Forest Carbon/Forest Health Lunch and Learn, March 8
Join us at this month’s Climate Preparedness Lunch and Learn to hear from the WLRD Rural and Regional Services team about how the County’s Forest Health plan is preparing us for climate change impacts. Wednesday, March 8, from noon to 1 p.m. King Street Center, 6th Floor, King and Chinook Rooms All King County employees welcome, but space is limited. Please sign up here.. For more information, please contact Jessica Engel at Jessica.engel@kingcounty.gov or 206-477-3132.
From the Hip: Martha Cohen, Manager, Office of Interpreter Services
A voice for all King County ranks nationally as a top county in numbers for refugee and immigrant resettlement. Indeed, 98198 is one of the most ethnically diverse zip codes in the U.S. It can be said that what New York City was to cultural diversity in 1905, Seattle/King County is today. Since 1992, this office has provided interpreters in 161 different languages including ASL for all Superior Court departments: civil and criminal cases, deaf jurors and court related programs at the KCCH (Seattle), MRJC (Kent) and Youth Services Center (12th and… Read More
National Women’s History Month profiles trailblazing women in King County labor and business
This article is featured courtesy of Jamie Holter, Communications Manager, Department of Information Technology Profiling amazing women working throughout King County: Tamara Davis, KCIT IT Project Management How did you get your start in IT? I started in GIS as an analyst and quickly realized I had two choices: one, pursue GIS as an IT career developing databases and applications, or two, pursue using GIS as a helpful tool in support of a particular line of business most likely transportation planning. I picked number one. Do you bring a different perspective to IT? Female employees bring different… Read More
Deepening the dialogue and hoping for a better tomorrow
by Kirsten Garcia, Wastewater Treatment Division This is the start of a poem by Quenton Baker that he shared at one of last year’s Reflecting on Race and Racism events organized by an employee ESJ team. The poem, which is titled “Drip” and is dedicated to George Stinney, Jr., begins with a genial image – ice cream on a sunny day. But the story of George Stinney, Jr. is anything but genial. Stinney was a fourteen-year-old African-American boy wrongly accused of murdering two white girls in Alcolu, South Carolina in 1944. He… Read More
King County, City of Kent partner to provide rearing and refuge habitat for salmon
The City of Kent recently completed one of the eleven projects funded in part by the DNRP Wastewater Treatment Division 2016 WaterWorks Grant Program. In addition to remediating the soil of the Leber Homestead, which is where this grant was used, the purpose of the project was to provide rearing and refuge habitat for salmon, especially for juvenile Chinook salmon, which are a threatened species in the Puget Sound. “The Kent project is a win for the environment and also for public health,” said King County Councilmember Dave Upthegrove. During the project,… Read More
Kudos to KCSO Marine Rescue, recently highlighted in KIRO 7!
The King County Sheriff’s Office Marine Rescue unit was featured in a KIRO 7 piece for the safe and secure rescue of two boaters stranded in the middle of the Snoqualmie River. A father and son, both wearing life jackets, got gravel into the intake of the boat’s engine, and were caught on a sandbar. Kudos to the Marine Rescue unit for working to ensure the safety of not just this father and son, but all King County residents. Read more at KIRO 7
Reflecting on Race and Racism: Deepening the Dialogue, March 21
King County employees are invited to participate in a candid conversation on race and racism with a panel of literary artists of color and a skilled facilitator. The event will provide attendees the opportunity to listen to and exchange ideas and confront discomfort on issues of race and racism. Deepening the dialogue through story sharing can elicit new ways of thinking, bring self-awareness to unconscious biases, foster understanding and compassion, and guide us in cultivating a workplace culture of equity and social justice. Tuesday, March 21 from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. King… Read More
King County Sheriff’s Deputy recently featured on Q13FOX
Jamie Deer, a Sheriff’s Deputy who has been with King County 19 years, was profiled on Q13FOX for sharing his personal journey in the hope of helping others. Jamie is one of the first openly transgender law enforcement officers in Washington state. And he went through his transition later in life, in a very public way — on the job. “I can’t imagine working anywhere else. I love and respect the men and women I work with. I don’t want to go anywhere else. So, I just decided to take a chance on these guys,” says Jaime…. Read More
King County posts record transit ridership in year of bus and train expansion
Transit ridership across King County Metro and Sound Transit climbed to its highest levels ever, totaling about 150 million rides in the King County area in 2016. The Seattle area leads the nation in ridership growth compared to the largest metro areas in the U.S. Strong ridership between Metro and Sound Transit highlights significant progress on King County Executive Dow Constantine’s priority of integrating the region’s transit network. “Transit ridership continues to grow, and we’re meeting the need by offering more and better service, improving reliability, and making transfers between bus and rail… Read More
Celebrating Black History Month in King County
King County Executive Dow Constantine has proclaimed February to be Black History Month in King County. “The contributions to science, technology, business, arts, and cultural innovation by African Americans have been essential to the progress of our nation,” Executive Constantine said in his Proclamation. “We will continue to honor these accomplishments every month and every day in Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., County.” You can read the Executive’s proclamation here (on SharePoint).
Employee News 