Metro wins Performance Excellence Awards for equity and for sustainability 

Crossposted from Metro Matters 

Metro was honored with two King County Performance Excellence Awards: the Innovation Award for Equity and Social Justice and the Innovation Award for Sustainability. Given by King County Executive Dow Constantine, these annual honors are given to employees and teams at King County that demonstrate exceptional contributions to performance, leadership, service, and innovation. 

“These awards recognize people who are helping build a best-run government at King County,” said Constantine. 

Metro received the Innovation Award for Equity and Social Justice for its work to design a Mobility Framework. Read more. 

Airport outreach incorporates equity and social justice 

Crossposted from DES Express 

The team at King County International Airport – Boeing Field (KCIA) have been updating its master plan, a comprehensive study required by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that describes the airport’s short, medium, and long-term sustainable development goals, alternatives, and plans. 

“Because the airport is such a big aspect of the neighborhoods surrounding it, we knew we wanted to be good neighbors and do more than just a single open house for our outreach,” said Kevin Nuechterlein, Capital Projects Manager at KCIA. Diverse neighborhoods around the airport include Georgetown, South Park, and Beacon Hill, among others. Read more. 

https://kingcountydes.com/2020/12/16/airport-outreach-incorporates-equity-and-social-justice/ 

Featured Job: Equipment Operator 

Salary: $66,414 – $80,724 annually 

Location: Seattle, WA 

Job Type: Career Service, full time 

Department: DLS – Dept of Local Services, Road Services 

Job Number: 2020JH12581 

Closing: 1/6/2021 11:59 PM Pacific 

Learn more about this position or view all available positions. 

Hope and Joy Campaign: January 6 Coffee Connection 

As part of the Hope and Joy Campaign, the Balanced You team is hosting a series of virtual zoom sessions, called “Coffee Connections”, to provide spaces for employees to connect over fun topics and events. The next Coffee Connection’s theme is “New Year’s Resolutions.” Join us then to share your intentions or themes for 2021, or hear others’ plans to get inspired. 

It will be held on Wednesday, Jan. 6, from 10-10:30 a.m. Join the Zoom meeting at this link, using passcode 618235. 

Check out other upcoming Coffee Connections on the Balanced You Blog here. 

What we know (and a few things we don’t) about COVID-19 vaccines: a conversation with Dr. Jeff Duchin  

Crossposted from Public Health Insider 

Two COVID-19 vaccines have been authorized for emergency use by the FDA and the first shipments have arrived in King County.   

In this interview, Dr. Jeff Duchin, Health Officer for Seattle & King County Public Health, answers common questions such as… Who is getting the first shots? How effective are the new vaccines? What are mRNA vaccines and how do they work? What kind of common side effects do the vaccines have? What about the severe allergic reactions that the news has reported in a handful of people? Read more. 

Executive Constantine’s Top 20 Accomplishments in 2020 

King County Executive Dow Constantine

When we ended 2019, we had every reason to be optimistic, hopeful, and prepared for another year of growth in King County. But 2020 proved just how quickly things can change. 

It’s no surprise that the COVID-19 pandemic has dominated our focus this year, as we led the response to the nation’s first outbreak of the disease. From setting up our medical command center even before the first confirmed case, to building isolation and quarantine recovery facilities, to distributing millions of masks to county residents, King County employees have been working to help those we serve to beat this disease. 

That work was met with a strong, sustained commitment by the people of King County who did all they could to flatten the curve and slow the spread of the disease. An unparalleled public effort to wear masks, keep socially distant, and of course, wash hands, has so far kept our hospitals from being overwhelmed as we await vaccines sufficient to stop this disease. 

Read more in the official press release. 

Pet of the Week: Cairo

Hi, my name is Cairo! I’m a 7 year-old male domestic short hair. If you’re looking for a fancy and independent gentleman who also happens to be a great conversationalist, I might just be the cat for you! My caretakers feel I would do best as the only cat in my new home; however, I also lived with adult humans and large dogs, and I get along great with both! 

Read more and view all available pets at www.kingcounty.gov/adoptapet. Have you or someone you know adopted a pet from RASKC? Let us know. We’d love to tell your story. 

Call for applicants: Wastewater’s “Operator-in-Training” program offers paid jobs, no experience needed 

Crossposted from WTD Clean Water Stories 

King County’s Wastewater Treatment Division (WTD) is looking for operators to monitor complex industrial equipment and the flows going through them. Operators check readings and take water samples to make sure things are running smoothly. Good operators are hard to find – and desperately needed. WTD needed a way to bring in talented, new people and help them get certified as quickly as possible, so they started an Operator-in-Training (OIT) program to find and train their own operators. 

“Part of our program is to show people enough about wastewater for them to decide for themselves if it is the job for them,” says Denise Chanez, OIT training program coordinator. Applicants don’t need a college degree; in fact, they don’t need any experience in wastewater. As trainees learn and develop, they are eligible for job progression and promotional opportunities.  

Applications to join this year’s class of recruits are due January 17, 2021. Trainee positions are paid $48,004-$60,849 annually, include full benefits, and are eligible for overtime. To learn more about the OIT program and apply, click here.

To read more about the program, view the original blog post for this story.

Training Spotlight for December 29 

Easy Steps to Great Grammar – Online – Confused about grammar and punctuation? This fun, 3-Session class will help you master the latest rules, avoid common errors, and write with confidence. You’ll cover apostrophes, verb tense, word usage, subject/verb agreement, commas/semicolons, style guides, how to avoid the 10 most common grammar and punctuation mistakes, and more. Class includes plenty of examples and exercises to help you practice your new skills. This course is coming up quick, starting on Jan. 6 and finishing on Jan. 20, and is held each Wednesday from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Register here. 

Please visit our King County Eventbrite website and our Learning and Development website for more learning opportunities. For more information, contact the Learning and Development Team at KCTraining@kingcounty.gov or visit Learning and Development at www.kingcounty.gov/learning. 

Featured Job: Administrative Manager/Clerk of the Board

Salary: $79,902 – $107,459 

Location: Multiple locations in King County, WA 

Job Type: Appointed 

Department: KCC – King County Council 

Job Number: KCFD12172020TC 

Closing: 1/14/2021 11:59 PM Pacific 

Learn more about this position or view all available positions