Posted on February 27, 2026 by

King County becomes first public agency to receive the Year Up United Impact Award

Crossposted from the DES Express

King County commits more than $1 million to continue paid internships and expand career opportunities for young adults through Year Up United.

Jonny Lopez, a former Year Up United intern, took the podium after some heavy hitters. John Stanton, chairman of the Seattle Mariners and Trilogy International Partners and founding chairman of the Year Up United Puget Sound Board, had addressed the crowd. Other Year Up and county leaders had spoken about the importance of internships and the successful partnership between the two organizations.

But it was Lopez who stole the show, speaking to the audience assembled on the seventh floor of the King Street Center on Feb. 2.

Lopez is a first-generation Mexican-American. He began cleaning construction sites with his dad at age 13. At night he worked in an Amazon warehouse.

“I remember looking at office buildings, watching people in meetings, protected from the rain, and wondering, ‘I wonder if I would ever belong in those spaces?’” Lopez said.

“As much as I wanted it to be, college wasn’t an option,” he added. “My family needed me. I had responsibilities. I had to support.”

“I wasn’t lacking ambition. I was lacking access,” he explained. “Then I found Year Up United.”

Lopez was in the first cohort of Year Up interns at King County in September of 2023. Soon after, he walked into King Street Center as an intern for the first time. Now he works as a project controls engineer for King County Metro. Read more.

Posted on February 27, 2026 by

Learn about the Harborview Bond Program in new “Ted Talks” series

Crossposted from the DES Express

From the Harborview Construction and Infrastructure Division:

Harborview Medical Center has launched the video series “Ted (Klainer) Talks,” hosted by Harborview’s Senior Director of Capital Development Ted Klainer, showcasing the Harborview Bond Program’s journey toward building a new tower and making other improvements on the hospital campus.

Ted will be joined by numerous project experts, including Harborview Construction and Infrastructure Division (HCID) Director Tony Wright, to share project updates, show how the project was developed, and take viewers on a behind the scenes look at how the hospital facilities operate. Watch the first episode now:

Posted on February 27, 2026 by

Executive Office presents Day of Remembrance Proclamation to RISE and AANHP Leaders

In recognition of Feb. 19 as Day of Remembrance, an official proclamation was shared with leadership from the Refugees and Immigrants Support and Empowerment (RISE) Affinity Group and the Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacifica (AANHP) Affinity Group.

Day of Remembrance honors the more than 120,000 Japanese Americans who were forcibly removed from their homes and incarcerated during World War II. This observance serves as a reminder of the harm caused by fear-driven policies and the importance of protecting civil liberties for all.

“Remembering this history is essential to preventing the repetition of policies and practices that target individuals and communities based on race, nationality, language, immigration status, or perceived identity,” reads the official proclamation.

It continues with a statement from King County Executive Girmay Zahilay for “residents to use this as a chance to recommit to the fight for dignity, civil rights, and justice for all in our region.”

RISE and AANHP leaders accepted the proclamation on behalf of King County employees, reaffirming a shared commitment to equity, accountability, and standing against injustice in all its forms. We thank the Executive Office for its partnership and for recognizing this important day in our shared history.

Learn more about the RISE and AANHP Affinity Groups here, and view the official proclamation here.

Pictured: From left to right, Ken Nsimbi, Lilly Roberts, Fedilla Kassa, and Evelyn Chow from the Executive Office and Nasir Khudaiberdiev, Marjan Didra, and Lisa Pan from the RISE and AANHP Affinity Groups.

Posted on February 27, 2026 by

Tap to pay: Puget Sound region transit systems to accept credit and debit cards, and digital wallets as fare payment

Crossposted from Metro Matters

On Feb. 23, ORCA is launching a new Tap to Pay feature allowing riders to use credit and debit cards, and digital wallets, to pay for transit across the Puget Sound region.

Riders can simply tap their contactless Visa, Mastercard, Discover® Network, or American Express credit or debit cards, or cards in digital wallets, using Apple Pay™, Google Pay™, or Samsung Pay™ to ride. This new feature expands access to public transportation and supports seamless travel experiences for both daily riders and visitors alike.

This new feature also comes as Seattle and the Puget Sound region prepare to host several large events in 2026. With many international visitors expected to travel across the region, Tap to Pay simplifies transit and aligns with global expectations for convenient payment options. Read more.

Posted on February 27, 2026 by

Executive Zahilay visits staff at Chinook Wind project in Tukwila

King County Executive Girmay Zahilay recently visited the Chinook Wind project in Tukwila to learn more about the project and see the habitat restoration work of employees from the Department of Natural Resources and Parks’ (DNRP) Water and Land Resources Division.

