Reducing lead in cookware leads to BRG Innovation Award for Equity, Racial & Social Justice
By Mary Miller, Executive Communications, Office of Performance, Strategy, and Budget A joint team from the Water and Land Resources Division of the Department of Natural Resources (DNRP) and Parks and the Environmental Health Division of Public Health – Seattle and King County received the 2023 Best-Run Government (BRG) Innovation Award for Equity, Racial & Social Justice. The project team took significant and decisive action to address the health risks that exposure to lead in aluminum cookware posed to Afghan refugee children – and then broadened new protective measures to help residents… Read More
FBOD makes headlines
Crossposted from the DES Express Congratulations to Ken Guy, Director of the Finance and Business Operations Division (FBOD), and his staff for contributing to a published article by the Government Finance Officers Association. “Rethinking Financial Reporting” takes a hard look at traditional financial reports and their value. “Ken has been a leader nationwide and actively engaged with regulators at all levels encouraging a break from the traditional mindset that more financial disclosure is always better,” said Eben Sutton, Chief Accountant in FBOD. “Ken has been advancing the notion that preparing financial statement… Read More
BRC team reinvigorates “Underground” team
Crossposted from DES Express Do you know what it takes to ensure your paycheck accurately reflects any changes, like new taxes or union dues, that can occur several times each year? It takes significant behind-the-scenes effort. “No one wants to manually test payroll four times a year,” said Jennifer Gilbert, QA Automation Engineer for PeopleSoft in the Business Resource Center. Read more. Pictured: Pam Ingram and Jessica Maistrovich, both from Hennepin County, Minnesota, and Jennifer Gilbert, QA Automation Engineer for PeopleSoft in the BRC.
Recipient of Best-Run Government Innovation Award helps Fall City community
The Fall City Waste Management System has been honored as the winner of the 2023 Best-Run Government Innovation Award for Climate and Environmental Stewardship. Congratulations to the Department of Local Services (DLS), Public Health – Seattle & King County (DPH), and all their partners for their commitment to Best-Run Government! “I was thrilled to learn that the Fall City Septic System project had won an Executive Best-Run Government Climate Award,” says John Taylor, Department of Natural Resources and Parks (DNRP) Director and former DLS Director. “It’s been a passion project of mine… Read More
Innovation Section receives award for wildlife excellence
Crossposted from the Plane Talk Newsletter King County International Airport recently received an award from United States Department of Agriculture’s Washington State office for a project promoting wildlife excellence. Dave Decoteau, deputy director of the airport, accepted the award on KCIA’s behalf at the 2024 Washington Airport Management Association Annual Conference in May. The airport’s Innovation Section received the award for partnering with USDA to develop the Wildlife Hazard Assessment Tool (WHAT) application. “It is an application for capturing wildlife observations on our airfield,” said Vanessa Chin, Innovation Section Manager for the… Read More
Downtown Customer Service Center receives BRG Innovation Award for Service
The Downtown Customer Service Center (CSC) has received the 2023 Best-Run Government (BRG) Innovation Award for Service. Congratulations to the Department of Executive Services (DES), Department of Public Health (DPH), Assessor’s Office, King County Information Technology (KCIT), the Executive Department, and all their partners for their commitment to Best-Run Government. This award recognizes workgroups and teams that have made progress on our customer service goals to prioritize customer-centered services, improve the customer experience, increase staff understanding of customer needs, and/or incorporate service practices and processes into their project. With the closing… Read More
Recipient of BRG Innovation Award for Cost helped stabilize region’s behavioral healthcare system
A team comprised of employees from the Behavioral Health and Recovery Division, Finance and Compliance Services, and Performance Measurement and Evaluation in the Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) is the recipient of the 2023 Best-Run Government (BRG) Innovation Award for Cost. The award was one of eight announced by Executive Dow Constantine in a video. The Behavioral Health Medicaid Rate Increase Project Team was instrumental in increasing rates for behavioral health providers, who have been struggling to attract and retain staff at a time when the County seeks to increase access… Read More
Keeping KCCF orderly and fun: Ting Chou marks 25 years with King County
By Christina Lorella Kuzu, Communications Specialist with the Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention You can find Ting Chou at the King County Correctional Facility (KCCF) every Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to noon, making sure officers and residents get what they need. From stocking supplies to fulfilling resident kites (a written request from a person in custody), his role as a records unit support clerk is important to jail operations. Ting also makes it his unofficial duty to guarantee that coworkers don’t take themselves too seriously. “We know when he’s… Read More
Natural Resources and Parks’ Recruitment Standards Project receives Innovation Award for People
Like many organizations today, King County is facing challenges in filling vacant positions amid shortages in the labor market and fierce competition for talent. In addition, the County’s commitment to Equity, Racial, and Social Justice means that embedding pro-equity practices into its processes is crucial in advancing these efforts. The Human Resources team in the Department of Natural Resources and Parks (DNRP) realized that it could be more effective in bringing much-needed talent on board if it could speed up the recruiting process and build equity practices into every step of the… Read More
Natural Resources and Parks’ Recruitment Standards Project receives Innovation Award for People
Like many organizations today, King County is facing challenges in filling vacant positions amid shortages in the labor market and fierce competition for talent. In addition, the County’s commitment to Equity, Racial, and Social Justice means that embedding pro-equity practices into its processes is crucial in advancing these efforts. Delays in the hiring process can result in the loss of talented candidates to other organizations or opportunities, making it harder to fill critically important positions. The Human Resources team in the Department of Natural Resources and Parks (DNRP) realized that it could… Read More
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