Honoring Indigenous Peoples’ Day through giving back with the Employee Giving Program
Indigenous Peoples’ Day is a time to honor and celebrate the rich cultures, histories, and resilience of Indigenous people while recognizing the ongoing impacts of colonization and the importance of protecting Indigenous rights, lands, and sovereignty. It is also an opportunity to move beyond acknowledgement and take meaningful action by giving back to Native-led organizations that are working to uplift Indigenous communities, preserve cultural traditions, support Native youth, and advocate for a more equitable future. We have highlighted a few EGP organizations that you can learn more about here.
To see the full list of organizations and discover more search online or review the 2026 Giving Guide of nonprofits by service category.
Attend a Deferred Compensation Plan Board meeting, next one Oct. 14
The King County Deferred Compensation Plan helps employees save for retirement through automatic pre-tax and post-tax contributions. The plan is governed by a nine-member board of current and retired King County employees with the assistance of an independent financial consultant.
The board monitors fund performance, ensures effective and inclusive communication, makes plan policy and design decisions, and ensures compliance with King County’s Strategic Plan for Equity and Social Justice.
The King County Employees Deferred Compensation Plan Board meets on the second Wednesday of every month and all employees and participants are welcome to attend either virtually or in-person.
During a board meeting, you will:
- Learn about the annual work plan
- Hear the quarterly report from Morgan Stanley and T. Rowe Price
- Provide your opinion about the deferred compensation plan
- Have the opportunity to ask questions
Meeting details and location information are posted online a few days before each meeting at Deferred Compensation Plan Board Meeting Agenda. If you have questions about Deferred Compensation Plan Board meetings, or would like a calendar invite, please contact plan administrators at 206-263-9250 or KC Deferred Comp.
Supporting youth mental health: Free crisis services available for every family in King County
Crossposted from Cultivating Connections
As students across King County settle into a new school year, many families are navigating big transitions — new routines, new environments, new academic pressures, and new social dynamics. For some children and teens, these shifts can intensify feelings of stress, anxiety, or emotional overwhelm.
As a result, we want every parent, caregiver, educator, community provider, and young person to know that free, immediate support is always available: you are not alone. Reach out for yourself or for a loved one for any kind of mental health or substance use challenge you might be facing. Here’s what to do:
Call or text for immediate support — Anytime
Whether it’s anxiety, thoughts of self-harm, or overwhelming emotions — someone is always ready to listen.
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988 for immediate support 24/7 from local crisis counselors.
- Teen Link: Teens can talk peer-to-peer with trained teen volunteers by calling or texting 866‑TEENLINK.
These services are free, confidential, and available to everyone. Read more.
We Live in the Salmon’s World video raises awareness
King County’s Water and Land Resources Division Stormwater Services is updating its approaches to public involvement. The animation, “We Live in the Salmon’s World”, connects us to the salmon’s story, Salish Sea and the Pacific Northwest. Wherever we have come from, we all bring our own sense of place, meaning, history and how we connect to those feelings. It will be used with communities to set the stage on how we are joined by water, the salmon that travels those waters, and how we can care for this place and work together on our shared futures.
View the video below and learn more at PugetSoundStartsHere.org.
The new King County iMap is here!
We’re excited to announce that the new King County iMap is now live!
After a successful transition period, the new iMap is ready for you to explore. The application provides a refreshed experience for discovering King County geographic information while continuing to provide access to the maps and data that iMap users rely on.
Explore the new King County iMap. Launch the King County iMap here.
Moving Stories: Share your story
Crossposted from Metro Matters
Calling all people and communities who take RapidRide! WE want to hear YOUR stories!
King County Metro and 4Culture are working in partnership to produce Moving Stories, a public art initiative that brings together six regional artists to create twelve original short-form graphic novels inspired by the people, places, and experiences that make Metro’s RapidRide network unique.
Each artist is developing stories connected to two existing or planned RapidRide lines, A through K and R. You may already have seen the artists riding the bus or talking with people at neighborhood events, gathering stories from riders, transit operators, and community members. Read more.
Recognizing Metro’s Operators of the Month, July-August 2026
Crossposted from Metro Matters
They garden and transcribe braille. They DJ, dance, and visit museums. They enjoy being outdoors and running their own businesses. Their riders say they are “very helpful and courteous,” “Deliver high levels of customer service,” and “Deserves an reward for being so FABULOUS!”
They’re operators with more than two centuries of combined transit driving experience who enjoy meeting with their riders and giving back to their communities.
Meet your Operators of the Month for July and August 2026. Read more.
Parks Division recognized for work with Supported Employment Program
In recognition of National Disability Awareness Month, Trillium Employment Services awarded King County’s Marymoor Park the 2026 Most Inclusive Workplace Award for their outstanding support of a supported employee. Congratulations to the Department of Natural Resources and Parks, Parks Division, on this well-deserved honor!
King County’s Supported Employment Program provides paid employment opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in inclusive, integrated work settings. Employees receive ongoing job-coaching support throughout their careers. Positions typically range from 20 to 40 hours per week. Positions are tailored to align a candidate’s strengths and interests with the operational needs of the hiring department or division.
King County has a long history of successful supported employment placements, with many inspiring employee stories across departments. It has been a rewarding experience not only for the supported employee, but also for the departments and the colleagues who work alongside them. We are excited to continue growing the program and expanding these opportunities.
If you are interested in exploring the possibility of adding a supported employee to your team, please reach out to SupportedEmploymentProgram@kingcounty.gov for more information.
King County Council approves DHR Director appointment
Matt Smith is now officially King County’s Director of the Department of Human Resources (DHR). On Tuesday, Oct. 6, the King County Council unanimously voted to approve Matt Smith’s appointment as Director. This was the final step in Matt’s confirmation, which also included a unanimous vote by the King County Council’s Committee of the Whole on Sept. 22 to approve his appointment and pass the recommendation to the Council for passage on Oct. 6.
“I am honored to be appointed to the Director role and thank the King County Council for their support. I look forward to this journey with all employees of King County – especially the DHR team and everyone serving in an HR role at the County, who daily demonstrate expertise, high-performance, and commitment to serving the employees of King County. Because of DHR, we have high-quality and effective programs and services, and I look forward to building on these and accomplishing even more together in the future,” says DHR Director Matt Smith. Matt’s first day with King County was Aug. 17, 2026.
Records Management Reminder: Consider going paperless
If your agency has not already done so, best practice is to go paperless and switch to managing all records in electronic or digital format. There are many benefits associated with going paperless, which align with our ACTIVATE values; especially Impactful, Accessible, and Trusted.
For more information, review the Benefits of Digitization and Going Paperless. If you currently have records in physical format, you can also consider the Destruction After Digitization (DAD) Process to help you get to a future paperless state!
For more information, visit the County Records and Information Management Program (CRIMP) website or contact them at Records.Management@kingcounty.gov.
