King County Supported Employment Program highlighted at national conference 

Christina Davidson and Jeff Casem from the Disability Services Section of the Department of Human Resources recently presented on King County’s Supported Employment Program at the National Associate of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services (NASDDDS) Directors Forum and Mid-Year Conference. The conference featured a national audience of approximately 200-250 state directors of services, senior management, policy makers, self-advocates, researchers and providers from all over the country in the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities.  Their interest was in learning how to take on policies for the employment of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and embedding in… Read More

Pet of the Week: Hannah 

Crossposted from Tails from RASKC  Put your hands in the air for Hannah, our Pet of the Week!  This senior chow was brought in by her previous owner. Hannah is a very smart, sweet, and cuddly dog who is truly seeking to be your “one and only.” Hannah is deaf and therefore is sensitive to handling. Her personality color is “Bashful Blue,” so she prefers to take things slow. Hannah may also get nervous in new situations, so she is looking for a home where those around her understand that she may take… Read More

Pride is coming! Order your t-shirt by June 14! 

The 2019 Pride t-shirts are ready to order! Fill out the order form, get payment ready ($8.50 each shirt, cash or check preferred, no credit or debit cards) and return the completed form with payment to Mariah Taylor in person or via interoffice mail (CNK-PH-1250) by Friday, June 14. Orders without payment will not be submitted. If you work outside of the downtown core and want your shirt sent through interoffice mail, include your mailstop on your order form.  As a reminder, we will have an additional 150 adult size t-shirts available at no cost on… Read More

King County employees featured in film at SIFF 

King County’s Environmental Lab and the Roads Services Division will be featured in a free public screening of the film,  “Engineering with Nature – An Ode to Water, Wood, and Stone” on Saturday, June 8 at 2 p.m. An entry in this year’s Seattle International Film Festival, the film is the story of Seattle Public Utilities’ Thornton Creek Project to reduce flooding and restore Chinook spawning habitat. The Environmental Lab did the analysis and testing to monitor how well the project worked, while the Roads Services Division also worked on the project and are interviewed… Read More

PSB staff set newly planted trees up for success!  

On Friday, May 3, staff  from the Office of Performance, Strategy and Budget (PSB) volunteered at the Cougar-Squak Animal Migration Corridor. This busy hiking area, formerly a private camp ground, was acquired by King County in 2016.  Earlier this year, numerous trees and shrubs were planted to fill in the spaces that had previously been campsites. Our work for the day was to place mulch around the plantings to protect them and increase their chance of survival. The team got right to work and exceeded expectations!  In fact, King County Parks staff had… Read More

Pet of the Week: Miss Daisy 

Hi! My name is Miss Daisy and I am available for adoption. I was brought in by my previous owner on May 24, 2019 because they could no longer house me safely. I lived in a home with another dog named Miss Leena, we are best friends and would love to find a home together! I’m a social butterfly and I am the party of the room everytime! I’m such a sweet little gal with so much love in my heart! My personality color is GREEN. I am an adaptable dog who loves… Read More

Read the newly released Local Food Initiative Report! 

The King County Local Food Initiative 2018 Annual Report highlights significant accomplishments and tracks our progress toward building a stronger local food system over the year, including:  Protecting more than 920 acres of farmland and getting more than 630 acres of fallow land back into food production in King County since 2016;   Increasing farmer sales at King County’s farmers markets by nearly 5 percent year-over-year since 2017;   Enrolling 26 aspiring farmers in training programs in 2018; and  Supporting the Fresh Bucks Benefits program so that nearly $500,000 in Fresh Bucks were redeemed… Read More

Last chance! Don’t forget to register for the 2019 BBY5K by May 31 

The Big Backyard 5K (BBY5K) fun run and walk presented by Kaiser Permanente is set for Sunday, June 2 at King County’s Marymoor Park and will feature a 10K race option to celebrate the event’s 10th anniversary. Registration for the 2019 run is easy – sign up online at www.bby5k.com through May 31 and in-person on race weekend. King County Employees can create or join a King County Team and use the promo code KC5 to receive $5 off their registration. The event promotes fitness and community involvement and has raised more than $300,000 for King County Parks in the past nine years.  … Read More

Transforming how the region funds employment and job training to connect more people to high-demand careers 

King County Executive Dow Constantine and Seattle Mayor Jenny A. Durkan are transforming how the region funds employment and job training, uniting the efforts of local governments, businesses, labor and philanthropies to connect more people to high-demand jobs.  Here are highlights of the transformation:  Prioritize employment and training for those who face the most barriers to opportunity.  Improve coordination between employers, labor, and educators to make sure job seekers are prepared for the best career opportunities available right now.  Better align local, federal, and philanthropic funding to maximize the impact and produce… Read More

You know an #OrcaHero! 

Many county staff show their public service not just though their day job, but also in their daily actions. Even off duty, many employees are an #OrcaHero working for a clean, beautiful environment.   Do you know an #OrcaHero? This kind of hero helps keep our waters and Puget Sound clean and orcas healthy. Every action adds to cleaning up pollution from our homes, neighborhoods and businesses. Post your #OrcaHero and tag @PugetSoundStartsHere so we can share their story.   Everyday heroes help our habitat by:   Avoiding pesticides and synthetic fertilizers  Checking for and fixing car leaks … Read More