Passport Day a resounding success
Congratulations to everyone involved in the recent “Passport Day” at the Black River Community Service Center in Renton. The Recorder’s Office held the event on Saturday, June 1, to accommodate residents who might not otherwise be able to apply for a U.S. passport in person during standard weekday hours.
“It exceeded our expectations,” said Norm Alberg, director of the Records and Licensing Services Division (RALS). “Staff were busy all day and people were very happy.”
Read more from DES Express
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King County debuts app to report noxious weeds
King County residents concerned about noxious weeds have a new gardening tool to turn to when it comes to eliminating invasive species — a mobile app that makes it easier to identify and report the precise location of such plants.
With technical assistance from Microsoft and Slalom Consulting, the new app called King County Connect eliminates a complicated reporting process in which the public was previously required to take a photo of a suspected noxious weed, match it through their own image search, submit a report on the King County website and estimate the location of where the photo was taken.
Read more about this accomplishment in an article on Geekwire.com.
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Join us for Pride Flag-raising today at 1 p.m. and Pride Parade Sunday
You’re invited to join King County Executive Dow Constantine as he hoists the Pride Flag over the Administration Building today at 1 p.m. in celebration of Pride Month.
Executive Constantine will be joined by King County Councilmembers and employees on the Administration Building Plaza (Fourth Avenue side, 500 Fourth Avenue) at 1 p.m. Thursday, June 27, as we debut a new version of the Pride Flag.
The “Progress” Pride Flag was designed by Daniel Quasar of quasar.digital and shared under a Creative Commons license. This new design is an evolution of the traditional six-stripe rainbow flag, and is meant to be more representative of the entire LGBTQ+ community. It adds five stripes on the left, arranged as forward-pointing arrows. The white, light pink, and light blue stripes represent transgender and non-binary people. The black and brown stripes symbolize communities of color. The black stripe also honors the lives lost to HIV/AIDS.
This Sunday, June 30, you can also join Executive Constantine and hundreds of King County colleagues, family, and friends in the Seattle Pride Parade in support of LGBTQ+ rights. Learn more here.
Your attendance at these events is of course strictly voluntary, and employees will not be compensated or receive overtime for attending.
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Why is it important to work for an LGBTQ-inclusive employer?
King County is dedicated to being a welcoming, inclusive place – and that includes being a welcoming, inclusive place to work. As we prepare to celebrate Pride this weekend, you’re invited to watch and hear from your colleagues who are members of the LGBTQ community about being part of our 15,000-person team. We strive toward equity and inclusion every day, and our message to everyone is clear: you belong here.
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Eric Stark’s first day back
We rode along with Eric Stark on his first day back operating a King County Metro bus on June 11, 2019. Welcome back, Eric!
Eric Stark was greeted with the community’s love and support as he returned to driving a King County Metro bus after surviving gunfire and protecting his passengers during a shooting incident in Seattle on March 27, 2019.
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2019 BECU Movies at Marymoor Park schedule announced
BECU Outdoor Movies at Marymoor Park, presented by Overlake Medical Center and Clinics, starts its season on July 10. Big screen flicks, variety entertainment, and some of Seattle’s best food trucks will be available. All events are “bring your own seating,” dog friendly and smoke free. Join the fun at King County’s Marymoor Park in the big grass field!
The complete line-up and more information can be found at on the Movies at Marymoor website or at www.facebook.com/moviesatmarymoor.
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Summer is heating up – and so should your water safety planning
Crossposted from Public Health Insider
According to climate scientists, chances are it’s going to be a hotter summer than typical across King County. Hot weather brings people out to our region’s lakes, rivers and salt water areas looking to cool off and have fun. But the more folks flock to beaches and rivers, the higher the likelihood that more people will drown, both fatally and non-fatally. There have been seven child and youth drowning deaths since 2015. In 2018, 16 people lost their lives on King County waters. The Insider sat down with Tony Gomez, Public Health’s Violence and Injury Prevention Manager, to learn five simple tips to stay safe this summer at area beaches and rivers:
Swim only at a lifeguarded beaches. According to Tony, it’s easy to miss the signs of a drowning person. It can happen without a sound: For children and adults who are not strong swimmers and even with better swimmers, drowning can happen quickly and without drawing notice.
Read more from Public Health Insider
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Congratulations 2019 Bridge Fellowship graduates
More than 100 leaders, colleagues, family, and friends celebrated the 27 employees who graduated from the 20-week Bridge Fellowship, King County’s intensive professional development program, at a ceremony in downtown Seattle.
King County Executive Dow Constantine gave the keynote address at the June 24 ceremony, speaking about the importance of providing genuine opportunities for employee development and advancement, and how the Executive Branch True North – Making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive – is connected to this focus.
“With the Bridge Fellowship, we are developing employees, helping them thrive at work and in their careers, so they are in the best position to lead the work of Making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive,” Executive Constantine said. “I am confident that as these employees continue through their King County careers, they will lead and serve King County with integrity and respect as we move closer to our True North, because of what they learned and contributed through the Bridge Fellowship Program.”
Pictured: King County Executive Dow Constantine with the 2019 Bridge Fellowship graduates.
Over the course of the program, participants engaged in classroom learning, group projects, presentations, and career development activities, as well as interviews and site visits to gain a deeper understanding of the County’s structure and priorities, develop new skills, and expand their leadership abilities.
Chief People Officer Whitney Abrams talked about the work she is overseeing of building a workplace culture that allows employees to be their best and do their best work.
“It’s a culture that encourages learning, and provides real opportunities for employees to develop and advance in the county careers,” Abrams said. “That’s why Executive Constantine launched our Investing in YOU strategy; so we have a plan to ensure that every employee has the tools, support, and opportunity to thrive in their careers. This Bridge Fellowship is a key piece of that strategy.”
