2020 Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration, Jan. 16
Community members and King County employees are invited to join in honoring our nation’s foremost human rights leader and King County’s namesake, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The theme for the 2020 Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration is “Yes, we are on the move and no wave of racism can stop us. We are on the move now.” They keynote address will be given by john a. powell, Director, Othering & Belonging Institute, University of California, Berkeley. The program also includes music and spoken word.
Thursday, Jan. 16, 2020, noon to 1 p.m., Town Hall Seattle, 1119 8th Ave, Seattle, WA 98101
For more information contact Matías Valenzuela, Director, Office of Equity and Social Justice.
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Pet of the Week: Stevie
Crossposted from Tails from RASKC
Stevie is a 14 year-old, female, brown tabby & white, longhair cat (A593379). Her personality color is GREEN, meaning she is an adaptable cat who loves to go with the flow. Stevie can be independent at times, but she loves petting and will even hop up in the laps of strangers. She is usually the first cat to greet those who come to visit.
Read more from Tails from RASKC
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Celebrating Native American Awareness Month in King County
Dear King County employee,
November is Native American Awareness Month in King County, a time for us to celebrate the history, culture, and many contributions of Native people throughout our region and here at King County.
We are on the ancestral lands of the Muckleshoot, Snoqualmie, Puyallup, Tulalip, and Suquamish Tribes, and the Duwamish people. And our community is home to a large population of Native people from Tribal nations across the country.
Together with our Tribal partners we are advancing efforts to preserve open space, restore critical habitat, and save Orca and salmon from the brink of extinction. These efforts and others are central to Executive Constantine’s commitment to a strong government-to-government relationship between King County and Tribal nations, and honoring Tribal treaty rights.
We also are supporting efforts by Tribal organizations to address the lasting impacts of displacement and institutional racism that contribute to disproportionately high rates of incarceration, homelessness, and poverty among Native people. Last month, Executive Constantine joined with Native leaders to open “Eagle Village,” a pilot project between King County and the Chief Seattle Club to provide bridge housing for Native people transitioning from homelessness into permanent housing. Eagle Village is located in Sodo on property owned by Metro Transit and funded by the Department of Community and Human Services.
We know that working in partnership to deliver community-led solutions results in better outcomes. Eagle Village is a recent example of this approach. I encourage you to think what you can do in your programs to advance our shared values and upend the status quo so the services we provide create greater opportunities for our residents and address systemic inequities.
In honor of Native American Awareness Month I want to thank our employee-led King County Native American Leadership Council for their dedication, wisdom, and collective work to lift up the voices of our Native employees and to serve as a link to Tribal communities throughout King County.
Wado (thank you),
Casey Sixkiller
Chief Operating Officer
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Focus on values: We are one team
Dear employee,
Whitney Abrams, Chief People Officer, King County Executive Office
What do you think of when you hear the words “We are one team?” For me, “We are one team” is about strong relationships, trust, respect, and diversity:
- Our relationships with one another are crucial to our success. We all rely on one another to get our work done. Each of us brings unique skills and experiences to our teams. We come from different backgrounds and places. The more we get to know one another – what we like, our communication style, what we do outside of work – the more effective we can be as teammates.
- Trust is at core of healthy teams. To do our best at work we have to feel our best at work, comfortable being our true selves at work. Healthy teams are empowered to take risks together; they treat mistakes as opportunities to learn and get better.
- Respect goes beyond being polite and cordial with one another – these should be a given in our workplace. True respect means that we value each other’s ideas, suggestions, and opinions. It means that regardless of your job title or position in the team, you are valued for what you bring, do, and have to say.
- It’s the diversity of people and their views, ideas, and experiences – and valuing these differences – that make us stronger. Diversity in teams helps us look at issues from different angles with our individual expertise to identify solutions or innovations that help us serve our customers more effectively.
I value the teams and the people in them that I work with, whether it’s the Executive’s Senior Leadership Team or the teams I work with in the Executive Department, Department of Human Resources, and Office of Labor Relations. We bring our unique experiences to the work, learn from one another, value each other’s input, try out new ideas, even when they don’t always work out, and we have fun together.
That’s what “We are one team” means to me, and that’s the culture I hope you have or are building with your teams. Because this work is bigger than any one of us, and we need one another and the diversity of skills and ideas that we bring if we are to continue to meet, anticipate, and exceed the expectations of our customers.
Please find time to watch the “We are one team” video with your team and discuss what this value means for your team and how it applies to your work.
Sincerely,
Whitney Abrams,
Chief People Officer
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Giving thanks by giving back
Dear fellow King County employee:
In the midst of planning, traveling, cooking, working, and reflecting we are encouraged to stop and take a moment next week to celebrate all of those very precious people and things we have in our lives.
This year, I am thankful for the extra time we were never promised with my mother. The moments and memories we were able to create and the endless gifts she gave to me of courage, love, and perseverance. I am grateful for my work family who, without flinching, stepped up to help during one of our busiest times of year, so that I could be by my mother’s side in her final days. I am thankful for my son’s spiritedness that keeps me going. And, I am thankful for all of you.
And, as we give thanks for all that we have, there will be thousands of people who will also be giving Thanks for you.
Thanks to you, 400 low-income people accessed medical care.
Thanks to you, international relief organizations were able to provide more than 300 families with disaster relief supplies and shelter. And they can respond at a moment’s notice.
Thanks to you, 400,000 meals were put on the table this year for families in need!
