In recent years, law enforcement has been one of the most challenging industries for recruitment and hiring. Between 2019 and 2023, law enforcement hiring nationwide saw a 40% increase in job openings and a 39% decrease in applicants per job, creating unprecedented recruitment challenges. These trends deeply impacted King County’s Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention (DAJD), which experienced a rise in vacancies—from 19 in 2020 to 120 Corrections Officer (CO) vacancies by early 2024—despite record-setting hiring years in 2022 and 2023. The department also saw a high vacancy rate for Juvenile… Read More

When a critical project to update King County’s court case management system faced a significant challenge, Shuyi Hu, Technology Division Director for the Department of Judicial Administration (DJA) – Technology Services Division, stayed focused and kept the project moving. His determination, tenacity, innovative approach, and leadership skills contributed to Shuyi winning the 2024 Best-Run Government – Leadership Excellence Award – People Leader. The Best-Run Government Leadership Excellence Awards recognize individuals who have made significant and tangible leadership contributions to developing Executive branch values in others, improving workplace culture, and leading organizational change… Read More

Crossposted from the DAJD newsletter Like their counterparts in other public safety agencies and the military, this tight-knit group provides official departmental representation at solemn events. They attend awards presentations, promotions, and retirements. Their job isn’t strictly ceremonial. Honor Guard members are often called upon to be there for peers and family members at the most difficult times. They stand by after coworkers have passed and pay respects to peer agencies after line-of-duty deaths. Read more.

King County Executive Shannon Braddock announced the winners of the 2024 Best-Run Government Awards on May 8, with eight King County employees, leaders, and teams recognized for their outstanding performance, leadership, and innovation.  The awards’ highest honor, the 2024 Fred Jarrett Leadership Excellence Award, was presented to Steve Larsen, Deputy Director of Adult and Juvenile Detention (DAJD).  The Fred Jarrett Leadership Excellence Award is named for former Deputy Executive Fred Jarrett, the driving force behind Lean and continuous improvement for nine years at the County. It is presented to a senior county… Read More

Every year, NEOGOV, an online human resources management platform, acknowledges employees or organizations who have used it to further creative change within their company. In 2024, Sarah Buelow, NEOGOV Supervisor within the Department of Human Resources (DHR), received the Trailblazer Award at the 2024 Ignite! Conference, for going above and beyond in embodying a drive for innovation, passion, and dedication. Sarah has ensured that King County has been a sought-out beta tester and early adopter for a variety of enhancements to all of the modules in the platform. This has allowed King… Read More

The Administrative Professionals Program is excited to announce the Administrative Professional Recognitions for the third quarter of 2024, from July through September. These 18 individuals have been recognized for their excellence as administrative professionals at King County. View the recognitions here. The list includes: Alaina Emde, Alicia Warren, Amanda Knell, Carlos Bratcher, Cindy Hachtel, Danielle Hursh, Elizabeth Fong, Ithica Nolan-Williams, Jennifer Fitzgerald, Kristine Hanson, Laila McClinton, Lauren Olson, Marni Donnelly, My Huynh, Roger Bruckshen, Sam Wick, Sara Stefano, and Valerie Garza Thank you to the Administrative Specialists, Executive Assistants, Customer Service Specialists,… Read More