Learn how to boost your retirement savings
Employees and their spouse or significant other are invited to learn more about saving for retirement with the King County Deferred Compensation Plan. Upcoming in-person sessions on Oct. 29, 30, and 31 will include: Social Security Simplified, Retirement Savings Options, Savings Strategies, and Achieving Financial Goals. See details and registration here.
Other sessions are offered throughout the year. For more information about Deferred Compensation Plan education — including webinars — visit the Deferred Compensation webpage. For questions please contact KC Deferred Comp.
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New funding opportunity from the Veterans, Seniors and Human Services Levy
The King County Department of Community and Human Services is now accepting applications for a facilitator for the recently awarded Countywide Commercial Sexual Exploitation (CSE) Collaborative. The facilitator will support the four awarded agencies in building a shared mission and vision and to develop a service model and work plan to steward the goals identified by the Collaborative. Applications are due Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2019 by 5 p.m.
There is up to $65,000 in VSHSL Technical Assistance and Capacity Building (TACB) funds available. The investment period is Dec. 2019 – Dec. 31, 2020, subject to change. Funding and guidance is provided by the Veterans, Seniors and Human Services Levy (VSHSL) and the VSHSL Implementation Plan.
Successful applicants will support the Collaborative to develop and implement strategies that will lead to long-term investments in communities, organizations and individuals to promote agency, safety and the well-being of persons with lived experience in the sex trade.
For question and to apply contact Allison Jurkovich at AJurkovich@kingcounty.gov. For additional information visit the funding opportunities webpage.
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2019 Annual Giving Drive: Spotlight on nonprofits supporting animal welfare
King County’s Annual Giving Drive Program started Monday, Oct. 7, and almost 1,200 nonprofits are taking part this year. Throughout this year’s drive, we’ll be featuring four nonprofits in different categories. This week, we’re highlighting four nonprofits that support and offer animal adoptions, rehabilitation for senior animals, and training services.
- Greyhound Pets, Inc. (9935) PO Box 891, Woodinville. WA 98072 – This foundation places retired Greyhounds in loving and secure homes and educate the public on the benefits of Greyhounds as family companions. They have multiple locations across the Puget Sound area, as well as Idaho and British Columbia.
- North Beach Progressive Animal Welfare Society (9463) 2222 SR 109 Hoquiam, WA 98550 – A no-kill, nonprofit, all volunteer animal shelter devoted to finding unwanted or homeless animals a loving forever home.
- Purrfect Pals (9221) 230 McRae Rd NE, Arlington, WA 98223 – Through placement and prevention programs, this foundation works to end cat homelessness in the Puget Sound region – because every cat matters.
- Emerald City Pet Rescue (0973) 2962 First Ave South, Suite B, Seattle, WA 98134 – A nonprofit founded by Vivian Goldbloom in 2013, to rescue abused, neglected, and homeless animals from high volume shelters around the country.
All these nonprofits focus on rehabilitating, adoption, and training/educational services for animals. With various nonprofits participating this year, the Employee Giving Drive Program offers employees the option to participate in a nonprofit expo online or in person, making it more inclusive. Don’t forget to also download a Giving Passport, which once you complete, you can be entered for a chance to win a prize. For more information, a list of participating nonprofits or if you would simply like to donate, visit the Employee Giving Campaign Annual Drive Nonprofit Search Directory. Happy Giving!
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Recycling program builds relationships between King County and Spanish-speaking communities
Advancing our “We are responsible stewards” value
Pictured: The leadership team for the facilitadores after completing a King County provided grant training class.
The Recicla más, or Recycle more program, provides information about recycling in Spanish to communities throughout King County. Started in 2011, Recicla más has relied on developing a partnership with facilitadores, or community educators, in the Latinx community to help improve and increase recycling. The Solid Waste Division (SWD), in the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks, is further expanding this work with several multicultural/multilingual communities in King County to educate residents and businesses about recycling , composting, and waste prevention best practices. These partnerships ensure that the program educates and empowers these communities through culturally sensitive and culturally competent principles.
