Meet new county employee and Health Hero, Amber Heyward
For Black History Month, Balanced You is excited to recognize our many talented Black employees in different bodies of work around the county. Welcome new county employee, Amber Heyward. With a background in HR, Learning and Development and Organizational Development, she started at King County four months ago as an Organizational Development practitioner. In this video she talks about her team’s goal to build equitable and enjoyable workplaces and why she was drawn to government work and King County specifically. Watch this video to learn more.
Metro celebrates Black History Month with special event featuring Dr. Terrence James Roberts
Metro’s Office of Equity, Inclusion and Belonging is honored to continue the celebration of Transit Equity Day and Black History Month with a special Lunch and Learn event featuring Congressional Gold Medal recipient, scholar, and Civil Rights figure, Dr. Terrence James Roberts. Dr. Roberts is one of the Little Rock Nine, the group of nine black students who enrolled at formerly all-white Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas in September 1957. The nine students’ attendance put to test the landmark Brown vs. Board of Education United States Supreme Court ruling that segregation in public schools was unconstitutional…. Read More
Black History Month Stories of Hope: Abdirahman Hashi
The King County MLK Day Committee is sharing Stories of Hope first presented during the 2022 Martin Luther King Day celebration in honor of Black History Month. Watch this video to meet Abdirahman Hashi, Project/Program Manager for Public Health – Seattle & King County, and hear in his own words a story of hope.
RASKC sergeant “caught” helping people and pets
Cross-posted from Executive Services Express A Kent resident recently observed Animal Control Sergeant – Lead Tim Anderson doing what he does best: helping people and pets. The resident, who saw the interaction during a break from her job at a local warehouse, took time to write to the county to recognize Anderson. “If you could have only heard the genuine and kind conversation that took place between these two men, you wouldn’t know one was in a uniform – an authority figure – and the other down on his luck,” wrote Angela Dashiel. Read the… Read More
Black History Month Stories of Hope: Gloria Fontenot
The King County MLK Day Committee is sharing Stories of Hope first presented during the 2022 Martin Luther King Day celebration in honor of Black History Month. Watch this video to meet Gloria Fontenot, a Facilities Security Supervisor on the Facilities Management Division team, as she shares her inspirational story of hope.
State v. Blake state Supreme Court decision signifacantly impacts King County Superior Court workload
Cross-posted from King County Superior Court In February 2021, the Washington State Supreme Court made a decision that will be felt by people and institutions across Washington for years to come. The court decided, in State v. Blake, that the state law on drug possession was flawed, and as a result, convictions for drug possession charges across Washington must be vacated, and fines or fees paid by defendants must be refunded. For King County Superior Court and the Department of Judicial Administration, it meant that a huge and highly consequential body of work… Read More
Jackie Moynahan named Interim Division Director of the Housing, Homelessness and Community Development Division
Cross-posted from Cultivating Connections Jackie Moynahan has been appointed as the Interim Division Director of the Housing, Homelessness and Community Development Division (HHCDD) of the Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS). In this role, she oversees efforts around community development, creating and preserving affordable and special needs housing, housing repair programs, and programs providing housing stability support for people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Jackie has more than a decade of experience working in affordable housing and began her career in New York City repositioning and preserving struggling affordable housing properties. She has been with the DCHS since 2016. Read the full announcement here.
Equity in Contracting program helps Metro launch innovative, cost-saving bus shelter solution
Cross-posted from Executive Services Express Thanks to the recent Equity in Contracting Executive Order managed by the Department of Executive Services (DES), King County Metro is using innovative contracting techniques to address vandalism at bus shelters and save $1.5 million in replacement costs over ten years. Last year, the King County Council approved legislation that increases contracting opportunities for small businesses owned by minorities, women, and socially and economically disadvantaged people. The county is removing barriers, implementing innovative contracting methods, and taking other actions to make it easier for minority- and women-owned businesses (MWBEs) to… Read More
King County receives Crown Communities Award
American City & County has presented King County with the 2021 Crown Communities Award in recognition for efforts in the fight against COVID-19. This award is testament to the hard work and dedicated service of the employees, community partners and the people of King County. Click here to read the full story.
Youth-produced videos about importance of vaccines for children and young people
King County’s COVID-19 and Health Equity Training and Capacity Building Program works with young people to educate their peers and parents / guardians about COVID and the COVID Vaccine. Magdalene and Yuhaniz are two young people who have worked with PHSKC for seven years doing peer and near-to-peer education on vaccines. They created and produced the following social media videos to support this work with an online strategy that connects well with young people and parents. Watch the videos below to learn more and share on your own social media networks if… Read More
Employee News 