Taking care of ourselves and one another in a difficult time
Dear colleague,
Whitney Abrams, Chief People Officer, King County Executive Office
Over the last several weeks in the national media, we have seen courageous women coming forward and reporting their experiences of sexual assault. Many of us have been impacted by these reports and the media that surrounds them.
I know that there are many different reactions to this news. I also want to acknowledge there are many cases of sexual assault and harassment that don’t get national attention, and many that don’t get reported out of fear and marginalization. This is especially true for members of the transgender community, Native women, and women of color.
If you feel like you want to talk to someone, our Making Life Easier service is available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-888-874-7290 (for King County employees and their families). If you are a sexual assault survivor, you can also contact the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE. The King County Sexual Assault Resource Center is also a good resource, and they have shared this article that may be helpful.
It is a fractious and difficult time for our nation and many of our communities. It is time for us to come together and ensure we are building a welcoming, safe and tolerant community in King County, and a workplace culture that is free of harassment, discrimination and retaliation.
I continue to feel inspired by you, our employees, and your impassioned service and empathy for others. We are steadfast in our Equity and Social Justice and Investing In YOU commitments here at King County. I look forward to working with you as we continue our progress together.
Thank you for everything that you do.
Sincerely,
Whitney Abrams,
Chief People Officer
Share this:
Leo Flor appointed Director of the Department of Community and Human Services
Dear fellow King County employee,
King County Executive Dow Constantine
I am pleased to announce the appointment of Leo Flor as our new Director of the Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS). His appointment is subject to Council confirmation.
Leo was the successful candidate from our nationwide recruitment for the new director. He currently serves as Director of DCHS’ Community Services Division, overseeing services that connect people to employment, support military veterans and their families, and ensure that older adults can live with dignity. Prior to that he managed the successful effort to renew the Veterans, Seniors and Human Services Levy. He is a West Point graduate who earned his law degree from the University of Washington, and served in the U.S. Army as an airborne ranger-qualified infantry officer.
Leo has the complete skill set to build on the progress we have made to help every child, youth, and adult in King County achieve their full potential. His success at building a strong, broad coalition for the Veterans, Seniors and Human Services levy demonstrated the leadership ability I wanted for this Cabinet position. With Leo as director, our employees and partners will continue to deliver measurable outcomes that improve the quality of life in King County.
Leo will succeed Director Adrienne Quinn, who recently accepted an offer to be a Distinguished Practitioner at the University of Washington’s Evans School of Public Policy & Governance after five years leading DCHS. I want to once again thank Adrienne for her leadership of DCHS and her work on behalf of the people of King County. Her contributions have helped countless people in our region get services and support that have enabled them to be healthy, happy, self-reliant and connected to our community.
I look forward to working with Leo and continuing the great work DCHS does to protect and support our most vulnerable residents.
Sincerely,
Dow Constantine
King County Executive
Share this:
Featured Job: Administrative Coordinator (Special Duty)
Salary: 22.94 – 29.08 Hourly
Location: Seattle, WA
Job Type: Special Duty Assignment
Department: Department of Executive Services – Human Resources Division
Job Number: 2018EM08716
Closing: 10/16/2018 11:59 PM Pacific
This is a SPECIAL DUTY opportunity and only qualified internal candidates currently employed by King County government will be considered. This assignment is anticipated to last 6-12 months in duration. First consideration will be given to qualified candidates of Teamsters Local 117 Administrative.
Learn more about this position or all available jobs.
Share this:
Training Spotlight: Intermediate to PeopleSoft Query and Advanced PeopleSoft Query
Intermediate to PeopleSoft Query, Oct. 9: It is open to experienced PeopleSoft Query users who have completed the Introduction to PeopleSoft Query training. Topics covered will include expressions and functions (operators, data fields, data conversion), complex criteria (use of Like, In List, condition types, grouping), the XLAT table (what is it, how it works), advanced prompts using prompt tables, simple unions and subqueries and case studies of interesting queries. Learn more and register on Eventbrite.
Advanced PeopleSoft Query, Oct. 17: It is open to experienced PeopleSoft Query users who have completed the Intermediate PeopleSoft Query training. Topics covered will include subqueries (Exist/Not Exist, In List/Not In List, other condition types), the Case statement (If-Then-Else logic), union queries and outer joins, case studies (the “movement” queries and more), and aggregates (create and Q/C aggregate queries). Learn more and register on Eventbrite.
Share this:
Protect your pet against rabies
Crossposted from tails from RASKC
Public Health – Seattle & King County has tracked several cases of rabies in wild animals in our region this year. This potentially deadly virus is contagious, and in our state is usually carried by bats. While not every bat is infected with rabies, call Public Health at 206-296-4774 or seek help from a healthcare professional any time a person or pet has come in contact with a bat.
Share this:
Don’t be left out! Update your personal information in PeopleSoft
Reasons why it’s important to review and update your personal information in PeopleSoft:
- You will get important Open Enrollment and other employee benefits information mailed to you at the home address you provide.
- Your emergency contact can be notified if something happens to you at work.
- Someone at King County can reach you with information about building closures, safety directives, etc.
