Funding recipients for the 2017-2018 ESJ Opportunity Fund announced
The ESJ Opportunity Fund is a competitive process overseen by the Office of Equity and Social Justice that provides resources to King County employees to develop and implement projects that work to advance equity and social justice and complement the ESJ Strategic Plan. This year 39 applications were received totaling over $290,000 in requests, with a 2017-2018 ESJ Opportunity Fund budget of $100,000. This was a highly competitive process that highlights the commitment across the County to equity and social justice work; commitment not only at the department and agency level but also of our… Read More
King County Veterans Court celebrates Veterans Day and Court graduates, Nov. 9
Regional Veterans Court will be holding a celebration of all veterans and a graduation for those successfully completing the court program on Thursday, November 9, 2017 at 1 p.m. at the King County Courthouse, Courtroom E-326. The celebration is open to all who wish to attend. Regional Veterans Court is a specialized track within King County District Court that connects veterans in the justice system to health and behavioral health treatment, housing and other services they may need to re-stabilize their lives. The Court helps veterans stay out of further involvement in the justice system, and reduces the use… Read More
Bridge participants use professional skills to address workgroup challenges
The 2017-2018 King County Bridge Fellowship cohort, which started in June, are continuing to explore leadership and development opportunities for themselves and for the organization. Twenty three employees are working through the course, participating in classroom learning, group projects, presentations and career development activities, as well as interviews and site visits to explore the County’s agencies and their priorities. The fellowship is expected to wrap up in November, with a formal graduation and presentation. The program is supported by the Learning and Development Team in the Department of Executive Services and is… Read More
Breaking down barriers with Supported Employment
King County’s Supported Employment Program matches job seekers with developmental disabilities to jobs by identifying efficiencies and unmet needs throughout King County government. King County is celebrating Disability Awareness Month in October and recognizing the work that County employees do to serve and support people with disabilities in our community, including the Supported Employment Program. Many divisions have partnered with Christina Davidson, Supported Employment Program Manager, to hire through the Program to meet their business needs. Recent hiring Departments and Divisions include: Dept. of Natural Resources and Parks in the Solid Waste, Wastewater and Parks Divisions, Dept…. Read More
Historic labor agreement delivers on our employee-focused priorities
King County and the Coalition of Unions have reached a tentative agreement on a three-year Master Labor Agreement (MLA) that will, once ratified, help the County advance towards its goal to be a workplace where every employee has the tools, knowledge and support to innovate, achieve their career goals and deliver equitable, high quality service to our customers. “The MLA delivers on many of the objectives of my Investing in You, Best Run Government and Equity and Social Justice priorities,” King County Executive Dow Constantine said in announcing the tentative MLA. “It standardizes many work processes, large and small;… Read More
Supporting Disability Awareness Month through Annual Giving Drive
Each year King County employees help hundreds of nonprofit organizations do vital work in our community and around the world by donating to the Annual Giving Drive, and this year’s Giving Drive is now underway. The start of this year’s Giving Drive coincides with Disability Awareness Month, which King County celebrates each October. The following are four participating nonprofits whose work helps people with disabilities in our community (click and scroll down for details): The Arc of King County (9233) – Serving individuals and families with intellectual and developmental disabilities through case management, peer support, leadership… Read More
Disability Awareness Month – a history of Metro’s Accessible Transit Services
Crossposted from Bytes and Boxes Today an industry leader in public transit, Metro has been shaped by citizen involvement since its establishment by the voters of King County 60 years ago. One significant area of Metro leadership and citizen engagement has been the development of accessible transit services for people with disabilities. The Municipality of Metropolitan Seattle (“Metro”) was formed in 1958 with a public mandate to improve local water quality. Over time, Metro expanded to other civic projects and services. The Forward Thrust bond campaign, headed by community activist James Ellis,… Read More
Metro Transit celebrates National Hispanic Heritage Month
During National Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 to October 15), we at King County recognize the important presence of Hispanic and LatinX Americans and the contributions they have made to the United States and King County, and celebrate their heritage and culture. National Hispanic Heritage Month begins each year on September 15, the anniversary of independence of five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. Mexico, Chile and Belize also celebrate their independence days during this period and Dia de la Raza is October 12. Before Washington was a state, people of Hispanic origin were coming to the region to work on… Read More
KCDOT works with local consulates to reach Spanish-speaking customers
Crossposted from Inside Transportation As part of our commitment to delivering accessible service to all residents of King County, regardless of their place of origin, KCDOT leadership recently met with the local consuls of five Latin American nations to help us improve our communications with Spanish-speaking customers. Nearly one of every 10 King County residents is of Hispanic/Latinx origin, according to the last census, and of those who speak Spanish at home, nearly half say they speak English less than “very well.” Language can become a barrier to using public transit, and elements… Read More
Survey communications: Asking questions, acting on what we hear
When you ask someone for their feedback on something, you’d better have a plan for how you are going to act on that feedback. That’s exactly what King County has done with its annual employee survey. Almost 340 action plans were created to act on the issues you said were important in the 2016 survey. Two critical issues you raised were Career Opportunities and Leadership Visibility. Here are some of the ways that we acted on your responses: Career Opportunities Expanded the Bridge Fellowship program to provide leadership and development opportunities to more employees. Created an… Read More
Employee News 