Gerty Coville, Program/Project Manager for Recicla más, explains why doing this work from an equity and social justice perspective is essential. Gerty has been with King County since 1990, and began her work in SWD in 2000. She explains how SWD regularly seeks to create programs that address community needs using an equity and social justice lens.
“The program addresses the needs of people in a way that resonates with them,” said Gerty. “This is a community we have not worked with before due to language, cultural and access barriers.”
Because management of solid waste has a direct impact on climate change, resource conservation, and environmental health, Gerty emphasizes how essential it is to have programs like Recicla más.
“Working directly with these communities, who are motivated to learn more about recycling, composting and waste prevention, will have big impacts in King County,” she said.
The program is managed by Gerty and includes 14 community educators, called facilitadores, five of whom serve on the leadership team developing outreach and engagement strategies. These facilitadores further expand existing partnerships between SWD and community groups to promote education about the importance of recycling. They help to develop program materials to teach the public, and bring feedback or ideas to the table for future equity and social justice efforts. This work helps build inroads to communities that may be hard to reach. This is essential to building trust with these communities so that the program makes a difference.
Pictured: The entire group of facilitadores at a recent meeting.
“The work we are doing providing services to these communities is impactful. These communities are growing and make up a growing percentage of our population,” said Gerty.
“We started with focusing on the Spanish speaking community because demographically the Spanish language community comprises about 11% of the King County residential population. We make great efforts to reach multiple dialects within the Spanish-speaking community,” she added.
The program focuses on areas outside of downtown Seattle, mainly in the south end of King County, but also in pocket areas southwest, East and north where multilingual communities live. In addition to these partnerships with communities and the facilitadoras, the program relies on social media and digital advertising to spread the word. Its Facebook page has almost 2,000 likes and regularly shares information in colorful videos and images. Its online presence is popular and Gerty explains this has been a successful platform for outreach because the Latinx community prefers social media engagement.
“From a strategic perspective we thought ‘who are our most vulnerable and least accessible communities who can’t access these services?’ so we have to go to them,” she said. “We develop outreach programs to meet the community where they are, in terms of their recycling and composting practices, but we still have a long way to go and a lot of multilingual/multicultural communities to reach.”
While the program’s success is due to the continued growth of this region and the equity and social justice ordinance King County has put in place, the fact that employees prioritize community needs and their work addressing these needs has also contributed to its success. It is a practice that Gerty takes pride in.
“King County employees know we have a diverse community to serve,” she said. “They know this is our community and we are directed to provide service so if we don’t do that, it is a deficit to our community.”
Pictured: The Solid Waste Division ESJ strategic team.
Gerty looks forward to passing on this meaningful work in recycling and environmental health to the next generation of King County leaders, and expanding the reach of culturally resonant programs like Recicla más. She sees the program as an opportunity to both educate communities, and highlight their role in King County’s work.
“In the program we are working to ensure that we have the resources to devote to a whole array of groups so we can teach multiple topics to those communities and help them gain experience in the research conservation world,” she said.
“It would be great for people to learn about this and maybe one day come to work for King County, making our workplace a more multicultural and welcoming place.”
The Recicla más program is also a great example of how King County applies the True North value “We are responsible stewards” to its work. Gerty and the Solid Waste Division are thoughtfully using resources and skills to make a deep impact on both the environment and the King County community. To learn more about the Recicla más program, visit www.kingcounty.gov/reciclamas.
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Meaningful program creates workplace efficiencies and opportunities for employees
King County’s Supported Employment Program matches job seekers with developmental disabilities to available jobs by identifying efficiencies and unmet needs throughout King County departments. The program allows each department to review its standard work practices utilizing Lean principles. A job coach is also available to help supported employees thrive in the workplace.
Christina Davidson, Supported Employment Program Manager shares how meaningful this can be in several ways.
“When creating opportunities to be more inclusive with our hiring we are also creating efficiencies and cost savings in departments,” she said. “It’s pretty cool to get to hire more inclusively and have it also help your bottom line.”
