Celebrating the more than 100 young people who graduated from DCHS youth programs this school year
Crossposted from Cultivating Connections
More than 100 young people celebrated earning their secondary credentials (GEDs or high school diplomas) last month with programs in the Children, Youth, and Young Adults Division (CYYAD). Many of these young people also earned college credits simultaneously. Read more.
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Employee discount to Bumbershoot 50th Anniversary Arts and Music Festival
Bumbershoot is offering an employee discount as a thank you to King County employees and part of a commitment to keep ticket prices down and affordable.
King County employees can buy tickets to the Bumbershoot 50th Anniversary Arts and Music Festival at the discounted price of $50 per day or $85 for the weekend plus service fees.
Bumbershoot takes places Saturday, Sept. 2 and Sunday, Sept. 3 at Seattle Center. Performers include Sleater‐Kinney, The Revivalists, ZHU, Jawbreaker, AFI, Brittany Howard, Fatboy Slim, Phantogram, Band of Horses, and many more. The festival will also feature roller skating, nail art, a huge range of food and drinks, wrestling, performance art, robots, make-up artists, a cat circus, and much more.
Use this link to access the discounted tickets with Promo Code KingCo and learn more about Bumbershoot here.
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As Duwamish River is made cleaner, local artists help community connect to its waters
Crossposted from Clean Water Stories
The Duwamish River has many sides to it – industrial corridor, habitat for migrating salmon, ancestral waters for the people who have long inhabited its shores and waters.
Two local artists have been commissioned to capture the complexity of the Duwamish and the clean water infrastructure that’s being designed to support a healthier river for future generations.
Timothy White Eagle and Laura C. Wright are designing art that will be featured as part of King County’s West Duwamish Wet Weather Storage Facility to enhance the project’s connections to community. Both are residents of King County, making this project a truly local one. Read more.
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Jail residents receive high school diplomas in first post-pandemic graduation ceremony
Crossposted from the DAJD Employee Newsletter
On June 29, a high school graduation ceremony was held at the King County Correctional Facility (KCCF) for six young men. As the first graduation since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was a welcome and inspiring return to normalcy. The six graduates were participants in the Interagency Academy, which was internally supported by DAJD Volunteer Coordinator Karen Pohio, and Education Instructor Tom Meadough.
“The graduation ceremony provided a unique opportunity to witness students proudly receive diplomas as a measure of their dedicated efforts to focus, accomplish, and graduate,” said Karen. “Staff and teachers passionately support educational programs for the incarcerated to help ease the transition from custody release back to community reentry. It was an enjoyable occasion for all who attended!” Read more.
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Executive Constantine recognizes July 26 as Disability Pride Day
In recognition of July 26, 2023 marking the 33rd anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990, King County Executive Dow Constantine has proclaimed July 26, 2023 to be Disability Pride Day.
“For more than three decades, the ADA has made our communities, our economy, and our county stronger and more vibrant by affirming and protecting the fundamental rights of people with disabilities – the right to equal opportunity, economic self-sufficiency, independent living, and accessible and equitable participation in the community,” he says.
Read the full proclamation here.
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Focus on values: We solve problems
Fellow King County employees:
As Deputy Chief Operating Officer – and an employee of King County for almost 25 years, much of it in risk management – I am proud of the changes that have taken place in our workplace. We have become more of a learning culture, treating problems as opportunities to learn, grow, and improve. We have also become more comfortable with taking measured risks to better meet the needs of all our residents.
These changes are important to consider as we take a closer look at one of our Executive Branch values, “We solve problems” and continue our journey toward our True North: Making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive. Our region is facing a combination of formidable challenges, including homelessness, gun violence, climate change, and the continuing impact of racial and social injustice. To effectively address these and other issues, we have to think differently about problems and solutions, challenge the status quo, and take the right risks to reach better outcomes.
This effort will take courage, ingenuity, accountability – and a willingness to try new and innovative approaches supported by data, science, and thoughtful analysis. It also requires listening to residents directly and creating solutions alongside them, which we’ve been doing more frequently.
As public servants, solving problems is part of our job no matter where or at what level we work in the organization. We need everyone’s insight, analysis, and creative thinking. We know that employees who are closest to a problem often have the best ideas about how to solve it – whether that problem impacts our community or our workplace.
In this short video, King County employees share what the value “We solve problems” means to them. Please take a moment to watch it and think about how you can apply this value and the behaviors to your work.
Solving problems isn’t just an organizational core value. For many of us, it’s why we choose to work at King County – to make things better for our community and for future generations. Thank you for the part you play in that effort.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Hills
Deputy Chief Operating Officer
King County Executive Office
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Workforce Equity and you: Disability as a protected class
As an employer, King County has a reputation for being a place where all people can succeed and thrive. Diversity, inclusion, equity, and social justice are part of our True North for both residents and employees. This means that employees with disabilities, whether visible or not, all have the same rights and resources as employees in other protected classes.
