Executive Constantine appoints Terry White Metro General Manager 

King County Executive Dow Constantine announced the appointment of Terry White as General Manager of King County Metro, the region’s largest public transportation agency. White currently serves as Interim General Manager and previously served as Deputy General Manager.  “I am honored to appoint Terry White to be King County Metro General Manager,” said King County Executive Dow Constantine. “Terry possesses a bold vision for how our transit system can lead with equity and prioritize service where needs are greatest. Across his remarkable 33-year career at Metro, he has unrivaled knowledge, insights, and… Read More

King County Information Technology Director Tanya Hannah recognized by national CIO agency

Seattle CIO, part of a national leadership network that recognizes chief information officers (CIO), recognized Tanya Hannah, King County CIO, with its 2020 Public Sector ORBIE Award. This award recognizes CIOs who have shown excellence in technology leadership, and honors Tanya for her work in government and with education organizations. The CIO of the Year ORBIE Awards is the premier technology executive recognition program in the United States. Since inception in 1998, over 1,200 CIOs have been honored as finalists and over 300 CIO of the Year winners have received the prestigious… Read More

Executive Constantine names April Putney as new Chief of Staff

As Executive Constantine’s new Chief of Staff, April Putney will be responsible for administration of the Executive’s staff as well as directing external and internal policy coordination and strategic initiatives. Putney previously served as the Director of Government and External Relations, overseeing local, regional, state, and federal relations.  Putney replaces Rachel Smith, who was named President and CEO of the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce today. Smith, who also serves as Deputy County Executive, will retain that position until she leaves the Executive’s Office at the end of the year.  “April brings… Read More

Road Services welcomes new director Tricia Davis 

Crossposted from King County Local  Local Services proudly welcomes Tricia Davis as the new director of its Road Services Division.  Tricia comes to us as a 13-year employee at King County, most recently as deputy director for Metro’s Rail Division and, prior to that, as a budget supervisor in King County’s Office of Performance, Strategy and Budget (PSB).  Before joining the county, Tricia worked as a research analyst for the Center on Reinventing Public Education. She also worked for Capital One Financial Services as a senior operations analyst.  Read more. 

Executive recognizes Public Health Director Patty Hayes for receiving top award for University of Washington alumni 

King County Executive Dow Constantine lauded Public Health — Seattle & King County Director Patty Hayes for receiving the prestigious University of Washington Alumnus Summa Laude Dignatus Award. The award is presented annually by the UW and the UW Alumni Association and is the highest honor the University bestows on a UW graduate.  Educated as a nurse, with both a baccalaureate degree and master’s degrees from the University of Washington School of Nursing, Hayes leads one of the largest and most respected metropolitan health departments in the country, which is currently at the forefront… Read More

Employee profile: Stepping up highlights commitment to public service

During this difficult time, King County employees continue to be examples of true leadership and dedication to our public service mission. From nurses to front-line staff, the current situation has provided an opportunity for employees from all different backgrounds and abilities to continue giving their time and energy to overcome this virus. One such employee is Angela Jimenez, a nurse in the Children with Special Health Care Needs program (CSHCN) within Public Health – Seattle & King County. A Seattle native, Angela has been with King County since 2018 and has enjoyed… Read More

Emergency Deployment Program helps to facilitate donations and address community needs

The Emergency Deployment Program has seen many employees step forward to join efforts to combat the coronavirus (COVID-19), including the deployment of employees to support the King County Emergency Operations Center (EOC). In its response to the virus, the EOC has developed a Donations Management Team to facilitate the donation of hundreds of thousands of masks, gloves, and hand sanitizer, as well as meals and other donations to first responders. The team is also responsible for connecting donation resources with community needs, and has set up the King County Regional Donations Connector… Read More

March 18 is Transit Driver Appreciation Day 

Crossposted from Metro Matters Every day, thousands of King County Metro transit, rail, and paratransit operators are responsible for delivering passengers to work, school, and appointments, and back home again. They wake before the sun comes up and work through the night. During these challenging times, it’s more important than ever that we honor our public servants who are essential to keeping our community moving. On March 18, 2020, we’re again celebrating International Transit Driver Appreciation Day. Read more from Metro Matters

Five questions with Judge Jim Rogers, Superior Court 

Why did you start in your role with King County?  I was elected as a Judge in 2004. I ran because I was interested in the job through my prior work as a law clerk. I had tried many cases in civil and criminal arenas and I wanted to stay in the courtroom. What do you do in your role?  My current role is as Presiding Judge, which means I work on the case flow (distribution) of the work of the Court, setting policies and overseeing the budget process.  As a trial… Read More

New apprenticeship program to create long-term, diverse workforce 

Crossposted from DES Express  Three heavy-duty mechanic apprentices joined the Fleet Services team earlier this year, the first in a new apprenticeship program designed to grow the workforce from within. The program is also aimed at diversifying what has traditionally been a white male workforce.  Mason Keselburg started Jan. 13. Christina “Tina” Taylor and Michael Domiquel both started on Jan. 27. They have all graduated from a trade school, with Keselburg as a recent graduate. Taylor will be Fleet’s first woman mechanic and Domiquel identifies as Asian.  Read more from DES Express