month of May as Jewish American Heritage Month in King County.
“Jewish immigrants to America, since their first arrival to our shores in the 16th century, have played a central role in the creation, growth, freedom, prosperity, and strength of the United States of America,” Executive Constantine states in his Proclamation. “Since 2006, the month of May has been celebrated as Jewish American Heritage Month, pursuant to a bipartisan resolution of Congress.”
Executive Constantine also recognized the significant contributions Jewish Americans have made “to the arts, entertainment, science and technology, government, business, and other fields in King County.”
Read the full proclamation below.
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King County receives recognition at annual Women in Trades event
The Washington Women in Trades Job Fair held recently at the Seattle Center brought together a diverse array of talented individuals in the trades industry. The event served as a platform for showcasing the exciting career opportunities available at King County, while highlighting the county’s support for diversity and innovation.
The job fair was a vibrant gathering, where attendees had the chance to connect with skilled professionals and explore various career pathways. From carpentry to electrical work, participants engaged with representatives from different trades, gaining insights into the industry’s latest trends and developments.
“It was inspiring to see so many skilled and passionate individuals who are driving innovation in the trades industry,” remarked one of the Light Rail attendees. “The job fair provided a valuable opportunity to network and learn about the diverse career options available.”
King County’s support for Women in Trades was also recognized at the event. Chief People Officer Whitney Abrams accepted an award marking May 3 as King County Day. Over the years, the County has been committed to promoting diversity and inclusion in the trades, and this commitment was evident in its active participation and support for the job fair.
Several King County departments and divisions were represented at the event, include Department of Executive Services, the Department of Human Resources, Department of Natural Resources and Parks, Department of Local Services, and King County Metro.
The Washington Women in Trades Job Fair at the Seattle Center was a testament to King County’s dedication to fostering a diverse and inclusive workforce. By providing a platform for networking and showcasing career opportunities, the event not only highlighted the county’s support for Women in Trades but also celebrated the talents and contributions of individuals in the trades industry.
Seated, left to right: Trish Parker, Rail Transit Admin Support Specialist; Sarah Farahani, Rail Internal Communications Specialist; Jacky Lu, Human Resource Analyst; Natalia Strom, Human Resource Associate;
Emily Clark, Sr. Human Resource Analyst
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Celebrating National Correctional Officers and Employees Week
King County is celebrating National Correctional Officers and Employees Week, which started on Sunday and runs through May 11.
King County’s corrections officers and juvenile detention officers perform a critical role in managing people during the most turbulent and vulnerable times of their lives—when they are accused of compromising the safety and wellbeing of the community, resulting in their incarceration.
The professionalism and persistence of these employees should make us all proud. They show courage, sacrifice, and resolve that demonstrates commitment and dedication to public safety, while also ensuring that people in custody are treated with the dignity and respect that they deserve.
King County Executive Dow Constantine has proclaimed this week as National Correctional Officers and Employees Week.
“Our correctional officer are well-trained professionals who regularly face challenging situations, but remain dedicated to providing safe, humane, and equitable care to all residents,” he said in the Proclamation. “The sacrifices of correctional officers and their families often go unnoticed, yet their contributions to the community are invaluable.”
National Correctional Officers Week started in 1984. In 1996, Congress officially modified it to “National Correctional Officers and Employees Week.”
Please take a moment to show your appreciation for employees from the Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention and the difficult work that they perform 24/7 every day of the year.
You can read the full proclamation from King County Executive Dow Constantine below.
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Executive Constantine proclaims May as Mental Health Month
May is Mental Health Month, dedicated to prioritizing our well-being and promoting open conversations about mental health. At King County, we recognize the importance of mental health and the impact on our personal and professional lives.
To support this, King County Executive Dow Constantine has proclaimed May as Mental Health Month. Read the full proclamation below.
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Executive Constantine proclaims May as American Asian Native Hawaiian Pasifika Heritage Month
In honor of the invaluable contributions and leadership of American Asians, Native Hawaiians, and Pasifika peoples to every facet of culture and business in the region, King County Executive Dow Constantine has proclaimed May as American Asian Native Hawaiian Pasifika Heritage Month. Read the full proclamation below.
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May is Mental Health Month at King County
By Whitney Abrams, Chief People Officer
May is Mental Health Month, a time dedicated to prioritizing our well-being and promoting open conversations about mental health. At King County, we recognize the importance of mental health to our overall health and well-being and we champion each other in support and recovery. We know the impact mental health challenges have on our personal and professional lives. It’s real. And many of us feel these challenges, either personally, or with our loved ones, every single day.