One of these new hires is Mariam Laine, who recently started working in the Department of Public Defense (DPD) in the Client Clothing Room. DPD maintains a clothing room to support their clients with trial clothing for court appearances, so they hired Mariam to maintain, organize, inventory and fill requests for trial clothing for all of the divisions. Mariam also supports the finance department by scanning digital receipts for assigned counsel cases. Prior to centralizing the Client Clothing Room, all of the DPD divisions were maintaining their own clothing and purchases.
Pictured: The Department of Public Defense maintains a clothing room to support their clients with trial clothing for court appearances, so they hired Supported Employee Mariam to maintain, organize, inventory and fill requests for trial clothing for all of the divisions.
“There was no standard process, so we took a Lean approach and created one large clothing closet for all the divisions to utilize,” said Laura Federighi, Chief Financial Officer for DPD. “I thought that managing the clothing room and supporting with administrative needs in our department seemed like a good fit for the Supported Employment Program.”
“There are so many jobs that people can do if we structure them right. Employees in the Supported Employment Program bring so much to the worksite.”
Terry Howard, Project/Program Manager III and Mariam’s direct supervisor, agrees. She shares that Mariam has been a great help in the workplace, handling incoming requests and inventory as well as maintaining the clothing room.
“Mariam’s been a great fit too. She is eager to learn and takes pride in her work. She’s also a joy to work with.”
Mariam takes satisfaction in her work, and the opportunity it has provided her to become independent. Helping employees grow and share their skill sets with one another is an important part of the program.
“I feel happy here and I like working full time. I am able to move into my own apartment, which was a goal of mine,” she said. “I have enjoyed meeting new people, making friends and learning new things. I am pretty shy, so my coworkers have helped me to feel more comfortable.”
Pictured: Supported Employee Chris Noel
Another supported employee is Chris Noel, who works at the Department of Elections as a Data Entry Assistant. His position works to process voter records. The Elections office receives a high volume of voter records each day from the Department of Licensing that need to be processed within the voter tracking system.
Kim Streeter, Program Supervisor I, shared how important it is these records are updated regularly and kept in order.
“Our average amount of records per day is 800. When we have to pause for the election cycle and those individual records start really building up. It has gotten up to 28,000 records,” she said.
Chris was brought on board to verify voter registration information for new and existing voter accounts. His work has helped him gain new skills. It has also opened up training and mentoring opportunities for members of the team to train Chris on the standardized procedures.
“Hiring Chris has helped us keep up with our records. It has also giving other employees leadership opportunities to provide training to him,” Kim said. “Chris is great at his work. He is dependable and dedicated to doing a good job.”
Chris’s job coach helped onboard him at Elections with the initial training, and now checks in regularly to support Chris, Kim and the entire team when needed. The work varies and allows Chris to get to know his coworkers and feel that he is making a visible impact.
“I like working in a quiet atmosphere where everyone is friendly and helpful. I enjoy doing different tasks,” he said. “After being unemployed for two years, finding a job that I really enjoy, and receiving positive feedback about my work, I feel really happy to come to work every day.”
The program is doubly effective as it meets line of business needs, but does so in a way that provides real value to each supported employee. Departments within King County who participate in the program benefit from a dedicated employee who cares about their work.
“The Supported Employment Program continues to grow. We are now have 55 supported employees within King County,” said Christina.
“Big thank you to the leadership in Department of Public Defense, Elections, and other departments for utilizing the Supported Employment Program to fill their business needs.”
To learn more, visit the Supported Employment Program website, or contact Program Manager Christina Davidson at Christina.Davidson@kingcounty.gov to find out how to take advantage of this program.
To support the Department of Public Defense with a clothing donation, contact Terry Howard at Terry.Howard@kingcounty.gov.
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DPD’s new special counsel has long worked at the forefront of social change
By Leslie Brown, Department of Public Defense
As a young woman just out of college and well aware of institutionalized racism and its generational impact on black and brown people in America, La Rond Baker decided to use her degree to teach GED and Adult Basic Education classes at the King County Correctional Facility. Even so, she was struck by what she saw in the jail – by the stark racial disparities between the jail population and the general population of Seattle.
