It’s National Social Security Month!
by Kirk Larson, Social Security Washington Public Affairs Specialist
National Social Security Month is celebrated in April and is dedicated to
educating you about Social Security programs and services. From programs that help support you through life’s journey, to services that help put you in control, to systems that help protect what’s important to you, Social Security is committed to helping secure today and tomorrow for you and your family.
During National Social Security Month, we encourage people to take control of their future with my Social Security at www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount. Create a my Social Security account to check your earnings history, confirm you have enough credits to retire, see an estimate of future benefits while still working, or manage your monthly benefits once you begin receiving them. You can also check the status of your claim or appeal, request a replacement Social Security card, and get an instant benefit verification letter.
Our Retirement Estimator is another great tool that provides you with immediate and personalized benefit estimates based on your own earnings record. This allows you to receive the most accurate estimate of your future retirement benefits. Estimate your benefits now at www.socialsecurity.gov/estimator.
After you have viewed your earnings history for accuracy, confirmed you have enough work credits to retire, and determined the best age to retire, you can get started on the next phase of your life right away by retiring online! It’s fast and easy at www.socialsecurity.gov/retireonline.
For more than 80 years, Social Security has changed to meet the needs of our customers. During National Social Security Month, and throughout the year, Social Security puts you in control with secure access to your information anytime, anywhere. From estimating or managing your benefits, requesting a replacement Social Security card, to retiring online, visit SocialSecurity.gov today, and see what you can do online at www.socialsecurity.gov/onlineservices.
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King County hosting Administrative Professionals Day event, April 25
Career Support Services and the Administrative Professionals Advisory Committee are pleased to host King County’s 3rd Annual Administrative Professionals Recognition Day event on Wednesday, April 25.
This year, approximately 100 outstanding administrative professionals were nominated for recognition. Join us as we recognize and celebrate the valuable contributions administrative professionals throughout King County government are making.
The event will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Bertha Knight Landes Room at City Hall, 600 4th Avenue, Seattle.
Space is limited! Register at Eventbrite, and email the committee with any questions you may have at AdministrativeProfessionals@KingCounty.gov.
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The county’s risk journey
This article is by Corinne Easter, Administrative Specialist with the King County Office of Risk Management Services
What is risk management? This is a common question posed to The Office of Risk Management Services. Very much like the title implies, the office manages risk. But, what is risk?
Pictured: Office of Risk Management Services Director Jennifer Hills
Director Jennifer Hills describes risk as, “unplanned events that have the potential to prevent an organization from meeting their objectives.” That’s the traditional way of describing it. Hills went on to explain how King County has changed its adverse view of risk to a more progressive view: risk as an opportunity for gains as well as losses.
With Executive Dow Constantine’s encouragement, Hills has been working to change the way King County approaches risk. Rather than focusing on avoiding negative risk, Executive Constantine wants the County to use a balanced approach and take risk where it can add value. This can be challenging given how we often view bad occurrences as outweighing equally good ones. When we over-react to negative situations, this prevents us from balancing risks.
Working with the Consortium of Advanced Management International (CAM-I), Hills’ team has developed a risk-value curve to visualize when risk can be optimized. Within this model, if an organization takes on too little risk, it is ineffective and missing beneficial opportunities. If an organization takes on too much risk, it will find itself in a crisis with unwanted exposures. However, there is a middle ground where risk is balanced and optimized—and that’s where Hills’ wants to place the County.
“There is also the risk of status quo to consider,” Hills added, “sometimes we forget to evaluate the risk of standing still.” Hills’ mission is to encourage departments to take informed risks. Within Hills’ own office, she encourages change. Driven by our Equity and Social Justice Initiative, Hills has been working to change the County’s iron-clad insurance policy language to a more flexible language when it will allow the County to engage with community-based organizations. By also allowing her customer service representatives to apply their experience and discretion in their public interactions, her office can provide quicker resolution to claims, more engaged employees, and higher satisfaction with the customer service experience.
