Walk in the Shoes: Vashon Island, Spring Beach Community
It’s hard to beat the beauty of Vashon Island on a sunny day. That’s where I headed last month to spend the day with Health and Environmental Investigator Liana Criscuolo, a recent Walk in the Shoes of a County Employee participant. I spent several hours with Liana learning her day-to-day routine and meeting a number of Vashon residents. I had three goals with this walk: to spend time with county employees, to see the different projects they’re working on, and to meet and talk with community members who are affected by –… Read More
Standing up to hate, fascism and bigotry
Dear fellow King County employee, On Saturday we witnessed the ugly face of hate in our country at a rally of white supremacists, fascists and neo-Nazis in Charlottesville, Virginia. A similar group gathered yesterday in downtown Seattle, and my message to these groups on behalf of the people of King County is clear: We fought a Civil War against slavery, and you lost. We fought a World War against fascism, and you lost. Today, we stand united against the hateful rhetoric you have brought to our community. And you will lose again…. Read More
Fred Jarrett to lead initiative on excellence in unincorporated services and municipal contracts
Dear fellow King County employee, I have appointed Senior Deputy Executive Fred Jarrett to take on a major new body of work, leading an initiative to explore new and better ways to serve the people of unincorporated King County. About a quarter of a million people live in unincorporated King County, nearly as many as in the County’s second and third-largest cities – Bellevue and Kent – combined. From the Enumclaw Plateau to the Snoqualmie Valley; from urban White Center and Skyway to rural Hobart and Fall City; from the shores of Vashon… Read More
Mike Fong named Chief Operating Officer
Dear fellow King County employee, Today I named Mike Fong to serve as Chief Operating Officer in my office and join my senior leadership team. Mike will be responsible for managing Executive branch departments and ensuring that we continue to deliver on our key priorities – best-run government, regional mobility, confronting climate change and building equity and social justice – for our residents. His extensive experience in public service and strong community connections make Mike a great addition to our team and will ensure we are moving together to fulfill my agenda for an inclusive, equitable region. From transportation… Read More
Working together on our priorities
People choose a career at King County because they want to make a difference in their communities and the lives of the people who live and work in them, and their efforts are guided by four key priorities. “Over the last several years we have been working in four priority areas – best-run government, regional mobility, confronting climate change and building equity and social justice – to make King County a better place to live, work and raise a family,” King County Executive Dow Constantine said in a recent email to employees…. Read More
Whitney Abrams announces Dave Sarju appointed Director of Human Resources Division
Dear King County Employee, I am excited to announce that King County Executive Dow Constantine has appointed Dave Sarju as Director of Human Resources Division, starting full-time on August 14. Dave has more than 25 years’ experience in developing people, teams and workplace culture in public, private and non-profit organizations and delivering more value to customers. Dave will report to me as Director of Employee Engagement and Support, and play an integral role in implementing Executive Constantine’s Investing in You strategy to ensure we are building a workplace where you have the… Read More
Creating a stronger, safer and racially just community
Dear fellow King County employee, We are all dealing with strong feelings of anger, grief and despair over the tragic death of Charleena Lyles in Seattle on Sunday. We all have many questions, and await more details as they emerge. Meanwhile, we continue to witness acts of violence and terrorism and the senseless loss of life across this nation and around the world with startling frequency. This is a difficult time for many of us. I invite you to come together with fellow employees tomorrow, Friday, June 23, from 12:30 to 2 p.m. in the… Read More
Executive meets with employees to hear ideas on improving veteran services
King County Executive Dow Constantine recently met with eight employees to hear their experiences and thoughts on what King County can do to improve services to veterans, seniors and vulnerable populations, the people who would receive support from the Executive’s proposed Veterans, Seniors and Human Services Levy. The employees from the Department of Community and Human Services, District Court and Public Health – Seattle & King County, many of whom are veterans themselves, provide an array of support services to veterans and other clients, such as case management, housing assistance, healthcare and… Read More
From the Hip: Othniel Palomino, Chief Administrative Officer, District Court
Implementing change management effectively Managing the process of a major change is one of the most significant leadership challenges that most of us will face in our careers. King County District Court is currently in the middle of one of the most significant organizational changes in its history. We are leaving the 34 year old IBM mainframe based system managed by the Washington Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC). We manage over 200,000 case filings annually using this system. The project has required us to replace 14 ancillary systems developed over time,… Read More
Investing in You
Dear fellow King County employee, Over the past few years, we’ve done a lot of work to make King County a workplace that supports you, your ideas and your passion for public service. Through our annual employee survey, Equity and Social Justice focus groups, and engagement action plans we asked you what you need to do your best work and have been acting on what you said. Today I am launching Investing in You, which builds on our employee-focused efforts in Equity and Social Justice, Best-Run Government: Employees and Continuous Improvement and… Read More
Employee News 