Two years later, La Rond went to work for Powerful Voices, a Seattle-based nonprofit focused on developing young women’s social justice leadership and advocacy. There, she worked with young women in juvenile detention and again saw how various institutional systems – from education to foster care – failed young people in incredibly vulnerable positions.
Law school was the next logical jump, she said. “As much as I loved direct service and recognize its importance, I realized I wanted to use my skills to work for systemic and institutional change.”
Today, La Rond (the “d” in her name is silent) is the Department of Public Defense’s new special counsel for affirmative litigation and policy, where working to address systemic change is part of her job description. Though here less than two months, La Rond has already begun working in collaboration with DPD supervisors on the use of restraints at the Involuntary Treatment Act Court, on an amicus brief on jury pay, and on mental health and transgender issues at the King County jail. She’s representing a family in an inquest over a police shooting, helping to develop DPD’s new role in that process.
“There’s no shortage of issues to work on,” she said.
La Rond obtained her JD from the University of Washington in 2010. Shortly after law school, she became a staff attorney at ACLU of Washington, where she was lead or co-counsel on several high-profile cases and quickly developed a reputation as a thorough and aggressive litigator.
As an ACLU attorney, La Rond worked on two voting rights cases (Montes v. City of Yakima and Glatt v. City of Pasco), successfully challenging the cities of Yakima and Pasco for the way they were diluting the Latino vote. Shortly after a federal judge ruled in ACLU’s favor, three Latino candidates won seats on the Yakima City Council, a first in the city’s history.
She waged a successful battle on behalf of Muslim inmates at the Pierce County Jail who were being denied certain religious freedoms (Tarrer v. Pierce County). She tried the Trueblood case, along with Anita Khandelwal and several other attorneys, helping to successfully challenge the state’s failure to provide timely competency services to defendants ordered to receive mental health treatment.
She might have happily stayed at the ACLU for several more years, were it not for a watershed moment – President Trump’s travel ban. Inspired by State Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s determination to stand up to the Trump administration, La Rond saw that one could do meaningful and important work in government. “It was impressive. I had never thought of being a government attorney until that moment.”
Shortly thereafter, La Rond joined the Civil Rights Unit of the AG’s Office and continued to use her legal skills to effect change. One of her biggest cases was against GEO, the private company that runs the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma (it recently changed its name to the Northwest ICE Processing Center), challenging GEO’s practice of paying detainees $1 day, instead of minimum wage, to perform work profiting the corporation. The case continues to move forward after a federal judge this month refused to dismiss it, the third such ruling.
However, since those days in the King County jail, La Rond continued to feel drawn to criminal justice work. Thus, when she learned that DPD was looking for a special counsel focused on litigation and policy, a position that would entail addressing systemic issues that keep poor people and people of color ensnared in the criminal legal system, she jumped at the opportunity.
“Addressing the failings of the criminal legal system is one of the greatest ways to address racial disparities, because involvement in the criminal legal system is what leads to exclusion from basic economic opportunities – from housing, from educational opportunities, from jobs. It also rips families and communities apart,” she said.
Throughout her career, her civil work has often overlapped with criminal defense. She’s glad to now be joining the fight. “This is the job I went to law school for,” she added. ”I’m excited to be here.”
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Five questions with Chris O’Claire, Division Director for Mobility, King County Metro
Why did you start in your role with King County?
I started at King County 15 years ago as an intern in the Service Development. I joined Metro because I was passionate about making a positive impact on the environment. And, I was immediately drawn to public transportation as a way to reduce carbon emissions by getting people out of their cars. But what keeps me here is the people – the employees that are committed to providing the best public transportation and the customers.
For me, the ability to connect customers to their families, workplaces, medical facilities and communities via the various public transportation opportunities we offer is the icing on the cake.
What do you do in your role?
As the Division Director for Mobility, I oversee the planning and preparation for all services, including the development of market innovations for our customers and employers, the connection of our customers on a daily basis to the system, and the delivery of all non-fixed route services. I try to stay at a strategic level, guiding leaders in the mobility division to make decisions, assess risks and allocate resources.
Why did you choose this field as your career?
Somehow the career chose me. I am an environmental economist by training, with a real desire for serving people. Public service is a real passion of mine, as I aspire on a daily basis to improve our communities.