In addition to adopting CAM-I’s risk value curve, Hills has implemented an Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) program, run by Sean Catanese, which includes department risk assessments, an inter-departmental ERM work group, and a King County Risk Register of the priority risks, corresponding owners, and mitigation plans. King County has become a leader in the public sector on ERM and risk optimization. The County recently participated in a Harvard ERM Benchmarking study that measured the ERM programs of 25 organizations. Of the 12 criteria used to evaluate the organizations, King County met all but two.
Hills has received positive feedback and excitement about the changing risk culture in King County. Moving forward, Hills and her team plan to work with the Executive’s Office to create risk appetite statements to specify the amount of risk King County is willing to seek in the pursuit of its objectives. With innovative approaches such as this, it’s no wonder that King County is well on the way in its mission to be The Best Run Government.
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Help your favorite nonprofit meet the April 25 Employee Giving Program application deadline
Your favorite nonprofit organizations have until April 25 to apply to be in the King County Employee Giving Program (EGP) for the upcoming year, which will allow you to support them during the Annual Giving Drive and other EGP opportunities.
Now is the time to make sure they get into the Employee Giving Program!
Once they are in, there are so many ways you can help them during the Annual Giving Drive, including:
- Giving through payroll, time, check or credit card.
- Sharing your story.
- Inviting them in to speak.
- Hosting a special event for them.
Not only are there great benefits for you – you can also help your organization out by being a champion and telling others about their great work.
The EGP is accepting nonprofit applications until April 25, 2018, to be in the upcoming 2018 Annual Giving Drive. All nonprofits must apply and meet eligibility requirements, but them knowing about us (and us, them!) is the first step.
Refer a nonprofit today or forward this email.
For more information, visit the website https://www.kingcounty.gov/audience/employees/giving.aspx or contact Junelle Kroontje.
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Creating pipelines to future careers
Crossposted from WTD’s Clean Water Stories
Half of King County Wastewater Treatment Division’s valued employees are expected to retire in five years and one of the biggest questions we face is: How will those spots be filled? How can we reach out to the next generation?
We want high school students to be aware of these career opportunities. We host two high school career events in the spring every year and hire 10 high school interns for a summer, and they do some amazing work for us, even if they choose a different career path in the end.
Wade Phillips engages students in a water quality experiment while he talks about his job as an environmental engineer.
Most people do not realize the variety of jobs, from engineers and financial analysts to electricians that are needed to keep our water clean. This last Saturday, 52 high school students got up early to attend a three-hour Careers in Clean Water event. Students participated in three job-shadowing sessions to explore careers in clean water. Staff lead short, hands-on sessions to demonstrate the details of their job and shared the steps needed to get hired.
Those who attended were genuinely there to learn more and asked great questions, some of those questions even prompted staff members to reflect about the division as a whole. Argane, an 11th-grader, posed the question of diversity to Timothy Clark (Water Land Resources Division staff) and respected his honest answer.
“Timothy didn’t sugar coat the issues of diversity. He was open about the fact that his division was majority white and talked about the outreach efforts being done to recruit in communities of color. He was also real about the conflicts in the workplace, dealing both with race and gender,” Argane said.
After attending her job shadow sessions, Argane was encouraged by Samayyah Williams, a civil engineer, and hopes to one day join Engineers Without Borders to build a facility that treats drinking water.
Grace is a 10th-grade student who grew up in the San Juan Islands and had early exposure to water conservation and water quality. She was particularly intrigued with her first session with two wastewater operators (and Poofighters), Darek Kenaston and Alexis Surprenant.
“We had to do a lot of work with pipes and looking into what and how sediment exists in our drinking water,” Grace said. “I talked with Darek and his career journey. The mechanics of dealing with clean water really stood out because it was a close-to-home connection”.
Grace is still curious as to what the day to day work really looks like, but knows that an operator’s job looks very different every day.
Students have their own go at cutting pipes
The students who attended this event, as well as those who attend the career event coming up on May 5, are encouraged to apply for the Clean Water Ambassadors — High School Internship Program. We are seeking 10 interns interested in learning how government agencies, nonprofit organizations and local communities influence environmental and community health. Interns will gain a deep understanding of the role we all play in this issue, and the careers that contribute to improving water quality and protecting the environment.