This year’s theme from Mental Health America, “Where to Start: Mental Health in a Changing World,” reminds us that everyone deserves to feel supported and empowered to support their mental health and well-being and to seek help and support when needed. Statistics support what we already see and feel, one in five people will experience a mental health condition in any given year, and loneliness is at an all-time high.
Throughout May, our Balanced You team will host mental health related activities to raise awareness and encourage supportive strategies. Mental Health Month is also the perfect time to learn more about the benefits and resources we offer to support King County employees’ mental health and well-being. At King County, we are proud to offer:
- A workplace culture that strives to encourage conversations about mental health;
- An Employee Assistance Program (EAP) with confidential counseling services available for all employees;
- An active employee well-being program, Balanced You, that prioritizes strategies to promote employee mental health, such as the mindfulness toolkit for the workplace.
- An Employee Giving Program that encourages employees to connect with their community and policies supporting the use of sick leave time to volunteer with approved non-profit organizations.
Additionally, I am excited to announce that, beginning July 1, King County will launch a partnership with a new provider, SupportLinc, for the Making Life Easier (MLE) program. MLE, powered by SupportLinc, will maintain MLE’s current offering of eight (8) free counseling sessions per issue to all employees and anyone living in the employee’s home, while also expanding the types of mental health resources available to County employees, such as virtual group supports tailored toward a variety of topics.
You can learn more about Balanced You’s Mental Health Month activities, available benefits and resources to support you and your family, and information about specific events in Employee News and Wellness Wednesday throughout the month. Mental health resource information can always be found on Balanced You’s blog and website. You can reach out to the Balanced You team at balancedyou@kingcounty.gov with any questions.
Please remember that no one is alone. King County is an employer that will continuously strive to acknowledge and support our employees in mental health and well-being. We will do this in the way we lead with our values, and how we provide resources and benefits to our employees. Whether you’re seeking support for yourself or your loved ones, there are many tools, programs, and resources available. As an employer we prioritize and support mental health. Help is out there, and recovery is possible. Thank you for supporting one another and the people we serve.
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KCSO kidney donors help the lives of others
There are over 100,000 people in the US in need of a kidney transplant*. Unfortunately, only about 17% receive a transplant annually. This is a story about two King County employees who decided to share one of theirs, and as a result, helping to dramatically change the lives of people in need of a working kidney.
When Lynda Kamrath, IT Manager for the King County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO), found out that her partner, Gary, was diagnosed with Stage 4 kidney disease, she decided she would get tested to be a donor as a way to “pay it forward” for another person who might need a transplant. They were shocked to find out that their kidneys were a match.
“We don’t even have the same blood type,” Lynda said. “They put your blood samples into a petri dish to see if they played well together.”
Benevolent donation
Tim Meyer, Captain of the Shoreline Police Department (a KCSO contracted city), decided to become an organ donor about 10 years ago. After reading about Dr. Alvin Roth, who won the Nobel Prize in Economics based on his work in matching theory and its practical application — which led to improvements in the design of a program to match kidney donors with compatible kidney recipients — Tim committed to making himself available as a kidney donor.
“After reading Lynda’s donation story in the Sheriff’s Newsletter last year, I was motivated even more,” Tim said. “Donating is just something within my values. At the end of the day, I can say I did something that truly helped with someone’s life.”
A few weeks ago, Tim’s opportunity came up to donate a kidney to a recipient who had a donor that did not match. How the program works is that the person who was willing to donate that didn’t match will now commit to donating to someone at a later time that does match. Tim’s donation ‘unlocked a chain’ that completed three kidney transplants, with all recipients doing well.
“This is the result of Dr. Roth’s advanced work in paired donations,” Tim said. “I’m glad to have been part of this process and a three-person donation chain.”
Swipe right?
The ability to donate to a recipient is based on several factors, including blood type, tissue typing, and crossmatching. Common genetics does not necessarily guarantee or prevent a match. (For more information go to organdonor.gov.)
However, being a physical match is not the only requirement. Both Lynda and Tim were also evaluated by psychologists, social workers, and doctors. It’s important that donors are doing this for the right reason, and that they will be able to manage this emotionally.
“I liken it to a dating app,” Lynda said. “They’re trying to match you with someone who is going to stay with you for the long term.”
Support from King County
Tim and Lynda both stated how fortunate they feel to live in this region and to work for King County. The University of Washington and Swedish hospital are renowned for their work in this field, with patients coming from far and wide for their services.
“I had a lot of support from the County and the Sheriff’s Office,” Lynda added. King County offers an Organ Donor Leave program in addition to the family and medical leave programs. “That was another reason why it was easy to make this decision,” she continued, “I didn’t have to stress about it.”