“Yesterday I visited the hard working staff of King County’s Water and Land Resources Division at DNRP to see the Chinook Wind project in Tukwila. What used to be a rundown hotel site is now transformed back into natural habitat that will support salmon recovery for generations to come,” Executive Zahilay said. “Salmon are essential to our ecosystem, our economy, and to Tribal nations whose cultures and treaty rights are deeply connected to healthy fish populations. When we restore habitat, we improve water quality, reduce flood risk, strengthen climate resilience, and protect biodiversity across our region.” See the full post on Facebook.

Posted on February 20, 2026 by

Major ‘Revive I-5’ repairs continue for Ship Canal Bridge

The Revive I-5 project is designed to extend the life of the aging Ship Canal Bridge and improve safety and ride quality for years to come. While the short-term traffic impacts will be challenging, the long-term payoff will be smoother, safer travel through this critical stretch of I-5. Get the latest updates about this work from WSDOT.

As part of the project, two northbound lanes across the Ship Canal Bridge will close while crews repair and resurface the bridge deck. To minimize impacts during major events, work zones will be removed in June for World Cup soccer matches in Seattle, then reinstalled when games conclude in July.

The WSDOT schedule of northbound I-5 includes:

To help support ridership demand during Revive I-5, Metro is planning to add up to 17 buses on key routes on weekdays and 12 buses on weekends to help riders avoid travel delays due to highway construction. These buses will be able to be deployed flexibly by Metro staff to locations and routes where there is crowding or delays. For more information, view this King County Metro blog post.

Additional resources are available here:

The Employee Transportation Program is an additional resource for employees that highlights commuter benefits, resources, and other supportive options available.

Posted on February 20, 2026 by

Celebrating Government Communicators Day, Feb. 20

Crossposted from the DES Express

In recognition of Government Communicators Day, coming up on Feb. 20, take a moment to meet the professional communicators in the Department of Executive Services (DES) and learn about what they do.

Whether they communicate primarily with employees or the public, or a mix of the two, these are the folks who spend their days juggling deadlines, responding to inquiries, producing content and informing people about the good work that DES divisions do every day! A typical day might involve posting information on the web, writing a media release or newsletter article, working on a video, or drafting a strategic communications plan. Often their work is behind the scenes, writing speeches for leadership, working out the logistics of an upcoming event or announcement, or making sure key constituents are aware of developments on big projects. In the case of Emergency Management, it’s sharing information about how to stay safe in emergencies, from floods and other severe weather to earthquakes.

Public information officers and other professional communicators play a crucial role in local government. Government Communicators Day, held annually on the third Friday of February, highlights them and their work. The day is sponsored by the City-County Communications and Marketing Association (3CMA) and the California Association of Public Information Officials. Read more.

Posted on February 20, 2026 by

Recognizing Metro’s Operators of the Month, November-December 2025

Crossposted from Metro Matters

They style hair and coach soccer. Cheer for Real Madrid and travel. Launch rockets and cook. They also “handle problem people with class and grace,” are “patient, friendly, and went above and beyond to help an older rider,” and make passengers “feel like I’m in good hands.”

They’re operators with more than two centuries of transit driving experience who enjoy meeting with their riders and giving back to their communities.

Meet your Operators of the Month for November and December 2025. Read more.

Posted on February 20, 2026 by

Celebrating Black history, arts and culture with Attorney General Nick Brown

Crossposted from DES Express

Washington State Attorney General Nick Brown talked about key milestones in Black history and discussed his personal journey into public service at “For Us, By Us: Transformational Conversations,” a Town Hall event on Feb. 3. This was Attorney General Brown’s first address to county employees.

Cecelia Hayes, Equity, Social Justice and Engagement Senior Practitioner for the Department of Executive Services, worked several months to organize the event, which was executed in partnership with other “For Us, By Us” (FUBU) leaders.

Transformational Conversations is a series of Black employee-led community forums designed to lift up topical issues of importance to Black community, by Black community members who also happen to be King County public servants. Hayes began organizing the online forums in June 2020 in response to the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Read more.

Posted on February 20, 2026 by

Executive Zahilay visits and thanks Water Taxi staff

King County Executive Girmay Zahilay recently visited the King County Water Taxi to learn more about their operations and see the staff in action.

“Our marine division teams help thousands of people get across the Puget Sound from downtown to West Seattle and Vashon Island and back,” Executive Zahilay said. “And soon they will be expanding this service to include more weekends and more hours so more people can get to work, to the hospital, to see friends, and more.” See the full post on Facebook.

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