In the closing remarks for the event, we were lucky to have Haze Lee, a past intern from 2017, as a guest speaker to talk about her first-hand experience and to answer questions from future intern applicants. Haze highlighted the three best things about her internship experience, which were the people (both WTD staff and co-interns), the places, and the opportunities.
Haze, now a junior at North Creek High School, has been busy this school year organizing the school’s first gardening club. She was able to work with school staff to find an area to build the gardens, receive grant funding, as well as using Gro-Co Compost (made with Loop® biosolids)!
Students can join the next career event at South Plant in Renton on May 5, 2018. Find more information and sign up here.
Applications for the Clean Water Ambassador Summer High School internship are now open.
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Kudos! to Public Health’s Tony Gomez
Pictured: From left to right, a Safe Kids Washington representative presenting Tony, right, with his award.
At the recent State Injury Prevention Summit, Safe Kids of Washington State presented Tony Gomez, Manager of Violence and Injury Prevention, with a Lifetime Achievement Award for Child Injury Prevention.
Tony has shaped programs and policies in King County, Washington State, and nationally. His work has led to important reductions in child injuries and deaths.
Tony is not just doing the work, he’s preparing the next generation of Public Health professionals by teaching, mentoring and consulting on capstones and thesis with university students.
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Popular transit service to the Issaquah Alps returns with locations in Seattle and more trailhead options
A popular public-private partnership that provides direct transit service to hiking destinations Issaquah Alps will return April 21 with expanded service from Seattle to more trailheads. On May 19, a second transit service to Mount Si and Mount Teneriffe near North Bend will start at Sound Transit’s Capitol Hill Link light rail station.
Trailhead Direct – a successful pilot project that provides transit service to trailheads along the Interstate 90 corridor – returns April 21 with expanded service in Seattle to more hiking destinations.
The public-private partnership between King County Metro Transit, King County Parks, the Seattle Department of Transportation, REI Co-op, and Clif Bar and Company will provide weekend and holiday service every 30 minutes starting at the Mount Baker Transit Station in South Seattle to trailheads in the Issaquah Alps. A second route to Mount Si and Mount Teneriffe will start May 19 at Sound Transit’s Capitol Hill Link light rail station.
“We are making it easier than ever to explore the Issaquah Alps without having to own or drive a car,” said King County Executive Dow Constantine. “Our creative public-private partnership will connect more people and families to the spectacular mountain forests our region is famous for.”
“We are fortunate to live in one of the most beautiful places in the world, and Trailhead Direct makes it easier for all our residents and visitors to access our incredible outdoors using transit. Trailhead Direct builds on our investments in the Seattle transit network, where we’ve improved the frequency and reliability on 64 other routes,” said Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan. “We are excited about this innovative public-private partnership that is creating new opportunities for all who call Seattle home to get outside and explore our mountains.”
Trailhead Direct was first launched in August 2017 as a pilot project sponsored by King County Metro’s Community Connections program and King County Parks to expand access to hiking trails and reduce trailhead congestion in the Issaquah Alps, where illegally parked vehicles created traffic hazards and safety concerns.
The new service will operate 19- and 27-seat vans with capacity for two bicycles for each trip. Passengers pay Metro’s standard off-peak adult fare of $2.50 until July, when Metro implements a $2.75 flat fare. Passengers can pay with an ORCA card, Transit Go Mobile ticket, or cash.
In early summer, the popular Mailbox Peak trailhead will get Trailhead Direct service from a free satellite parking lot in North Bend.
The other partners that helped develop Trailhead Direct include the cities of Issaquah, North Bend, and Seattle, the Issaquah Alps Trail Club, Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust, Outdoors For All Foundation, Si View Metropolitan Park District, The Mountaineers, The Wilderness Society, TOTAGO, U.S. Forest Service, Washington State Department of Natural Resources, and Washington Trails Association.