As a reminder, if you are making a donation of eligible Vacation or Compensatory time, please remember that this Friday, Nov. 22, 2019, is a firm deadline and one of the benefits of PeopleSoft is that it can be done from home.
Every year hundreds of hours of time have to be turned away because they come in after the deadline and were not able to be processed. Click here to learn more about giving time.
There are several ways you can insure your pledge gets to us on time:
- Give to your worksite Ambassador
- Send interoffice to CNK-ES-0231
- Scan and email to employeegiving@kingcounty.gov
- Drop off at the 2nd Floor of the Chinook Building.
- Go online in PeopleSoft and complete.
Go to the Employee Giving Program Web site at www.kingcounty.gov/giving to view the nonprofits, to share what you are thankful for or call 206-263-9405 for more information.
I would also like to say Thank You. Thank you to every single one of you. We all do something in some way to give back to our communities not only through the EGP but also outside of the workplace. Your efforts are admirable and why we continue to work for ways to support you in all the ways you give. Thank you to all the amazing employees who have given their talent and time as volunteers at their worksite. Thank you to leadership that has been supportive of these efforts and have led by example. As I sit down this next week, I too will be giving thanks for all of you.
Gratefully,
Junelle Kroontje
Employee Giving Program
P.S. as the saying goes, “No one can do everything, but everyone can do something” $5.00 a paycheck can provide 792 meals or 470 diapers. That is a huge something.
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Join the Great American Smokeout, Nov. 21
Quitting smoking isn’t easy. It takes time. And a plan. You don’t have to stop smoking in one day. Start with day one. Let the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout event on Nov. 21 be your day to start your journey toward a smoke-free life. You’ll be joining thousands of people who smoke across the country in taking an important step toward a healthier life and reducing your cancer risk. Plus, the American Cancer Society can help you access the resources and support you need to quit.
Learn about resources available, information on quitting smoking, facts, and more from Public Health – Seattle & King County. Contact your insurance provider for more information on tobacco cessation benefits, including prescription and over-the-counter medication.
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2019 Annual Giving Drive: Spotlight on nonprofits fighting hunger
The Annual Giving Drive ends this Friday, Nov. 22, and this week we’re highlighting four nonprofits that are fighting hunger in our community and across the world:
- Feed the Children (5003) One of the world’s leading anti-hunger organizations, bringing together caring individuals to provide food, water, education, and job training in 50 states and 18 countries.
- Food Lifeline (9302) We rescue millions of pounds of surplus food from farmers, manufacturers, grocery stores, and restaurants. We then deliver this healthy and nutritious food to 275 food banks.
- Northwest Harvest (9013) We are Washington’s leading hunger relief and food justice agency – supporting a statewide network of 375 food banks, meal programs, and high-need schools.
- Teen Feed (9162) Threshold outreach for home-lost youth ages 13 to 24. Hot meal point of entry. Connection to volunteer assistance with basic needs: ID, GED, housing, job, health care, and support.
The 2019 Annual Giving Drive provides several options to support the countless causes that are important to each of us. You may do so online or with a paper form. Learn how you can give.
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PeopleSoft outage this weekend Nov. 23 – 24
To allow for system maintenance, the PeopleSoft system will not be available this weekend, Nov. 23 – 24.
During this planned outage, the Business Resource Center (BRC) will apply updates and maintenance.
This work will begin on Saturday, Nov. 23, at 6 a.m. and is scheduled to be completed by 7 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 24.
The system will not be available for access by any County staff during this outage window. There will be a communication sent out to all County staff when the system becomes available.
We realize that this outage impacts PeopleSoft users. We appreciate your understanding and support.
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King County recognized for honoring our active duty National Guard and Reserve employees
As an employer, King County understands that those in the armed service bring with them unique skills, ideas and perspectives, We also know that these individuals have an overwhelming sense of service, and we want that here at King County! Therefore, King County is committed to supporting both our National Guard and Reserve employees who serve and their families.
We are pleased to be the recipient of the Department of Defense’s Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) “Above and Beyond” Award for the comprehensive USERRA benefits we offer. The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA) is a Federal law that establishes rights and responsibilities for uniformed Service members and their civilian employers.
In addition, a number of King County supervisors have also received ESGR’s “Patriot Award” for the outstanding support they provide to their employee who serves in the Guard or Reserve. Since 2015, 7 supervisors have been honored for their role in valuing and supporting their active duty King County employees.
The ESGR presented King County, the Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention (DAJD), and several County managers with these awards at a recent event. Read more and view pictures of it here.
View our 2018 Statement of Support for the Guard and Reserve below, signed by King County Executive Dow Constantine, ESGR National Chair Craig R. McKinley, and Secretary of Defense James Mattis. Available as a PDF here.
We also proudly display the ESGR Proud Supporter Badge, below, as allowed by the ESGR for companies and organizations providing support of National Guard and Reserve employees.
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Foreclosure prevention team helps homeowners and reduces property tax foreclosures
Pictured: Ana Schoenecker and Valmarie Bontrager are two of the accomplished team members helping reduce property tax foreclosures significantly. Not pictured Laura Wilson.
King County has reduced the number of properties going to the annual tax foreclosure auction by one third compared with 2018, continuing a trend of reducing foreclosures.
In 2019, 1,910 parcels were subject to foreclosure, with just 60 ending up in the annual tax foreclosure auction. In 2018, 2,310 parcels were subject to foreclosure, and 99 parcels went to the foreclosure auction.
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