Kudos! King County’s leading digital services earn national honor
King County has been named one of the nation’s “Top 10 Digital Counties” in a 2015 survey conducted by the Center for Digital Government and the National Association of Counties. This is an honor King County has received in 10 of the past 11 years.
As a King County employee, you undoubtedly use technology to get your work done. The same is true for many of our 2 million residents, who are accessing and engaging with our services in exciting new ways. Throughout the County, technology is playing an increasingly important role in Executive Constantine’s work to build the best-run government in America.
King County Information Technology (KCIT) is working to ensure that our information-based services are cost-effective, easy to use, and relevant to the work we do. This includes an improved employee intranet and cutting-edge communications tools that are making it easier for employees to collaborate.
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Employees celebrate “Equity for All” at Pride Parade
In the wake of a landmark Supreme Court ruling on marriage equality, more than 300 King County employees, along with their families and friends, joined together to march in the Seattle Pride Parade on June 28. Tens of thousands of people decked out in rainbow colors thronged Fourth Avenue in downtown Seattle to support the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community and celebrate the decision that legalized same-sex marriage in all 50 states.
The One King County group was one of the largest in this year’s parade, wearing bright “Equity for All” T-shirts. King County Executive Dow Constantine led the contingent, which also showcased the services that King County provides to residents such as marriage licensing. In 2012, King County issued licenses to nearly 700 couples in three days after voters approved marriage equality in that year’s election.
“One of my proudest moments was issuing the first marriage license to a same-sex couple in Washington state,” Executive Constantine said.
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Slowing the flow to keep local waterways clean
Most people don’t think about what happens to what they flush or the sewer systems it flows into, unless things back up and cause a problem. But for King County’s Wastewater Treatment Division (WTD) employees, part of their jobs is to think about everyone’s sewage.
In King County’s regional sewer system, everything that goes down the drains from homes and business ends up at a few regional treatment plants that clean all of our water.
However, in the oldest parts of our regional system, pipes were designed to carry a mix of rain and sewage on rainy days, said Erika Peterson, community relations lead.
During heavy rainfall common to western Washington, these “combined sewers” can be overwhelmed with large water flows. Rather than backing up into streets and private property, the combined sewer pipes were designed to overflow at specific points where they flow into the area’s waterways, Program Lead John Phillips said.
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Show your Pride this weekend
On Sunday, June 28, King County employees, along with their family and friends, will be marching together for the first time ever in the annual Seattle LGBT Pride Parade.
Led by King County Executive Dow Constantine, employees from across the County will take part in the parade in support of the “Equity for All – One King County” theme.
“I invite you, your family, and friends to join me and hundreds of fellow King County employees from across our divisions, departments, and branches of government to march as One King County in the 40th annual Pride Parade,” Executive Constantine said. “I hope you will be able to join in the festivities to demonstrate King County’s strong and ongoing support.”
Participation is free and voluntary, and is assured to be plenty of fun.
The parade will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. along 4th Avenue in downtown Seattle. Line up for the parade no later than 10:30 a.m. on Fourth Avenue between Union and Seneca. There will be “Equality for All” t-shirts in adult sizes available to the first 200 employees and family members. For participants unable to get a t-shirt, they are encouraged to wear other King County logo gear or a colorful t-shirt.
For more information, contact your department’s Pride representative.
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Five Questions with Elizabeth Berris, Attorney-Guardian Ad Litem, Superior Court
1. What is your role with King County? I am an Attorney-Guardian Ad Litem with the King County Superior Court Dependency CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) program. I complete independent investigations and advocacy for the children’s best interests in cases where parents have been accused by Child Protective Services of abusing or neglecting them.
2. What is a typical day like for you? I am always on the go! I drive all over the county and beyond to meet with children, their parents, their caretakers, and then also to attend court hearings on my caseload in all three Superior Court locations. For instance, tomorrow my day will start out visiting a 3-year-old boy in Puyallup at his relative caretaker’s home. Next, I’ll go to a day care center in Tacoma to observe a 4-year-old child and then head off to an elementary school in Federal Way to meet with a 9- and an 11-year-old and their respective teachers. When those interviews are finished, I’ll need to meet a father at his new home in Kent, then to Department of Social and Health Services for a family team decision-making meeting, and I will finish my day by attending a child’s Individualized Education Program (meeting at an elementary school in the White Center neighborhood).
