Support natural disaster victims through Annual Giving Drive
Dear fellow King County employee: In the last month we have witnessed hurricanes tear through Texas, Florida, and the Caribbean as wildfires burned through the Pacific Northwest. To make it easier for employees to give to non-profit organizations helping people to recover from these recent natural disasters, I have asked the Employee Giving Program to open the Annual Giving Drive early. During the Annual Giving Drive, you have more options available through workplace giving than any other time of year. You can support victims of these disasters by pledging before the deadline, November 17, 2017,… Read More
King County Executive announces new grant opportunities for unincorporated area projects
King County Executive Dow Constantine today announced the availability of Community Service Area grant funding for a wide variety of educational, cultural and environmental projects that will benefit residents of unincorporated areas. “Community Service Area grants help people share in local art, enhance our forests and green spaces, and connect with neighbors young and old,” said Executive Constantine. “We are proud to support the youth and senior projects, movie and music nights, and neighborhood gatherings that help make King County such a great place to call home.” A total of $90,000 in King County… Read More
From the Hip: Barb Miner, Director, Department of Judicial Administration
Supervisors or Super Heroes? Who is instrumental in choosing the next new King County employee? Who inspires employees to be engaged, makes sure they are trained, and gets them the resources they need to accomplish their job? Who ensures daily operations are managed and weekly and monthly goals get met? Whose presence and efforts helps create an environment here in King County that is welcoming and comfortable for employees and customers alike? Who does all of this plus so much more? THE SUPERVISORS! Or maybe we should call them the SUPER HEROES,… Read More
Support for people affected by Hurricane Harvey
Dear fellow King County employee, This weekend, Hurricane Harvey tore across Texas and Louisiana, leaving a trail of destruction and loss of life in its wake. The impact on people, the environment, and cities and towns – big and small – has been devastating, and with more storms forecast for the area, the damage is expected to get worse. These are challenging times for the people and communities affected by this hurricane. Rebuilding towns and lives will take months and years, and many employees have asked how they can help. Our Employee… Read More
Launch of our Mentorship Program
Dear fellow King County employee, Over the past few years, we’ve done a lot of work to strengthen our capacity as a culturally responsive learning organization, one that develops employees and offers equitable opportunities for growth and advancement, wherever you are in your career at King County. Today I am pleased to announce the launch of our new King County Mentorship Program, designed to provide new opportunities for employees to grow and develop at King County as part of our commitment to Investing in You. Mentoring is a proven approach to employee development that… Read More
Leadership transition at KCIT
Dear fellow King County employee, Today Bill Kehoe, Director of our Department of Information Technology, announced that he is leaving King County to pursue a new opportunity that builds on what he’s accomplished here at King County. Bill has led the transformation of KCIT into a technology leader, one that was recently recognized as the 2017 Best IT County in the Nation by the 2017 National Association of Counties. As KCIT Director and Chief Information Officer, Bill turned KCIT into a strategic business partner for all branches of King County. He oversaw… Read More
Executive Constantine makes four staffing announcements
Last week King County Executive Dow Constantine announced that he is assigning additional duties to two members of his Senior Leadership Team and appointing a new Chief Operating Officer in his office. Deputy Executive Rhonda Berry was appointed to lead inter-agency and community coordination and strategy to further reduce the number of youth in detention; Mike Fong, former Chief of Staff to Seattle Mayor Ed Murray, will serve as Chief Operating Officer in the Executive’s Office; and Senior Deputy Executive Fred Jarrett will lead an initiative to explore new and better ways to serve the people of unincorporated King County. The Executive also recently announced that he has appointed Rachel… Read More
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
Employee News 