The Bridge Fellowship has been delivering results for participants. Of the 46 graduates since 2014, 78% have received new roles, special duty assignments, or other stretch opportunities.
Executive Constantine sees the Bridge Fellowship as a concrete way to support employees’ career development and advancement goals.
“It’s helping us become a true learning and development organization, one that offers equitable opportunities for growth and advancement, no matter where you work, what you do or where you are in your career,” he said.
Other speakers at the graduation included Stacey McQuade-Eger, Director of the Career and Culture Division of the Department of Human Resources, Debra Baker, Bridge Fellowship Program Manager, and Bridge Fellows Jessica Tollenaar Cafferty, Jose Romo Ramirez, and Ladna Farah.
Congratulations to this year’s Bridge Fellowship graduates: Michelle Anderson (Transit), Porsche Austin (Transit), Nathan Brown (DNRP), Kerren Buchanan (Public Health), Ladna Farah (DAJD), Nickie Ford (DES), Emily Hart (DCHS), Abdirahman Hashi (DCHS) Anderson Jones (Transit), Tiffany Kalfur (DAJD), Saybre Locke (DES), Sarah Margeson (DNRP), Rocio G. Martinez Lopez (King County Council), Myranda Miller (KCIT), Delroy Mukungatu (DES), Francisco Pine (Transit), Julio Rodriguez (DNRP), Jose Romo Ramirez (Public Health), Kendi Rossi (Superior Court), Susannah Rowles (DNRP), Shonita Savage (Public Health), Mindy Tiangson (Assessments), Jessica Tollenaar Cafferty (Public Health), Tsengyang Vang (Transit), Waverly Williams (Transit), Rafael Munoz-Cintron (PAO), Grace Fisk (recently relocated to California).
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Farmers Markets in full swing!
Summer is here which means fresh produce is also! The Seattle City Hall farmers market is now open, every Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., through October 9. This is one of five farmers markets organized by Pike Place. Come and check out over 15 vendors and enjoy an array of fresh spring greens, meats, baked goods, fresh flowers, berries, yogurt, honey, fermented foods and more.
Stop by the market frequently to see how offerings change with the seasons.
Outside of Seattle and King County? The Tilth Alliance maintains a list of regional farmers markets. You can search markets and information about them by location. Eat well and enjoy the season by visiting the farmers markets near you!
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Graduate shares her experience with Bridge Fellowship
Pictured: Ladna Farah speaking at the 2019 King County Bridge Fellowship graduation.
Ladna Farah graduated from King County’s Bridge Fellowship program on June 24, and gave a heartfelt speech about her experience in the program, her aspirations, and what she learned from it.
Good Afternoon! My name is Ladna Farah.
Thank you all for being here today. I would like to share my thoughts and discoveries about the topics: Fear and Leadership, to share how the King County Bridge Program has contributed to my personal development and to thank the King County Bridge Fellowship Program for awakening my leadership potential and aspirations.
There is a two-part adage about fear; I will share the first half of that adage with you now and the second half near the conclusion of my speech.
Fear! F. E. A. R. Fear Everything And Run!!!!!
Even as far back as a nine-year old immigrant schoolgirl, I have had a nearly paralyzing fear of public speaking. Echoes of that fear even continued through my restless sleep last night. Yet, I have the desire to be a leader who provides positive influence and impacts change for the good of our society but I have not allowed myself to be noticed.
At times I allowed my thoughts to get the best of me. I can be my harshest critic. And sometimes, my thoughts are based on assumptions, expectations, worst-case scenario, self-doubt and fear.
Perhaps you are familiar with the poem by Marianne Williamson, “Our Deepest Fear?” Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.” So which is it for me? What am I afraid of? Am I afraid of failure or power?
The King County Bridge Fellowship Program allowed me to explore that question and provided me the opportunity to identify new insights about myself at my own pace.
There are three parts of the Bridge Program that really stimulated me:
- Agreements – that established group norms in a safe and trusting environment, you can be your authentic self and there are no judgements.
- Characteristics of Leadership – learning how to build excellence and identifying traits I want to have as a strong leader who can influence others to be their best.
- A Self-Portrait– discovering my talents, creating and developing my mission statement and learning more about myself and my capabilities.
In Bridge, one of my biggest discoveries was becoming unafraid of discomfort! I learned to sit and absorb the discomfort. And, when I did, incredibly, it wasn’t fatal. I learned more about overcoming my fear.
As I look to contribute my knowledge, skills and abilities in the quest for a career in King County, and as a social justice advocate, I am told that I will need to be a leader at various times and for various reasons. Upon hearing that, my first reaction was fear. – Fear Everything And Run! But, I am comforted by an African proverb, “When there is no enemy within, the enemies outside cannot harm you”. That encourages me to speak my truth, to lead when needed, and to follow when necessary.
Leadership is not a destination, it’s a journey, a long, winding and bumpy road. That’s a road I am eager to travel. The Bridge Fellowship Program provides a bridge between self-doubt and leadership development; leadership lies within all of us, it just needs to be awakened.
I realize I am eliminating the enemy within me – my inner fear – and that I am poised to be a leader when called upon to do so. I am at the beginning of the journey – I still have a lot to learn. But I am on my way now because my old nemesis FEAR, now fears ME!!! The choice is, and always has been, to face my fear and face up to my capabilities.
Now, I promised you the second half of the adage. Let me conclude with the full saying now.
F.E.A.R – Fear Everything And Run
Or
Face Everything And Rise!!!
Thank You.
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