Innovation Award for Service honorees
The Innovation Award for Service goes to the Department of Community and Human Services/Developmental Disabilities and Early Childhood Supports Division – Refugee Resettlement Hotel.
Hundreds of Afghan refugees evacuated to King County when U.S. troops withdrew from Afghanistan and needed temporary housing while they resettled. The Developmental Disabilities and Early Childhood Supports Division collaborated with multiple King County departments and community partners to quickly turn a county-owned hotel into safe, welcoming, and culturally respectful housing for our Afghan refugee neighbors. Click here to read more and watch the video.
Each year, Executive Constantine holds the Performance Excellence Awards, which honor employees and workgroups at King County for their exceptional contributions to performance, leadership, and innovation. These leaders embody the Executive Branch values and strive to reach our True North: Making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive.
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Local Services earns national communication award for its ‘Employee Diversity Showcase’
King County Local Services’ efforts to celebrate the diversity of its team in 2021 garnered some prestigious recognition this month.
The department won first place in the Blue Pencil and Gold Screen Awards competition by the National Association of Government Communicators. The winners were announced during a ceremony earlier this month. Click here to read the full story and see the employees featured in the showcase.
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King County Law Library webinar: Executive Order 9066 and Japanese Incarceration
As part of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander heritage month, the King County Law Library recently hosted a webinar titled “Executive Order 9066 and Japanese Incarceration.”
The first part of this program is a screening of Alternative Facts – a film that uncovers the history of lies used to justify the incarceration of more than 120,000 Japanese Americans.
It was followed by a powerful panel discussion with the filmmaker Jon Osaki, attorney, author, and former Seattle University School of Law professor Lorraine Bannai, and King County Superior Court Presiding Judge Patrick Oishi. The discussion was moderated by attorney Serin Ngai, with opening comments by Dua Abudiab, Executive Director of the King County Bar Association.
You can watch the film and discussion at King County Law Library Webinar: Executive Order 9066 and Japanese Incarceration.
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Metro takes Womens Transportation Seminar (WTS) participants on tours of innovative transit projects
Cross-posted from Metro Matters
King County Metro is always working to improve mobility around the region and is committed to sharing approaches with other agencies. This past week, Seattle hosted attendees of the WTS International Conference and Metro rolled out the welcome mat.
WTS promotes the advancement of women in the transportation industry, and its conferences attract some of the most influential and innovative thinkers in transit. Dozens of attendees took advantage of the opportunity to learn more about the history and operations of several of Metro’s exciting transportation projects and innovations. WTS participants took the tours around the region by light rail, trolley, and flexible service vans. Click here to read the full story.
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Operator Teshim Awalom receives award for assisting disabled rider
Cross-posted from Metro Matters
Last New Year’s Eve, while driving Metro Route 5 in north Seattle, Operator Teshim Awalom saw a pedestrian trying to recover their walker, which had fallen in the snow. Teshim worked with the person to locate the walker, helped them onto his bus, and asked if they needed any medical assistance.
On May 19, King County Metro General Manager Terry White recognized Awalom’s actions that snowy day, presenting him with the George Turner Award, given by the Northwest Chapter of the Paralyzed Veterans of America. Chapter member DeeAnne Cooper was at Metro’s Central Base to congratulate Awalom for the award. Click here to read the full story.
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Innovation Award for Cost honorees
Each year, Executive Constantine holds the Performance Excellence Awards, which honor employees and workgroups at King County for their exceptional contributions to performance, leadership, and innovation. These leaders embody the Executive Branch values and strive to reach our True North: Making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive.
This year’s recipient for the Innovation Award for Cost is the Department of Executive Services/Business and Finance Operations/Procurement and Payables Section – Strategic Sourcing Program.
Residents rely on King County government to be a responsible steward of resources. To ensure the county gets the best value for its dollar, the Procurement and Payables Section launched the Strategic Sourcing Program. Watch the video to learn how the program uses data, market research, and benchmarking to make wise purchasing decisions – and to support businesses that align with the county’s sustainability and equity and social justice goals. Click here to watch the award presentation.
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5th Avenue Theatre and Seattle Sympony offering employee discounts
King County employees are now able to receive discounted tickets to the hit Broadway musical comedy The Prom.To access the discount, employees can book directly through the 5th Avenue Theatre website, click on SHOWS & TICKETS, select the Calendar, and enter promo code SEACITY to purchase tickets.
The Seattle Symphony is offering employee discounts for several upcoming events including the Verdi Requiem, National Geographic’s speaker series’ How to Clone a Mammoth, and Wayne Marshall Plays and Conducts Gershwin. Enter promo code SYMPHONY22 to save 20% off tickets at checkout.
See all available employee discounts on the Employee Discount webpage.
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Virtual Core Conditioning class
King County employees are invited to join Balanced You and Vivecorp for virtual Core Conditioning on Mondays and Wednesdays from 5 to 6 p.m. During the class, you will work the entire body using power, strength, and stabilization exercises like woodchops, planks, and glute bridges. This class is perfect for combatting the effects of sitting at a desk or doing repetitive motions all day.
Heavy floor work with minimal jumping is involved. Exercises in these classes are taught at an intermediate level with variations suitable for all fitness levels available. To register for Core Conditioning or see a list of other classes, visit https://www.vivecorp.com/balancedyou.
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Big Backyard 5K is Sunday, June 5
Founded in 2010, the Big Backyard 5K (also known as the BBY5K), is a community run/walk showcasing and benefitting King County Parks.
Proceeds from the BBY5K benefit King County Parks, supporting maintenance and operations of facilities and recreational resources. Thoughout 12 years, more than 12,000 runners and walkers have gathered to raise more than $75,000 for King County Parks.
This year’s event is on Sunday, June 5, and celebrates our ability to gather again with a simple approach to fun and fitness. Click here to find out more and register.
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Jail Health Services extends vaccine benefit program
Employees at Jail Health Services, Public Health — Seattle & King County, are poised to continue a successful incentive program that encourages people in custody to get vaccinated.
The relaunched vaccine benefit program is set to go live Thursday, May 19. It is happening thanks to a new $30,000 grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The money will provide a $50 commissary credit to patients at the jail whenever they are eligible and elect to receive a vaccination, whether it is for their primary vaccination series or a booster dose.
“The COVID-19 Vaccine Incentive Team has done fantastic work to research patient hesitancy and launch a vaccine incentive program that is achieving successful results,” Jail Health Deputy Director Angie Hosking said. “The pilot of this program finished in March and resulted in 246 additional patients receiving their first or second dose. This team helped us experience a 153% increase in vaccinations administered compared to the prior month! We’re very proud to serve with these staff and are inspired by their efforts to improve patient outcomes.”
As soon as they obtained supplies last year, medical staff at the King County Correctional Facility and the Maleng Regional Justice Center have regularly offered vaccine doses to people in custody, starting during the intake process. However, many declined to get vaccinated. Jail Health leadership commended the Vaccine Incentive Team for collecting feedback to design the new incentive program in a way that meets real needs of the jail population. During the pilot program, 70% of participants said they were motivated by the incentives.
The Project Team: Becca Cole, Tess Koslosky, Nancy Carpio, and Chris Rampaul. The Vaccine Administration Team (most pictured below): CNAs Catherine Wamai and Syreeta Miller; and RNs Ceciliah Wanjiru, Rebecca Heaton, Kelsey Tran, Beatrice Igeria, and Tami Nesler. Additional Supporters: Nurse Supervisors Susie Densmore, Lio Saephanh, and Christopher Salatka. Click the images below for a larger view.
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