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Building a cleaner future with help of fourth grade class
When Doug Marsano heard that a fourth grade class was reaching out to King County proposing a plan to clean up the Duwamish River, he instantly wanted to be involved. Contacting the teacher and Susan Tallarico, Director of the Brightwater Education Center, they organized a plan.
“It was the perfect partnership,” Tallarico said. “We get to work with kids to enhance their learning and build their interest in conservation that will hopefully continue as they become adults.”
Marsano, a Water Quality Planner with King County’s Wastewater Treatment Division, said that WTD and King County are always looking for ways to provide information in the most appropriate way. Sometimes, the best way is to teach kids, he said.
Susan Tallarico, Director of the Brightwater Education Center, working with the fourth graders.
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Walk in the Shoes of a County Employee – Jacquie Hermer, Public Health Nurse
For my most recent Walk in the Shoes of a County Employee, I visited Jacquie Hermer, a Registered Nurse in Public Health – Seattle & King County’s Nurse Family Partnership Program (NFP).
The program pairs young, low-income, first-time moms with registered nurses from pregnancy through the critical first 24 months of a child’s life. That collaboration helps transform the lives of the mothers and their children, providing support and parenting guidance for a healthy pregnancy, and the best possible start in life for the baby.
This program aligns with two important areas of focus for me: Equity and Social Justice (ESJ) and Best Starts for Kids. Both will support greater equity in our county, so I was very excited to see the program’s work first-hand.
Our day started at Columbia City Center for Health, where I met with the clinic field staff and interpreters. This location is where Public Health – Seattle & King County works through a partnership with NeighborCare, and it seems to be going well, with customer-centered collaboration and processes.
The interpreting staff explained their work and how they deliver services to our clients with Limited English Proficiency (LEP). Many clients speak languages other than English at home. This reflects demographic changes happening across King County, where recent data shows nearly one in five residents speak languages other than English.
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Bus driver is also a professional French-hornist
You wouldn’t think that being a bus driver and orchestral musician necessarily go hand-in-hand, but a new Metro Transit recruitment campaign is highlighting what’s different about its jobs by highlighting what’s different about its drivers.
The new recruitment campaign highlights the pay and flexibility of driving part time for Metro, while unmasking the secret identities of its drivers. The videos focus on these drivers, allowing them to tell their story and why they are proud to be King County Metro bus drivers.
In this installment of the campaign, a video called Metro Secret Identity: the Musician spotlights Carey, a part-time driver. After work, Carey is a professional orchestral French-hornist.
“The city is a symphony and reading the road is like reading music. You need to be watching and listening and keeping a steady motion. It kind of makes driving a bus an art form.”
Watch the video here or learn more about driving for Metro here.
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Five Questions with Jameelah Cage, Training Coordinator, Department of Adult & Juvenile Detention
1. What was your first role at King County? I started my career with King County Department of Adult & Juvenile Detention close to 15 years ago as a Juvenile Detention Officer.
2. What does your work as DAJD Training Coordinator involve? As the Training Coordinator, I am responsible for scheduling, conducting, monitoring, evaluating and coordinating trainings for employees within the Department of Adult & Juvenile Detention, specifically the Juvenile Division. Within this position it is important that I research and fully understand national standards and best practices in the field of corrections to create training curriculums that will allow our employees to be properly trained in their areas of expertise.
3. What do you like most about your job? What I like most about my job is the opportunity to provide information to employees that will increase their knowledge base, and provide information to them that will allow for growth. I also love the atmosphere, and my coworkers!
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DCHS-funded August Wilson Place opens in Bellevue
Adrienne Quinn, Director of the Department of Community and Human Services, speaking at the opening of August Wilson Place
August Wilson Place, named for the renowned playwright, officially opened its doors on May 26 at a grand opening celebration on the site in Bellevue.
The project has a total of 57 units of housing, including 16 units set aside for individuals and families exiting homelessness. Eight are set aside for veterans and three will house families with a child with a developmental disability, thanks to a capital contribution from DCHS’ Developmental Disabilities Division.
Adrienne Quinn, Director of the Department of Community and Human Services, joined members of Wilson’s family at the dedication, along with Bellevue Mayor Claudia Balducci and other community leaders.
Employee News 