The Workforce Equity Team is part of the Director’s Office of the Department of Human Resources (DHR). Workforce Equity provides oversight, guidance, support, and compliance functions that ensure an inclusive and diverse workforce, and a welcoming workplace and work culture throughout King County. Which includes, implementing workplace practices that align with the King County Equity and Social Justice (ESJ) Strategic Plan, state and federal law, and County policy.
Among its responsibilities, Workforce Equity manages and administers the Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action (EEO/AA) program and conducts internal investigations related to allegations of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and inappropriate conduct.
Disability is a protected class
Workforce Equity investigates alleged violations of King County’s Nondiscrimination, Anti-Harassment & Inappropriate Conduct Policy & Reporting Procedures (the “Policy”). This includes allegations of harassment, discrimination, retaliation, failure to provide reasonable accommodations, and other inappropriate conduct based upon a protected class. Disability is a protected class under federal, state and local laws, and King County policy. If an employee believes that they have been the subject of inappropriate, discriminatory, retaliatory, or harassing conduct due to a disability, they should report the conduct to a Human Resources (HR) Manager, the Workforce Equity Manager, or the Equal Opportunity Officer for Metro Transit.
Examples of complaints could be:
- Being denied promotional opportunities due to a disability;
- Being denied a reasonable accommodation for a disability;
- Being treated differently or unfairly due to a disability; and/or
- Being subject to comments, jokes, or slurs related to a disability.
Once Workforce Equity receives a complaint, an investigator will conduct an initial intake interview with the employee and, in consultation with the department’s HR Manager and Equity Inclusion and Belonging (EIB) Manager, will determine the best course of action. If an investigation takes place, the employee must give Disability Services and their department permission to release relevant medical and disability-related information to the Workforce Equity investigator. The investigator will collect evidence, may interview witnesses, and will make a determination of whether the Policy has been violated. The investigator will take reasonable steps to be responsible and discrete with the information gathered throughout the investigation process, including only requesting documents and evidence that have a legitimate relevance to the investigation. Documents may be redacted to avoid releasing unnecessary information.
Once an investigation report is finalized, the employee who made the complaint and their department HR Manager will be notified of the results. Even if there is not a policy violation, there may be opportunities for increased awareness around disability with training, coaching and counseling. Depending on the circumstances, other interventions such as conflict resolution may be warranted. Any discipline given as the result of an investigation is confidential.
Workforce Equity encourages employees who believe they are subject to discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or inappropriate conduct to contact those noted below. They are here to ensure King County is a place where all employees can thrive.
- Jennifer Greenlee, Investigations Manager, JEGreenlee@kingcounty.gov
- Gloria Ngezaho, Workforce Equity Manager, GNgezaho@kingcounty.gov
For more information visit www.kingcounty.gov/workforce-equity.
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King County runners tackle 200-mile Ragnar
For 30 hours starting the morning of Friday, July 14, 24 runners representing the Assessor, DES, DNRP, FBOD, RALS, KCIT, WLRD, King County Council, DCHS, the Regional Homelessness Authority, DAJD, the Environmental Lab, DHR, and the Executive Office took to the roads in the annual Ragnar Northwest Passage, an approximately 200-mile relay from far north Blaine to Whidbey Island’s Langley.
This is the first year King County fielded two full teams in this legendary annual run.
Running through the night, the King County Ragnariffics (pictured above) and King County Bureaufasts (pictured below) scored 9th and 12th respectively in their division, surviving sweltering temperatures and cloudless skies to arrive at the Island County fairgrounds finish line Saturday afternoon.
Since 2019, King County’s team(s) have also managed the Leg 34/Mutiny Bay aid station, offering water, electrolytes, and oranges to runners at the top of one of Whidbey’s sun-baked steep hills. The station has earned universal praise from runners, teams, and Ragnar support staff.
Ragnariffics captain Consuelo Norris and Bureaufasts captain Al Dams look forward to 2024. If you want more information about King County’s Ragnar teams, contact Consuelo Norris, Al Dams, or Seth Watson.
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KCSO knocks it out of the park with All-Star event support
Originally published in the King County Sheriff’s Office Newsletter, July 13, 2023
The King County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) collaborated with an impressive lineup of agencies and organizations to ensure a safe and secure environment throughout the thrilling five-day All-Star Week events. This lineup included the Seattle Police Department, Seattle Fire Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Aviation Administration, the Transportation Security Administration, Amtrak Police, Burlington Northern Santa Fe Police, the Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the U.S. Air Force.
These events provided multiple days of excitement for fans, featuring Play Ball Park, concerts, and various other free activities. The pinnacle of the week was reached with the highly anticipated Home Run Derby and the All-Star Game. Thanks to the collective efforts of all involved, this event surpassed expectations, leaving a lasting mark on everyone who attended.
