Employee shares County business insights with other staff and students
KCIT Sr Business Analyst Barb DeLauter serves as a mentor in the Albers Mentors Program at Seattle University.
King County is a public sector leader in using technology to help customers access services and complete transactions online and on the go. It takes a dedicated team of problem solvers to identify solutions that make sense for customers – inside and outside the County.
One of those people is IT Senior Business Analyst Barb DeLauter, who uses her people skills to impact both her work at King County and her community.
Initially, she began her 11-year career in Elections, but has since moved throughout King County before moving to the Department of Information Technology (KCIT) 5 years ago. She relies on her background in teaching, degree in business administration, experience as a business owner and military experience to connect with others and consistently anticipate challenges in her work.
“I like to try and find the balance in our work,” she said. “There’s two sides to everything, so it’s really interesting to help others realize how you can be part of the solution and not the problem.”
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Making the King County website accessible for all
This article is featured courtesy of the King County Department of Information Technology
Understanding user realities is important for KCIT staff working to improve the County’s digital presence.
To make the King County website more accessible and useful for residents with visual and hearing challenges, King County Information Technology (KCIT) staff met with deaf and blind residents and advocates on April 26 to learn how to make existing and planned websites and mobile apps more user-friendly.
KCIT Director and Chief Information Officer Bill Kehoe took part in the conversation, along with the KCIT Business Solutions teams, and King County’s ADA Compliance Officer Melony Joyce. Their discussion was open, candid, and very specific.
“Useful means two basic things,” said Debra Cook from the UW’s Older Blind Independent Living Program. “Is it accessible and is it usable?” She explained that for this diverse community, whose members have varying levels of sight and hearing, accessibility depends on several factors. Do they have the right software? Is it accessible on multiple browsers? What level of technology is needed to use the website? Is it compatible with the tools they currently have, such as screen readers that read on-screen text out loud to the user? The architecture of some websites can hinder the effectiveness of accessibility software.
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Kathmandu to King County: Risk-taking Army veteran finds his niche
Current veteran fellow Yub Giri
Throughout his travels in Nepal, Utah and Washington, Yub Giri has stayed focused on his priorities. First it was pursuing a degree in civil engineering at Brigham Young University. Then he joined the U.S. Army, working as a dental assistant, map reading instructor and Barrack Maintenance Supervisor in addition to other duties. Now he’s intent on making the most out of his Vets 4 HIRE Fellowship, and credits the people he’s met along the way for getting him started on a successful transition to civilian life.
“Here at King County people want you to succeed, and they want the best for you,” he said. “In my view, King County is doing good things for vets in helping us get back to a civilian career.”
Originally from a small city in western Nepal, Yub attended high school in Kathmandu, the capitol of the country. Known for a temperate climate and worldwide travel appeal, the city is where Yub became interested in studying abroad. His high school principal encouraged him to travel and with the added support of his family, he became the first person in the small city he was born in to come to the United States.
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Cutting red tape speeds up hiring process for King County
Streamlining the hiring process has taken out frustrating additional steps to onboarding the right candidate.
For human resources professionals, there is nothing more frustrating than overseeing an extensive recruitment process, only to lose your top candidate thanks to unnecessary delays in the hiring approval process.
That’s what was happening to King County recruiters when they sought to hire successful candidates above step one of a position’s pay scale. The process often took weeks, with the County code requiring an approval process that often involved 15 to 19 handoffs before it could be completed.
It was time-consuming and by the end of it, hiring personnel found that they were losing candidates.
“Many people told us it was going to be impossible to change HR policy,” HR Service Delivery Manager Steve Namkung said. “They thought it would never happen, that it would take too long to change anything.”
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Kudos! Metro driver starts the morning off right for her passengers
This bus rider appreciates her driver for always having a cheerful morning message for her riders, and welcoming them at the start of their commute.
Kudos to this Metro driver for her upbeat, positive early morning attitude!
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Social Media Spotlight: King County Wastewater Treatment Facebook
We protect public health and enhance the environment by treating and reclaiming water, recycling solids and generating energy.
Follow King County WTD on Facebook today!
Click here to view all King County social media pages.
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Featured Job: Data and Evaluation Manager- Health Care for the Homeless Network
Closing Date/Time: Tue. 05/17/16 11:59 PM
Salary: $37.81 – $47.92 Hourly
Job Type: Career Service
Location: Chinook Building, Downtown Seattle, Washington
Department: Department of Public Health–Community Health Services
Description: Public Health- Seattle & King County’s Healthcare for the Homeless Network (HCHN) is searching for a Data and Evaluation Manager (Project/Program Manager III) to manage the HCHN data integration and analysis functions. It plays a lead role, with collaboration from other HCHN team members, in federal and local reporting, as well as program evaluation. This position is critical to HCHN’s capacity to perform complex data analysis to 1) demonstrate the health needs of homeless patients to program funders and key decision makers and 2) optimize electronic health record data collection and use in order to improve program strategies, the quality of care provided, and client outcomes. Additionally, incumbent will participate in multi-disciplinary community planning efforts for data system improvements.
Learn more about this position or view all available jobs.
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Kudos! King County “loans” outstanding E-911 manager to state
Pictured from left, Catherine Bishop of OnStar, Marlys Davis, E9-1-1 Program Manager for King County, and Harriet Miller-Brown of the National Association of State 911 Administrators (NASNA).
Crossposted from the DES Express blog
King County employees are some of the best anywhere in the country. When you have such a deep pool of talent, sometimes other organizations take a dip in that pool, calling on King County staff to them develop and grow. E-911 Program Manager Marlys Davis is the latest to be called up to help out.
Marlys has been tapped to apply her skills to assist the Washington State E-911 Coordinator’s Office (SECO). Through an Executive Loan program, Davis will work in SECO through 2016 to lend her expertise during a time of great change across the statewide 9-1-1 enterprise.
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Garden Questions? Call the Garden Hotline
Crossposted from the HazWasteHelp blog
Is this the right time to plant tomatoes? Where can I find good soil for my raised beds? How can I win my battle with slugs?
Home gardeners and landscape professionals can get expert advice by calling the Garden Hotline at (206) 633-0224, Monday – Saturday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
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One-on-One: Veterans program builds on military expertise and experience
Current veteran Fellow Fred Seaton
Adjusting to change can be hard. Moving, starting a family or going back to school are difficult transitions. Returning to civilian life after spending time in the military is equally, if not more challenging, especially when it comes to getting a job.
King County’s Vets 4 HIRE Fellowship Program tackles this issue head on, allowing veterans to transition to civilian life by connecting them with skill-building experiences at King County. With each department able to identify and create a fellowship position, the opportunities are endless. Furthermore, the Veteran and Human Services Levy will reimburse departments a portion of the veteran’s wages. Veterans can pursue their passions, learn about County priorities, and gain the knowledge and skills to succeed in their future careers.
One veteran currently benefiting from the program is Fred Seaton. With a combined 28 years of experience in both the Air Force and Coast Guard, Fred knew he was ready for a transition. He thought King County would be a great place to start, so he kept his eyes open for an opportunity.
“I looked at the King County job site almost every day, thinking ‘Is there anything new?’” he said. “One day last October I saw a position specifically for veterans and thought ‘Wow’, so I applied.”
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