Kudos! New video spotlights program that gives veterans new skills
King County is partnering with 4Culture, Historic Seattle and local construction firms to give returning military veterans new skills that they can use in building restoration and preservation careers.
VETS RESTORE is a new education and career opportunity for returning military veterans in King County where participants are trained in preservation carpentry and introduced to the building rehabilitation trades. The mission of VETS RESTORE is to connect veterans with the valuable work of revitalizing America’s historic building stock.
In this video, Bryan Fry with the King County Veterans’ Program shares how diverse opportunities, including preservation carpentry training, help meet the employment needs of the more than 127,000 veterans who call King County home.
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CASA volunteers help keep children safe
What makes a good Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer, according to Peggy Larson, is someone who has a commitment to helping children.
“They get the reward of knowing they’ve made a difference in a child’s life,” Larson said.
Larson, a CASA Supervisor at the Maleng Regional Justice Center who works with CASA volunteers, has been at King County for 25 years.
“It’s a great job. I love working with our volunteers. They’re such interesting people and they do so much on behalf of the kids,” Larson said.
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Training Series: Leadership in a Changing Landscape
Take advantage of a series of three training opportunities that will build your leadership skills and help you manage change in difficult circumstances:
- Change Management for Leaders, December 2, 9 am – 4:30 pm, Seattle Marriott Waterfront, 2100 Alaskan Way, Seattle
- Performance Under Pressure, December 3, 9 am – 3 pm, Seattle University, Campion Towers, 305 Harrison Street, Seattle, WA 98109
- Workforce of the Future: Managing Millenials, December 4, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm, Bell Harbor Conference Center, 2211 Alaskan Way, Seattle.
You can take all three classes or individual classes depending on your schedule.
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Executive meets with employees, volunteers who are “a voice for children”
In neglect and abuse cases involving children, a vital role is played by a group of volunteers known as CASAs.
King County Executive Dow Constantine recently visited some of the employees and volunteers from the Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) program in Kent to learn more, and thank them for their care and support of children going through traumatic times.
A Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) is a trained volunteer who represents the best interests of children up to 11 years old who have allegedly been abused and/or neglected as they are taken through the legal process. They are a voice for children.
“If you care about children and want to make a difference, you can do that here,” CASA volunteer Pamela Beatty told the Executive. Read More
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Last chance to snag a great holiday gift!
Save up to 43% off Chinook Books and get access to over 500 coupons to your favorite local merchants. Due to demand, this offer expires on November 30, 2014. Order as a group with your colleagues and pay just one shipping fee. Click here to place your order. Available in print and mobile editions.
See all available discounts on the Employee Discount Webpage.
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Lunch and Learn honors veterans
When he entered the civilian workforce, Navy veteran Bryan Fry says one of the hardest parts was finding the “red line.”
“In a blink, your military career is over. You’re done. Time to go home, time to get a job. But, where’s the red line? How do I integrate back home? I had a relationship with order, I had a relationship with the red line and it’s not there anymore,” Fry said at a King County Lunch and Learn called “Increasing Understanding of Our Veteran Employees.”
Moderated by Fry, who is now King County’s Veterans Program Coordinator, the Lunch and Learn included a short film honoring King County’s veteran employees, as well as a panel discussion. Panel members Steven Stamper, Jennifer Schneider, Manuel Martinez, and Renita Borders all are military veterans and King County employees.
The Lunch and Learn was inspired by King County’s goal to be more a more “veteran ready” employer.
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Time is running out for Holiday Food Drive
Falling leaves and falling temperatures mean the giving season will soon be here. However, for many families in King County, this time of year is difficult. They struggle to make ends meet, especially as the weather turns colder and heating bills rise.
For many years now, King County employees have demonstrated their generosity and giving spirit by donating canned and pre-packaged food to our Holiday Food Drive. Collection bins have been stationed at most King County buildings to accept your donations. Donations will be accepted in the bins through Friday, Nov. 21.
As in the past, your donations will benefit Northwest Harvest. The organization is the main distribution point for delivery of commodities to food banks across the entire state. Through Northwest Harvest, we know that your donations will go to families in need at no cost to local food banks or their customers.
Please consider donating so that all of our friends and neighbors can enjoy the holiday season ahead.
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New Website features Martin Luther King County’s African American History
The website www.BlackPast.org has created a special section on the history of notable African-American residents of King County.
The site includes brief profiles of the individuals, organizations, institutions and events that shaped the history of King County. Biographies include Edwin T. Pratt, Norm Rice, Jimi Hendrix, Larry Gossett and Wanda Herndon.
Also included are primary documents, speeches, bibliographies, and a photo gallery related to that history. See more here. The website was created with the help of a grant from 4Culture, King County’s cultural service agency.
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Executive brings together funding partners to help maintain public health services in Auburn
King County Executive Dow Constantine today announced that he has brought together funding partners from local cities, tribes, nonprofits, and companies to help maintain services at the Auburn health clinic for the next two years. He will work with the Metropolitan King County Council to identify the additional funds needed to continue operations during the 2015-2016 biennium.
The Auburn Public Health Center – which includes satellite offices in Enumclaw and the Muckleshoot Reservation – provides health services to 10,000 clients, 97 percent of whom live below the federal poverty line. The Public Health – Seattle & King County staff primarily provides maternity services, nutrition programs and family planning. The clinic had been identified for closure due to declines in state and federal funding.
“This partnership brings together cities, tribal government, nonprofits, and business – united in a shared commitment to the health and prosperity of the people who live here,” said Executive Constantine. “I’m proud of the innovative local solutions we’ve crafted to help maintain important health services, but we must ultimately develop a sustainable funding source for Public Health that our state has lacked for many years.”
To read more, click here.
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LEAN work leads to drop-in locations for Assessments staff
Following the completion of a LEAN session with department staff, the Assessor’s Office has been working in 2014 to place drop-in office locations around the county for appraisal staff as they complete their work in the field.
Three of these drop-in locations are now up and running as appraisal staff begin their physical inspections. These sites are located at Marymoor Park in Redmond, Shoreline District Court, and on Vashon Island at the Community Service Center and the Fire Station. Fleet vehicles are placed at these sites for convenient pick-up, along with working space inside the facilities for the appraisal staff.
The partnerships to develop these new drop-in locations demonstrate a commitment to the “One King County” vision. Assessor’s Office partners include King County Parks Division, King County Shoreline District Court, and on Vashon Island, the King County Facilities Management Division, and the Vashon Island Fire and Rescue Department.
This dispersed office location Lean project combined with a newly designed telecommuting agreement is getting appraisers closers to where they do their field work. The efficiencies gained from not having to report to Black River facility in Renton and usage of better technologies will result in a savings of 2500 hours that would have been wasted in traffic while reducing our carbon footprint.
Employee News 