Cross-department collaboration tells the true story of the SoundGuardian
King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks (DNRP) is a treasure trove of untold stories. Employees across four divisions work hard every day carrying out a broad mission to foster environmental stewardship and strengthen communities. It is hard to stop progress to recount our adventures and triumphs. But when it was time to chronicle a legendary journey, employees across DNRP pitched in to help. The County’s Environmental Lab has monitored streams, rivers, and Puget Sound for over 40 years. Field scientists sample, survey, carry out special projects, and respond to environmental… Read More
Kudos to employees who care about our residents and our environment!
This piece was featured in the Seattle Times’ Rant and Raves list. Kudos to a DNRP employee for saving a bird’s day! “RAVE To the woman working for King County who took my Saturday call about a coot (bird) trapped in a storm drain in Covington. She reached someone in Covington public works, who called me and said they were closed, but they were there first thing on Monday freeing the trapped animal. Public-sector heroes!
GoGreen and “The Future of Transportation”
Crossposted from Inside Transportation by Harold S. Taniguchi, Director, King County Dept. of Transportation Local action will continue to be our path forward on climate, sustainability, mobility and equity in King County, as we saw at the recent GoGreen Conference in Seattle. Thanks to the leadership of King County Executive Dow Constantine, we are addressing these challenges and partnering with businesses and the community for shared success on green building, wind and solar energy, transit-oriented development, and the nation’s leading commitment on electric buses. This was the fifth year of King County’s… Read More
County floodplain managers work together to understand a fast-moving river
Crossposted from The Downstream Blog On a gray day last month, a small group of King County and King County Flood Control District (Flood District) employees stood on the forested edge of the Tolt River upstream of Carnation. Geologically speaking, this is a young river – sinuous, fast-moving and largely unconstrained as it courses from its headwaters in the Cascades to its confluence with the wide, slow-moving Snoqualmie River. Chase Barton, an engineer with the King County’s River and Floodplain Management (Rivers) Section in the Water and Land Resources Division (WLRD), looked… Read More
Commemorating May Day and International Workers Day April 26
Employees are welcome to participate in a celebration focused on protecting immigrants and refugees by commemorating May Day and International Workers Day. The event will feature guest speakers, a spoken word artist and is co-sponsored by the Executive Branch, King County Office of Equity and Social Justice and members of the King County Council. Wednesday, April 26 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. Chinook Rooms 121-123 View the flyer for more information.
See something, say something. Issues that is
Crossposted from King County Parks Plog As your King County Parks staff, our job is to keep your parks clean, safe and open. It is part of our daily routine. That said, stuff happens. Daily, if not hourly, staff can be rerouted to deal with any number of issues. We of course handle anything we come across during our rounds, but sometimes, you visitors are onsite before we are. (Looking at you, “Training for a marathon before work,” and, “Dogs will eat my furniture if they don’t play in the field before… Read More
King County honors the heroic sacrifice of firefighter Luther Dean Bonner with a new airport fire station that captures his story
At a ceremony Monday at King County International Airport, the new rescue and fire station was named in honor of a fallen firefighter whose act of bravery has been overlooked for decades. In 1943, Luther Dean Bonner, a 23-year-old Seattle firefighter, died while attempting to rescue passengers and warehouse workers after a plane crashed into a plant near the airfield. Thirty-two people were killed, making it the largest loss of life from a fire in Seattle’s history, yet Bonner’s sacrifice was never properly recognized. King County elected officials invited members of his… Read More
Metro’s Anita Whitfield: Paving the way for equity in public transit
Crossposted from Metro Matters As Metro’s EEO/Diversity and Inclusion Manager, Anita Whitfield has been breaking down barriers and instilling a shared sense of responsibility for promoting equity and social justice. Whitfield has worked to create a culture where employees feel safe to have difficult discussions about historical and current inequities. She’s led training for many employees (which she calls “shared learning opportunities”), and played an instrumental role in shaping a vision for making Metro and King County government more equitable for all employees and residents. Whitfield recently was honored by the Puget… Read More
Executive Constantine thanks DNRP employees for becoming “carbon neutral”
King County Executive Dow Constantine today congratulated Department of Natural Resources and Parks employees for helping DNRP become King County’s first “Carbon Neutral” agency. Dear DNRP employee, Earth Week is a great chance to congratulate every Department of Natural Resources and Parks (DNRP) employee for helping DNRP become King County’s first “Carbon Neutral” agency! Please watch the video linked here (also available below) from DNRP Director Christie True and me, thanking employees not only for helping DNRP reduce and remove more greenhouse gas emissions than it generates, but doing it a year ahead of… Read More
Auburn Public Health employees discuss ideas, challenges with Budget Director
Dwight Dively, Director of Performance, Strategy and Budget, visited the Auburn Public Health Center on Monday, April 17, to talk with employees about the services they provide and what King County can do to help them serve their clients better. Staff took Dively on a tour of the facility to showcase some of the services they deliver – such as Family Planning for teens and adults, and WIC nutrition plus maternity support for pregnant women and families. They discussed their work and raised issues they are encountering. “I really appreciate Dwight making… Read More
Employee News 