Honoring our Honor Guard
Crossposted from the King County Sheriff’s Office Employee newsletter Last May, members of the King County Sheriff’s Office Honor Guard traveled to Washington, D.C., to represent both our agency and the state of Washington during National Police Week. While in our nation’s capital, our team took part in several moving ceremonies, including standing watch at the National Candlelight Vigil for Fallen Officers, and joining agencies from around the world on stage at the U.S. Capitol to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice. These moments are more than symbolic—they’re a reminder of… Read More
Celebrating Excellence: Shannon Nale named Vehicle Maintenance Employee of the Year
Crossposted from Metro Matters With great pride, King County Metro announced Thursday the Vehicle Maintenance Employee of the Year: Shannon Nale, an outstanding Transit Information Processing Specialist. Shannon, a payroll specialist who works out of Metro’s South Base, was recognized for her excellence by leaders and colleagues in a ceremony at the base, receiving a day off, a dedicated parking spot for the coming year, and plenty of accolades for her honor. Leaders and team members praised Shannon’s work, saying it’s vital to keeping Metro’s services safe, efficient and accountable. All her… Read More
Sheila Ater Capestany departs Children, Youth, and Young Adult Division; King County leaders gather to recognize her lasting impact
Crossposted from Cultivating Connections After over a decade with King County Department of Community and Human Services, Sheila Ater Capestany will depart the Children, Youth and Young Adult Division for an exciting new chapter as Executive Director for Start Early Washington. Ahead of her departure, King County leaders and community members came together to recognize Sheila’s visionary leadership that ushered in one of the largest publicly funded initiatives for babies, young people and families in the country, Best Starts for Kids, and created the Children, Youth, and Young Adult Division. Read more. Pictured: From left, Former… Read More
‘We still brace ourselves, but now we can breathe easier’: Operators at West Point Treatment Plant credit new battery system for delivering reliable power during its first year
Operators at King County’s West Point Treatment Plant credit the new onsite battery system for providing reliable power during its first year of service, ensuring critical pumps operated during 78 power disruptions. Engineers estimate that 15 of those power disruptions were severe enough to potentially cause an emergency bypass of untreated wastewater into Puget Sound had the onsite batteries not been activated in June 2024. Pumps at the state’s largest treatment plant were powered exclusively by the 16.8-megawatt battery system during each of those disruptions. King County Executive Shannon Braddock praised the… Read More
John Parrott named Airport Director of the Year by WAMA
Crossposted from DES Plane Talk The Washington Airport Management Association (WAMA) named John Parrott the Airport Director of the Year at its annual conference last month. Parrott has served as director of King County International Airport since 2019. He has nearly 40 years of commercial airport, general aviation and military aviation experience from aviator to airport CEO. What’s his secret? “Hire great people and then get out of their way,” Parrott said upon receiving the award. Pictured: John Parrott, Director of King County International Airport, left, with Dave Decoteau, Deputy Director.
White Center Coffee with a Cop
Crossposted from the King County Sheriff’s Office newsletter Last week, we had a great time connecting with our White Center community during Coffee with a Cop! Community members showed up to talk with the Sheriff and other department members. Meanwhile, PCT 4 Captain Przygocki was in the back slinging drinks and working the drive-through window, to the surprise of customers. Overall, it was a successful event! We thank all the department members who showed up, and a special thanks to Starbucks and our White Center community members for the opportunity. We can’t wait… Read More
Meet KCSO’s dynamic duo father-daughter team
Crossposted from the King County Sheriff’s Office newsletter When Morgan Pavlovich became a King County Sheriff’s Deputy in 2023, the least surprised person of all was her father, a longtime member of the Sheriff’s Office himself. “I suspected she would end up right here,” said SeaTac Sergeant John ‘Jake’ Pavlovich. “She always had that drive to help people. Even when she worked in retail. Plus, she used to dress up like a police officer on Halloween.” The Pavlovich duo is the sole father-daughter team currently serving the Sheriff’s office. The Sergeant only… Read More
Juneteenth: A personal reflection on freedom, struggle, and pride as a Black man in modern America
By a Black man living in modern history -William Herbert, Human Resources professional with Metro Transit Mobility Division, and Water and Land Resources Division Foreword Every year, June 19th rolls around, and for many in America, it may pass like any other summer day. But for me—as a Black man, military veteran, husband, and father living in modern-day America—Juneteenth is not just a date in history. It’s a mirror. A memorial. A celebration. And a call to action. It’s a day that encapsulates the joy of freedom, the weight of delayed justice,… Read More
The Parent Champions Pilot Program receives BRG Innovation Award for Service
The Parent Champions Pilot Program has received the 2024 Best-Run Government (BRG) Innovation Award for Service. Congratulations to the Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) and the Developmental Disabilities & Early Childhood Supports Division, and their partners for their commitment to Best-Run Government! A special thank you to the program’s project manager Juliette Escobar and group facilitators Ya’Vonne Hubbard and Fathia Hammad. The Innovation Award for Service recognizes workgroups and teams that have made progress on our customer service goals to prioritize customer-centered services, improve the customer experience, increase staff understanding… Read More
Supervisor Spotlight: Highlighting those behind the scenes who keep us moving
Crossposted from Metro Matters It takes a lot of people to keep a transit system running smoothly across 150 routes and over 300,000 boardings a day. Bus drivers are the most visible part of any transit system, and there are people behind the scenes who are just as vital in the day-to-day operation of King County Metro. Their responsibilities include training operators, planning the routes that run throughout the region, and literally being the “traffic controllers” who keep track of the buses on their daily runs. They’re also the former bus drivers… Read More
Employee News 