Growing people power rooted in community love
From the American Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pasifika Affinity Group “King County is centering people and their experiences to help inform what shapes our strategies, which shape our policies, funding, procurements, and allows true impact in communities being able to create their own resource building,” Amy Pak (she/her) says. “We have incredible leaders. There’s so much knowledge, skill, and power within the community.” Inaccessible, exclusionary practices and a history of systemic racism and inequity obstruct the pathways for grassroots, Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), immigrant and refugee communities to access needed services…. Read More
Ernest Kandilige appointed permanent Metro Deputy General Manager
Crossposted from Metro Matters Since the beginning of the year, Ernest Kandilige has been serving as Metro’s Interim Deputy General Manager. Starting today, I’m delighted to share that we will no longer need “Interim” in his title, as I have officially appointed Ernest as Metro’s Deputy General Manager. As Deputy General Manager, Ernest is focused on supporting Metro operations in Vehicle Maintenance, Bus Operations, Transit Facilities, Safety and Security, Marine and Rail. I am confident in the leadership that Ernest brings and know how deeply he cares about the role Metro plays… Read More
Kelsey Urban gets a birds-eye view of the county’s potential risks
Crossposted from the DES Express When your job is to help manage risk for King County, it’s critical to understand what those potential risks are. So, when an opportunity came to get a birds-eye view during a routine King County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) helicopter flight, Kelsey Urban, the new Deputy Director of the Office of Risk Management Services, jumped at the chance. Brendan McCluskey, Director of Emergency Management, joined in to provide an emergency management perspective. Read more.
Caroline Whalen retires after 29 years at King County
Crossposted from DES Express Caroline Whalen, director of the Department of Executive Services since 2010, retires next month after 29 years at King County. Her last day in the office will be Sept. 8. “Working for King County was the best career decision I’ve made,” Whalen said. During her county career, she has written land use code, organized massive rezone mailings along with an associated call center, analyzed legislation, and served as a lead staff for the County Council. She worked her way up to deputy director in the former Department of… Read More
Aerial rescue success on the Pacific Crest Trail
Crossposted from the KCSO newsletter On Wednesday, Aug. 2, the King County Sheriff’s Office Communications Center received a call from the Yakima County Sheriff’s Office. They had received an alert from a Garmin inReach device – a personal satellite transmitter/receiver – about an injured hiker on the Pacific Crest Trail near Mt. Adams. Pilot Deputy Josh Sweeney, Co-Pilot Tony Mullinax, Safety Officer Sergeant Eric Gagnon, Rescue Specialists Deputy Travis Brunner and Sergeant Tim Lewis, and King County Medic Rosenblum responded immediately. Guardian 2 was on its way to the hikers’ location within… Read More
Susan McLaughlin selected as New Behavioral Health and Recovery Division Director
The King County Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) welcomes Susan McLaughlin, Ph.D., as the new Director of the Behavioral Health and Recovery Division (BHRD) effective Sept. 11, 2023. Dr. Susan McLaughlin is a licensed clinical psychologist with more than 20years of leadership experience in health, behavioral health, and social services as a clinician, researcher, and policy administrator. McLaughlin started her career in youth mental health and later served as the Health and Human Services Administrator at DCHS in BHRD where she led multiple initiatives to improve public policy and programmatic outcomes… Read More
Lorraine Patterson-Harris appointed County Administrative Officer and Director of Department of Executive Services
Executive Constantine has appointed Lorraine Patterson-Harris County Administrative Officer (CAO) and Director of the Department of Executive Services (DES). Her appointment is subject to Council confirmation. Lorraine has most recently served as the Chief Administrative Officer for the Department of Natural Resources (DNRP). For the last eight years, she has been a champion for that department, leading continuous improvement work, implementing technology systems, the “Green Where We Work” initiative for DNRP’s post-pandemic operations, and leadership development efforts centered around equity, competencies, and our values. Her previous leadership roles with King County include… Read More
Emerging Metro leader who lifts community voices is recognized for completing Ruth Woo fellowship
Crossposted from Metro Matters Metro is proud to announce Alex Madrigal Ramirez’s participation in King County’s 2022-2023 Ruth Woo Emerging Leader Fellowship program. “Alex has also taken a leadership role in launching Metro’s first Employee Resource Group dedicated to immigrants and refugees, and he is the voice of Metro in onboard announcements about the Free Youth Transit Pass,” said Rachel Wilch, a Metro Government Relations Administrator. Ramirez called the fellowship an amazing career development opportunity. Read more.
Women in trades: Ivy Schmitz
Crossposted from the Metro Layover Employee Newsletter Meet Ivy Schmitz. She works as a Utility Laborer in our Transit Facilities Division (TFD). Ivy is one of the 6.2% percent of women who make up the female workforce in the transit trades industry. This industry has traditionally been viewed as a male-dominated field, with women facing educational and training barriers, an unwelcoming workplace culture and environment, and lack of awareness and exposure to the possibility of employment in the trades. Ivy first joined Metro as a Maintenance Crew member in South Facilities and then… Read More
Administrative Professional Partners benefits employees
Since 2016, the Administrative Professionals Development and Recognition Program has forged pathways for the development and recognition of administrative professionals. Meg Chambers, an administrative professional with the Department of Public Health, says, “The Administrative Professionals Program has made a huge influence on my career at King County. I have had the opportunity to work with other admin professionals to have a diverse set of experiences and perspectives, which has both helped me professionally as another admin professional and provided me with a support network of people who are doing similar work to… Read More
Employee News 