1. What is your role with King County? I am an Attorney-Guardian Ad Litem with the King County Superior Court Dependency CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) program. I complete independent investigations and advocacy for the children’s best interests in cases where parents have been accused by Child Protective Services of abusing or neglecting them. 2. What is a typical day like for you? I am always on the go! I drive all over the county and beyond to meet with children, their parents, their caretakers, and then also to attend court hearings on my caseload… Read More

1. What was your first role at King County? I started my career with King County Department of Adult & Juvenile Detention close to 15 years ago as a Juvenile Detention Officer. 2. What does your work as DAJD Training Coordinator involve? As the Training Coordinator, I am responsible for scheduling, conducting, monitoring, evaluating and coordinating trainings for employees within the Department of Adult & Juvenile Detention, specifically the Juvenile Division. Within this position it is important that I research and fully understand national standards and best practices in the field of corrections… Read More

1. What was your first role at King County? My first role at King County was working as a Utility Worker at the West Point Treatment Plant. When I started in 1981, wastewater treatment was part of the Water Pollution Control Department for the Municipality of Metropolitan Seattle (METRO). 2. What does an Assistant Plant Manager at West Point Treatment Plan do? I am one of two Assistant Plant Managers for the West Point Treatment Plant and conveyance system in the West Section. My primary role is to assist in managing the operation, maintenance, and… Read More

1, What is Risk Communications? Risk communications involves providing information and engaging audiences about issues of concern or perceived threats in ways that will help people cope, make informed decisions, and understand their risks. This means we need to show empathy for what people are experiencing, be as open and transparent as we can about what we’re doing and why, and start communicating as soon as possible. 2. What do you do as Risk Communication Specialist for Public Health? I support the health department’s programs that work with disease outbreaks and other health… Read More

1. Why did you choose Public Defense as a career?  I began working in public defense right out of high school. As a young person I endured a lot challenges and knew that I couldn’t go to college right away. That’s when I stepped into the door of a public defense office – TDA (The Defender Association). I started there as a receptionist and went to school along the way. I fell in love with the work and chose over the years to remain in the work.  Public defenders then were my… Read More

1. What was your first role at King County? I came to King County in April of 1999 as the Loss Control Manager in the Office of Risk Management. My position was new and was added as a result of a budget proviso.  The council wanted more resources dedicated to preventing liability losses. One of my early attempts at sharing lessons learned with departments was through a publication called the Risk Management Recipe (I love to cook, hence the name!).  The publication did not last but the concept of collecting, sharing, and disseminating… Read More

What was your first role at King County?  Upon completing the police academy, I was assigned to the SW precinct  as a patrol officer. I was in a marked patrol car dealing with calls for service in the unincorporated area of King county. Loved that assignment. Everything was new and exciting. I worked with wonderful people and had many eye opening experiences. Why did you choose law enforcement as a career? I initially entered college with the thought of becoming a dispatcher. It was during my criminal justice classes, that I changed… Read More

1. What was your first role at King County? I was hired to work as the Correspondence Manager for County Executive Ron Sims when he first became Executive in 1997. In those days most constituent correspondence came as paper mail addressed to the Executive, so I coordinated with departments to get those letters answered. I did some community engagement ghostwriting for the Executive on everything from proclamations and recognitions to talking points and book chapters. I also wrote the first “customer service” policies we had for responding to constituent inquiries and oversaw the… Read More