Trailhead Direct – Issaquah Alps
Service begins: Saturday, April 21
Start and end point: Mount Baker Transit Center: Rainier Avenue South and South Forest Street, Seattle, WA 98144
Stops: Eastgate Freeway Station, Issaquah Transit Center
Trailheads: Margaret’s Way, Chirico Trail-Poo Poo Point, the High School Trail, and East Sunset Way
Trailhead Direct – Mount Si/Mount Teneriffe
Service begins: Saturday, May 19
Start and end point: Sound Transit’s Capitol Hill Link Light Rail Station: 140 Broadway E, Seattle, WA 98102
Stops: Broadway and John Street in Seattle, Pine Street and Ninth Avenue in Seattle, Eastgate Freeway Station, North Bend Park & Ride
Trailheads: Mount Si and Mount Teneriffe in North Bend
Read more in the official press release.
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Communication and Problem Solving Skills workshop, April 26
Are your communication skills holding you back or helping you soar? Solid communication skills can be the difference between successful experiences and painful, unproductive encounters in the workplace. When you’re looking to serve customers, solve problems, and make an impact, being able to listen effectively, clearly express yourself, and adeptly handle conflict and defensive behaviors is key.
The Human Resources Learning and Development group is hosting noted trainer, Lenny Borer, on April 26 to help attendees develop deeper communication and problem solving skills. Sign up now.
Thursday, April 26 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. King County Administration building, 500 Fourth Ave.
They’re going quickly, but free spots for this workshop remain. Learn more and register.
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Crew of the SoundGuardian redeploys water quality buoy
Crossposted from The Downstream Blog
The Point Williams Buoy
Sensors are used to continually collect data that is used to monitor water quality in Puget Sound.
On March 29, the crew of SoundGuardian, King County’s marine research vessel, re-deployed a water quality buoy that got loose earlier in the month at Point Williams, off Lincoln Park in West Seattle. In this video, watch Jim Devereaux, Bob Kruger, Houston Flores, and Christopher Barnes from the King County Environmental Laboratory re-anchor the buoy.
The Point Williams buoy is one of four automated, high-frequency data collection systems used by King County in marine waters and is the only floating platform — with the other three attached to piers or docks at Seattle Aquarium and inner and outer Quartermaster Harbor on Vashon-Maury Island. King County began using automated systems back in 2008 but the Point Williams buoy has been at the current location since 2013.
The buoy functions as a platform to suspend multiple instruments into the top of the water column to take measurements that determine water quality in the Central Puget Sound basin. Automated, water quality data collection allows measurements to be taken every 15 minutes of physical, chemical, and biological parameters. The result is improved information to determine variability on a weekly, even daily, basis compared to traditional water quality measurements that are typically measured every two to four weeks.
The data are transmitted via a cellular modem to a cloud data collection service, then transferred to the King County mooring data website where it can be viewed or downloaded within 30 minutes of data collection. Data undergo automatic quality checks to assess for issues in real-time as well as semi-annually by a data manager.
The sensors are attached to the buoy which acts as a floating platform.
The data are used to characterize Puget Sound water conditions on numerous time scales (e.g., daily, seasonal, annual, inter-annual) and used for status and trends analysis, to compare with data from other locations in Puget Sound to assess spatial differences, populate or validate numerical Puget Sound models, and provide data for management decisions. The data from this water quality monitoring system are also sent to Northwest Association of Networked Ocean Observing Systems to be included in a larger marine waters data collection network.
Check out more cool stuff from @KCEnviroLab on Instagram.
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Featured Job: College Engineering Intern
Salary: $16.60 Hourly
Location: Seattle, WA
Job Type: Intern
Department: Department of Transportation – Airport Division
Job Number: 2018MD07974
Closing: 4/20/2018 11:59 PM Pacific
Description: Seeking a highly motivated Engineering Intern to support project work across all Airport business units. This internship provides opportunity for an Engineering student to obtain experience that will further his/her education and/or career interests. The successful candidate must be a college Junior or Senior, working toward a degree in Civil Engineering. Working knowledge of AutoCAD is a must.
Contact: For more information, contact Melinda Dickie at 206-477-3608 or Melinda.Dickie@KingCounty.gov.
Learn more about this position or all available jobs.
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