Latinx Affinity Group survey
The King County Latinx Affinity Group Leadership Team developed a short survey to better understand the needs of King County Latinx employees. Survey results will help define Latinx Affinity Group priorities and activities. King County employees who identify as Latinx, or of Latin American origin or descent, are encouraged to complete the survey by 5 p.m. on March 28. Responses are anonymous and the survey should only take 5-10 minutes to complete. Click here to begin the survey. If you have questions about the survey, please contact Melissa Aguilar at MariaS@kingcounty.gov.
Disability awareness resources, recorded trainings from 2021, and planning ahead for 2022
National Disability Employment Awareness Month is celebrated every October by King County to honor the many contributions made by people with disabilities, and how these individuals strengthen our workforce, our communities, and our country. This past year, the Disability Awareness Committee organized a wide series of articles and events to highlight these contributions, including: Universal Design for Meetings, Events and Trainings: This event was hosted by the King County Department of Human Resources and featured Blayne Amson, City of Bellevue Americans with Disabilities Act and Title VI Program Administrator. Amson discussed his… Read More
Vets 4 HIRE fellowship program creates savings and opportunities
The Vets 4 HIRE Program provides hiring managers a supplement to their budget by placing a military veteran in a temporary fellowship assignment using funds from the Veterans, Seniors & Human Services Levy. It also gives veterans an opportunity to provide their skills and unique experience while filling a need within King County. As this video illustrates, it often leads to a full-time hire of a well-qualified individual who knows the meaning of duty and commitment. For more information, managers can reach out to their human resources representative or contact Vets 4 HIRE Program Manager Susan Navetski.
Celebrating 2022 Women’s History Month
King County Executive Dow Constantine has proclaimed the month of March Women’s History Month in King County, and encouraged all residents to participate in events to commemorate and honor women and their contributions to our community and nation. “The 2022 Women’s History Month theme is ‘Providing Healing, Promoting Hope” – a tribute both to the work of women as caregivers and frontline workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to the role that women have played in providing healing and hope throughout history,” Executive Constantine said in the Proclamation. “Despite the innumerable contributions… Read More
Meet new county employee and Health Hero, Amber Heyward
For Black History Month, Balanced You is excited to recognize our many talented Black employees in different bodies of work around the county. Welcome new county employee, Amber Heyward. With a background in HR, Learning and Development and Organizational Development, she started at King County four months ago as an Organizational Development practitioner. In this video she talks about her team’s goal to build equitable and enjoyable workplaces and why she was drawn to government work and King County specifically. Watch this video to learn more.
Metro celebrates Black History Month with special event featuring Dr. Terrence James Roberts
Metro’s Office of Equity, Inclusion and Belonging is honored to continue the celebration of Transit Equity Day and Black History Month with a special Lunch and Learn event featuring Congressional Gold Medal recipient, scholar, and Civil Rights figure, Dr. Terrence James Roberts. Dr. Roberts is one of the Little Rock Nine, the group of nine black students who enrolled at formerly all-white Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas in September 1957. The nine students’ attendance put to test the landmark Brown vs. Board of Education United States Supreme Court ruling that segregation in public schools was unconstitutional…. Read More
Black History Month Stories of Hope: Abdirahman Hashi
The King County MLK Day Committee is sharing Stories of Hope first presented during the 2022 Martin Luther King Day celebration in honor of Black History Month. Watch this video to meet Abdirahman Hashi, Project/Program Manager for Public Health – Seattle & King County, and hear in his own words a story of hope.
Black History Month Stories of Hope: Gloria Fontenot
The King County MLK Day Committee is sharing Stories of Hope first presented during the 2022 Martin Luther King Day celebration in honor of Black History Month. Watch this video to meet Gloria Fontenot, a Facilities Security Supervisor on the Facilities Management Division team, as she shares her inspirational story of hope.
Health Hero, Debra Baker, reminds us about the ‘Wonder of Now’
For Black History Month, Balanced You is excited to recognize our many talented Black employees in different bodies of work around the county. Health Hero, Debra Baker, is an Organizational Development Lead in the Department of Human Resources. Her work supports departments, teams, and employees across the county by developing organizational health solutions and plans. Debra shares about the concept of ‘beloved,’ understanding yourself as one who is accepted and greatly loved, and she describes the ‘Wonder of Now,’ her tips for being in the moment and practicing self-care. Watch this video to… Read More
Honoring Transit Equity Day
Cross-posted from Metro Matters Metro recently recognized the birthday of civil rights hero Rosa Parks. Her quiet act of defiance – refusing to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama, bus to a white man in 1955 – is one of the iconic moments in the breaking down of segregation in the south and throughout America. It led to the Montgomery bus boycott, directed by a young pastor, Martin Luther King, Jr. Read more about Transit Equity Day here.
Employee News 