- You can receive information at the email address you prefer
Here’s how:
- Sign in to PeopleSoft. You can also access PeopleSoft from home: ess.kingcounty.gov.
- Go to Personal Details
- Make sure all items are up-to-date
- Save any changes
If you need a new password, go to Forgot My Password. If you have any other login issues, call the IT Service Center: 206-263-4357.
Share this:
King County Archives Road Show, Oct. 10
King County Archives is opening our vault and sharing history with fellow county employees and the public! On Wednesday, October 10 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. archives staff will be in Chinook Building Room 115 to answer your archives-related questions. Interesting exhibits, stickers and our “Archives Photo Booth” where you can take fun selfies with historical images from our archives will also be on hand. Come see how the King County Archives is turning your records into history. View the flyer for more information here.
For more information contact County Archivist Carol Shenk at Carol.Shenk@kingcounty.gov.
Share this:
Judge Maureen McKee brings a wealth of experience
Crossposted from For the Defense
Pictured: Judge McKee enjoys a moment with a well-wisher after her swearing-in ceremony in the King County Courthouse in September.
Since she obtained her law degree from Cornell University 16 years, Maureen McKee has been in the trenches of public defense, working as a line attorney and supervisor in one of King County’s public defense agencies. She has represented teenagers and adults, people charged with felonies and misdemeanors, clients who stood to be hospitalized against their will or civilly committed as a sexually violent predator.
As the newest member of the King County Superior Court bench, Judge McKee has stepped into a profoundly different world. Assigned to a civil rotation, she’s now presiding over cases involving car accidents, insurance disputes, and, most recently, a tough tenant/landlord fight having to do with allegations of mold.
Read more at For the Defense
Share this:
Leadership transitions at King County
Executive Constantine and his Senior Leadership Team have recently announced a number of leadership changes at King County departments:
Earlier today Executive Constantine announced his appointment of Anita Khandelwal as Director of the King County Department of Public Defense. Khandelwal’s appointment is subject to Council approval. Anita has served as the DPD Interim Director since July. Prior to that she served as the department’s Deputy Director of Law and Policy. She joined DPD in November 2015 and has been practicing law for more than a decade.
Yesterday Executive Constantine appointed John Taylor as the first director of the new Department of Local Services (DLS). His appointment is subject to Council approval. John will provide the leadership of this new department which will focus on deliver outstanding service to the quarter-million people of unincorporated King County. Taylor currently serves as an assistant division director at the King County Department of Natural Resources & Parks.
Brenda Bauer was appointed Deputy Chief Operating Officer, reporting to Chief Operating Officer Casey Sixkiller. Bauer, who was director of the Roads Services Division at the King County Department of Transportation, will immediately serve as interim director of the Department of Adult & Juvenile Detention to support DAJD’s leadership transition.
Willie Hayes, the director of the Department of Adult & Juvenile Detention, announced his December 1 retirement after 34 years of service. Hayes is an example of an employee who worked his way up through the ranks, and his leadership will be missed. A recruitment for the new director is currently underway.
Department of Transportation Director Harold Taniguchi announced last week that he will be leaving King County at the end of the year after 35 years of service. Taniguchi has been instrumental in leading the effort to create a Department of Local Services and helping to secure Council approval for the new department. Like Willie Hayes, Taniguchi worked his way through the ranks at King County, starting his career as an intern, and eventually rising to the position of department director.
Community and Human Services Director Adrienne Quinn will be leaving the County on November 30 for an appointment as Distinguished Practitioner at the University of Washington’s Evans School. She will help develop the next generation of local leaders in public policy after a very successful launch of the County’s Best Start for Kids program and developing new approaches to the delivery of effective human services.
Congratulations and thank you to all of these leaders for their service to the people of King County.
Share this:
October is Disability Awareness Month in King County
Dear fellow King County employee,
King County Executive Dow Constantine
October is Disability Awareness Month in King County, a time to celebrate and recognize the many contributions of people with disabilities in our community and around the world. It’s also a time to raise awareness about challenges that people with disabilities face and look at what we can do to help them thrive and fulfill their potential.
Everyone deserves a fair shot at success. We are all better off when everyone has an equitable opportunity to fully participate in our community and contribute their unique perspectives and talents.
At King County we work every day to break down barriers that keep people from achieving their goals. We offer many programs and services that support people with disabilities such as our Supported Employment Program, which helps people with developmental disabilities find rewarding careers with us. Recruiting people into our workforce through this program is a great way of bringing talented employees with unique perspectives into County government, and I am proud of the opportunities we are creating through this program.
We also use our network of services to help people make the most of everything this region has to offer, whether it’s through improved access to public transit, making our Parks facilities and trails more accessible, offering housing assistance and improvement programs, or providing Accessible Voting Centers with audio or large print ballots and other assistive devices.
It’s our job to be relentless in our work of removing barriers and expanding opportunity. That’s how we ensure we are a community where every person can pursue their passion regardless of who they are, where they are from, or the unique abilities they possess.
Sincerely,
Dow Constantine
King County Executive
Employee News 