What is the biggest challenge of your job?
Managing my time is the biggest one. As a Division Director, I feel pulled in many different directions by colleagues, stakeholders, customers, elected officials, etc. I try to focus on assessing risks rather than managing details. What I love most is connecting with people – from hearing about what inspires employees professionally or personally to listening to customers on how they thrive or struggle with our services. I love finding pockets of time to connect with people.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
The people! Metro employees inspire me to come to work every day. The commitment we share as a team to deliver the best services to our customers is a big draw. Additionally, I come to work to be challenged on a daily basis. More recently, I’ve been trying to live by our four Pro-Equity Compacts and I am focused on being “comfortable with discomfort.” I am challenging myself to listen deeply to others and think openly around how to lead with a new mindset around delivering services where needs are greatest.
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King County Council recognizes 2019 Disability Awareness Month
Click to view the full proclamation.
On Oct. 16, 2019, the Metropolitan King County Council proclaimed October as Disability Awareness Month in King County, celebrating the many contributions that people with disabilities make to our community and workforce. The proclamation is a reminder of our continued efforts to break down barriers so that people of all abilities can share their unique abilities, perspectives and talents.
Signed into law in 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ensures that people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else. The ADA prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and private places that are open to the general public.
This proclamation is a testament to all the hard work by activists with disabilities and their advocates around the nation. At King County, we celebrate those efforts but know that our work is ongoing and we will continue to advocate, serve and promote our values of inclusion. View the full proclamation here. The announcement can also be seen on the Council’s Twitter and Facebook.
As we prepare to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the passing of the ADA, we are asking for employee volunteers that identify as having a disability and allies to coordinate events next Oct. Please email Christina.davidson@kingcounty.gov if you are interested in helping to plan events/trainings for Disability Awareness month next year.
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Please join us in the Annual Giving Drive
Dear Fellow King County Employee and Giving Partner,
We want to share something amazing about our Employee Giving Program – thanks to the generosity of the people who work here, we celebrate having raised more than $32 million since our program began in 1988.
What does that mean for our community? It means numerous children have learned to read. It means countless seniors at risk for hunger have eaten hot, nourishing meals. It means increasing numbers of animals have gone to live in their forever homes. And it means researchers have achieved groundbreaking results to advance medicine.
The theme for this year’s Annual Giving Drive is a quote by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: “The time is always right to do the right thing.”
Today, and every day, our shared passion shines throughout the King County Employee Giving Program. The program supports you in all the ways you give with year-round options and resources, including volunteering.
We invite you to join us in this year’s Annual Giving Drive both by taking action on behalf of a cause important to you and by sharing your giving story. With so many ways to give and nearly 1,200 nonprofit organizations, you can participate in numerous ways.
From now through November 22, go online or use a paper form to pledge to your favorite Employee Giving Program nonprofits through:
- Payroll Donation: Choice of onetime, once per month, or twice per month deductions.
- Time Donation: Eligible vacation or comp time. See your department’s lead ambassador for details.
- Check: Made out directly to a nonprofit.
- Sick Leave for Volunteer Service: Eligible employees may use up to three sick days per calendar year to volunteer at an Employee Giving Program nonprofit or local school.
- Credit Card: Support your coworkers at special events!
Every individual contribution matters in helping our diverse community thrive. Just $5 per pay period can make a genuine difference to people, animals, and our environment. Learn more at kingcounty.gov/giving.
We are both huge fans of the Employee Giving Program, and we invite you to join us!
Your 2019 Annual Giving Drive Honorary Co-Chairs,
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Training Spotlight: Basic First Aid/CPR/AED, renewal
Basic First Aid/CPR/AED, renewal, multiple dates: The “Medic First Aid” program provides basic first aid, CPR, and AED (automated external defibrillator) training. The renewal option is for those who hold a current First Aid/CPR/AED card. It consists of a brief review of primary topics, followed by performance of each skill. This certification is valid for 2 years. Learn more and register here.
View more training and development opportunities at www.kingcounty.gov/learning.
Employee News 