“This just gives a glimpse of the kind of programs and people we have here at King County,” Tim added. “This is one of the most important things I will do in my life.”
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Executive Constantine proclaims April as Arab American Heritage Month
People of Arab descent have woven their rich culture and traditions into the fabric of our communities, enhancing the diversity and strength of King County, contributing significantly to our economy, culture, and community through their roles in medicine, law, business, education, technology, government, military service, and more.
In recognition of these contributions and their influence on our community, King County Executive Dow Constantine has proclaimed April as Arab American Heritage Month. Read the full proclamation below.
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Building bridges between KCSO and the community through Special Olympics
Cross-posted from the Sheriff’s Newsletter
When he was 18 years old, Dylan Centanino-Sweers began volunteering as a Special Olympics coach. Through this opportunity, he found a passion for working with the athletes and building relationships in the community. Now, as a deputy at the King County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO), he’s able to see two things he values come together.
“Given the challenging nature of our job and sometimes inherent negativity in the police profession, I hold on to the sheer positivity that the athletes exude when they compete in their events,” said Deputy Centanino-Sweers. “I find that if I surround myself with strong positive people who regularly challenge and overcome adversity, I can bring that back to my partners and the community I serve.”
Deputy Centanino-Sweers has represented KCSO and contract partner Sammamish Police Department, where he currently serves, at multiple Special Olympics events.
At the beginning of March, he congratulated athletes and handed out awards at the Washington State Regional Special Olympics Winter Games. He’s also recently participated in a Polar Plunge to support the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics.
“It’s important to be involved in events like this because it allows you to see the bigger picture and be a part of something truly incredible in your community,” Deputy Centanino-Sweers said.
If you’re interested in getting involved, you can reach out to Deputy Centanino-Sweers or visit Special Olympics Washington for more information.
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Metro deepens its commitment to a safe and welcoming rider experience
On February 27, 2024, King County Metro welcomed the newest division to the agency, the Safety Security and Quality Assurance division (SSQA). Safety has always been a priority at Metro but that scope has increased dramatically throughout the years. To understand what community’s priorities are related to safety Metro conducted community engagement, gathered feedback on fare enforcement, centered youth voices, and more. To operationalize community feedback and uphold the values of safety and equity, the SSQA section transitioned into a division.
“Creating this division is a bold move to elevate Metro’s values of safety and equity,” says Rebecca Frankhouser, Director of Metro’s Safety, Security and Quality Assurance Division and Chief Safety Officer. “It demonstrates Metro’s commitment to create a community (both employees and the region) free from harm where all can thrive.”
SSQA was previously a section in the General Manager’s office. What began with a small group of people that was created to investigate collisions, has grown to 71 employees with significantly more lines of business. Their work now includes not only operational safety, but also employee health and safety, wellness, physical and contract security, emergency management, data, auditing, training, and managing initiatives such as Safety, Security and Fare Enforcement (SaFE) Reform. Care and presence are the sentiments that frame SSQA’s philosophy on safety and security. The core value is focusing on employee and community concerns and needs.
The care and presence approach is applied through the SaFE Reform Initiative to proactively address community concerns around public safety. When racism was declared a public health crisis in King County, Metro’s leadership team implemented the SaFE Reform Initiative to reimagine what the vision of safety, security, and equity should look like at Metro. The SaFE Reform team partnered with employees and communities to listen to and understand what would be needed to make them feel safe on transit, at bus stops, and at other transit facilities. This process centered Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) communities disproportionately and negatively impacted by policies and practices due to the challenges of systemic racism.
To date, the SaFE Reform Initiative has piloted two programs: Metro Ambassadors and the Behavioral Health Specialist Team. Metro Ambassadors spend time in communities and help transit riders in any way they can. Many of the ambassadors have served as Metro bus operators so they have familiarity with Metro’s operations and area communities. Behavioral Health Specialists help community members who are in crisis or would benefit from resources. The team is trained in de-escalation and prevention to reduce the need for police or security. Behavioral Health Specialists provide food, hygiene items and cold weather supplies, and connections to community partners. These pilots fit into the overall care and presence approach, which also includes Transit Security Officers and Metro Transit Police. Transit Security Officers offer a calming, proactive presence that deters incidents, and Metro Transit Police provide law enforcement and other community services. These efforts have proven to be successful and have contributed to significantly decreasing the number of incidents.
SSQA has always been pivotal in creating a safe, clean, and reliable transit system. The transition to a division provides the structure and foundation necessary for growth and enables Metro to support programs that improve the safety culture and security practices that protect employees, riders, and communities. The need for transit that is safe and accessible to everyone is clear in our growing region. Safety, security, and quality assurance is key to creating a transit community free from harm where all can thrive.
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