We’d like to take a moment to recognize several of our specialized units within KCSO who played pivotal roles and contributed significantly to the success of this endeavor. View kudos and photos below.
Metro and Sound Transit
Our two transit partners collaborated seamlessly, employing a range of specialized teams, including JTATT (Joint Transit Anti-Terrorism Team), patrol, K9, and detectives, to ensure the secure and efficient transportation of thousands of individuals to and from the venue each day.
The transit system operated with remarkable smoothness and safety throughout the entire event. Deputies and Detectives expertly carried out their duties, alternating between plain clothes and uniformed assignments. The prominent presence of law enforcement personnel significantly enhanced the overall experience, contributing to an exceptional and memorable occasion.
ARFF
The King County International Airport’s Aircraft Rescue Firefighting (ARFF) unit faced the challenge of managing a significant surge in VIP flights arriving at King County International Airport. Not only did they handle Major League Baseball (MLB) flights, but they also had to handle a substantial influx of private jets associated with the All-Star game. Furthermore, ARFF had the crucial responsibility of safeguarding three Air Force F-35 fighter jets utilized in the captivating opening flyover for the grand event.
Bomb Disposal unit
BDU provided extensive support during the events, conducting thorough sweeps, and ensuring the safety of the City of Seattle by responding to bomb calls throughout the event period. The team conducted numerous sweeps, both for vehicles and events, amounting to well over a hundred. The invaluable assistance from KCSO BDU prevented the other BDU teams from being overwhelmed by the demanding workload.
KSO TAC 30
TAC 30 (SWAT) seamlessly assumed responsibility for TAC calls within the City of Seattle, ensuring comprehensive coverage. Additionally, they maintained a vigilant quick reaction force on standby, poised to respond promptly to any incidents within the transit system that required their immediate attention.
Marine unit
The Marine unit strategically positioned themselves near the Coast Guard Station on the western side of T-Mobile Park. Their invaluable contribution involved effectively neutralizing any waterborne drone threats, while also extending crucial marine support to the surrounding area.
Air Support unit
Air Support played a pivotal role by utilizing the downlink – the camera on Guardian 1 that people can log in to watch live footage – to enhance situational awareness during the substantial influx of crowds traversing to and from the events. The downlink provided indispensable as it was employed across all command posts and stadiums.
T-Mobile and Lumen Field off-duty deputies
These two locations were staffed with Deputies with extensive experience working in these venues. These highly skilled Deputies and Sergeants exhibit exemplary performance in a high-visibility environment, adeptly managing crowds with great proficiency. Their expertise lies in skillfully de-escalating situations involving intoxicated or confrontational individuals, showcasing their abilities in conflict resolution.
Communications Center
The KCSO’s amazing Communications Center team provided invaluable assistance and support during All-Star week. They seamlessly managed the increased dispatch coverage, ensuring smooth operations during the heightened activity, and provided a dedicated dispatcher for the events whenever feasible. Their efforts were instrumental in the week’s success.
Planning and critical incident preparation response
Dani Hamilton, Sergeant Pete Copeland, and Deputies Dave Mendez, Hiram Grijalva, and Sean Pierce made exceptional contributions as they staffed the Unified Command Center and meticulously orchestrated the KCSO event with utmost expertise and dedication.
Command
Captains Koby Hamill, Todd Miller, Scott Dery, Jonathan Youngblood, Greg Thomas, and Majors Marcus Williams and Todd Morrell demonstrated their unwavering support by assuming various responsibilities throughout the planning and execution of the All-Star events.
Kudos to the King County Sheriff’s Office for putting on a world-class event and supporting the King County community. This was a great team effort, and it wouldn’t have been successful without the different units within KCSO!
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Tech Tip: Personally Identifiable Information
What is sensitive information? Sensitive information is privileged information which – if compromised through alteration, corruption, loss, misuse, or unauthorized disclosure – could cause serious harm to an individual or organization. You must always give the highest level of protection to privileged information. Here we discuss Personally Identifiable Information, or PII.
What is Personally Identifiable Information?
For the purpose of data protection, PII is defined as: any instance of an individual’s first name (or first initial) plus the last name, and any one of 29 additional confidential items.
An example of these twenty-nine additional confidential items include: Social Security number, driver license, credit card number and expiration date, date or place of birth, wage and salary information, vehicle identifiers including license plate numbers, and medical history.
Is it PII? The key to remember is, if the information can be used to uniquely identify a specific individual using non-public information, it’s considered PII and must be protected.
Example: John Smith was born on January 1, 1965. Which listing below would be the example of PII?
A) John Smith – DOB 1/1/1965
B) John S. – DOB 1/1/1965
C) John Smith – DOB 1/1/xxxx
The answer is A. B and C are not examples of PII on their own.
Employees who do not take care of sensitive information can lead King County into fines, increased operating costs, loss of customer confidence, and even more governmental regulation. Do your part to keep your sensitive information safe at all times.
Employee News 