A unique partnership created 25 years ago in King County has so far reconnected 730 acres of floodplain, completed 719 salmon recovery projects, and planted nearly 1,500 acres of native vegetation in riparian areas. The partners recently signed a new agreement that will sustain the effort for at least the next decade. Read more.
Monitoring in action: DPD builds a workforce that values belonging and shared vision
By Priscilla De Andrade, Administrative Staff Assistant, Public Health
Ava Michler spoke with Matt Pang and Jeannette Quintero about the Department of Public Defense’s (DPD) new outreach initiatives for recruiting prospective applicants and a cohort model for new hires. Their recruitment initiatives resulted in a dramatic increase in the number of successful applicants.
Outreach is a collaborative process across DPD teams, where they actively use continuous improvement strategies, metric tracking, and innovation to find and hire lawyers that align with their mission. They are also invested in creating a workplace culture that breaks down silos and invests in employees. Read the full story here: DPD Builds a Workforce that Values Belonging and Shared Vision
Take a moment to check out this story, and explore others in the Monitoring in Action section to see how King County programs are turning data into impact.
|
|
Share this:
MRJC hosts ceremony for 30 high school grads
Crossposted from the DAJD Employee Newsletter
Twenty-six men and four women attended graduation ceremonies inside the Maleng Regional Justice Center (MRJC) on Dec. 10, 2025. The jail hosts the high school equivalency program in partnership with Renton Technical College. Read more.
Share this:
GIS at the frontlines: Mapping solutions for emergency flood response
KCIT’s Geographic Information Systems (GIS) team played a critical role in recent flood relief efforts, working onsite at the King County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in 24/7 rotating shifts. Their work provided essential mapping and data services to aid emergency management and response coordination. The GIS Center delivered high-impact resources, including:
- Emergency notification zone maps to guide public alerts.
- Identification of flood-impacted facilities and assets for rapid response.
- On-demand mapping and data requests to support decision-making.
In addition, the team partnered with aerial imagery providers to capture high-resolution images of flood-affected areas near the Snoqualmie, Cedar, White, Green, and Skykomish rivers. The imagery collected is being shared with all King County agencies, along with tools for data viewing and analysis.
Share this:
By the numbers: A look back at King County’s response to historic flooding
Crossposted from DNRP Field Notes
On Dec. 8, the first of two atmospheric rivers slammed into King County and brought historic river flooding, setting all-time records for portions of the Snoqualmie and Cedar rivers. Five of the six major rivers in King County (Cedar River, Green River, Issaquah Creek, South Fork Skykomish River, White River, Tolt River, and Snoqualmie Basin) reached a flood Phase 4 during the storm, the Tolt River was the one that only reached a flood Phase 3. Read more.
Share this:
Celebrating a milestone year: King County GIS Center honored with dual Enterprise GIS awards in 2025
2025 marks a defining moment in the history of the King County GIS Center (KCGISC). This year, our team was honored not once, but twice, by Esri, receiving the Enterprise GIS Award at both the Esri CIO Summit and the Esri User Conference (UC). These recognitions shine a spotlight on more than three decades of vision, innovation, and unwavering commitment to building one of the most advanced and impactful enterprise Geographic Information Systems (GIS) programs in the nation. Read more.
Share this:
From months to minutes: King County Sheriff’s Office first in WA to use new DNA technology
Crime scene DNA test results in minutes rather than weeks or months. It’s a new technology now in the hands of investigators at the King County Sheriff’s Office. It’s called the Rapid DNA machine.
“It allows officers to place DNA into a machine and instead of waiting weeks or months, you get results on whether that DNA is a single source of human DNA in 90 minutes,” King County Sheriff’s Captain Chris Leyba said. “Right now, every sample we collect at a scene, let’s say we collect 14 blood samples at a scene, we have to send 14 samples off to the WSP Crime Lab. Whereas, with this machine, we can run 14 samples at 90 minutes each and determine, say, eight of them belong to the victim. So now instead of sending 14 to the Crime Lab, we’re only sending six because we don’t need all 14 analyzed anymore.” Read more.
Share this:
New shelter update: 2025 progress and next steps for 2026
Crossposted from Tails from RASKC
Progress continues on a new site for Regional Animal Services. King County is renovating a former warehouse in the Kent Valley into a new, modern animal shelter that will replace RASKC’s current facility. The new center is expected to open in early 2027.
2025 highlights
- Purchasing the property at 5920 S. 194th St. in Kent
- Onboarding an architectural firm to develop design and construction plans
- Establishing a Project Delivery Team in partnership with the county’s Facilities Management Division
- Developing initial design plans
Share this:
Collaborating to advance racial and health equity
Crossposted from Public Health Insider
by Matías Valenzuela, Director, Office of Equity and Community Partnerships
As the year comes to a close, we’re reflecting on our work and the collaborations that have strengthened and advanced public health in King County. As the Health Equity and Anti-Racism Community Advisory Group (HEARCAG), we’re proud to share a sample of some of the impacts and accomplishments of 2025.
The Health Equity and Anti-Racism Community Advisory Group in 2025
HEARCAG has:
- Held space to organize and share information in the face of challenging federal changes.
- Launched a policy committee focusing on three areas: food access and justice, preserving gender affirming care and women’s rights to health, and budget and community power.
Share this:
2025 year in review: How DCHS helped build healthier, thriving communities across King County
Crossposted from Cultivating Connections
As 2025 comes to a close, the King County Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) reflects on a year marked by challenges and meaningful progress. Amid federal funding uncertainty, rising housing instability, and growing behavioral health needs, on top of an audit that underscores the need for more policies, procedures and infrastructure, DCHS focused on what matters most: helping people live connected, supported, and stably housed.
Across King County, DCHS’s work shared a common purpose: building communities where everyone can thrive. That meant expanding access to stable housing, strengthening crisis response, investing in the human services workforce, and partnering with communities through contracted providers to deliver services rooted in dignity, equity, and belonging. Read more.
Employee News 