Celebrating National Senior Center Month
Every September the National Council on Aging celebrates National Senior Center Month by shining a light on senior centers and showing the nation how vital they are to the health and well-being of a community. In King County, senior centers support a growing population of older adults by providing essential services such as food and nutrition, cultural and social activities, information and assistance, education opportunities, celebratory events, health and wellness programs, and connection for isolated seniors. The Veterans, Seniors and Human Services Levy (VSHSL) funds senior centers to serve as recognized resource centers on… Read More
Don’t leave history behind: Celebrate Archives Month
October is Archives Month, and King County Archives wants to celebrate it with you. We’re offering county staff tours of our beautiful space, including the areas where we store and preserve historically significant county government records. What is Archives Month? Many people don’t realize that the historical county government records at King County Archives are publicly accessible. Archives Month is a reminder to explore and make use of them. Why should I sign up for a tour? Because you want to see the cool records that were created by other county employees: Oldest marriage… Read More
Security tip – Watch out for QR code phishing scams
Recently, several King County employees have received emails with instructions to re-authenticate their passwords by scanning a QR code. Do not scan the QR code. This is a new “phishing” tactic from cybercriminals. Although these sophisticated emails often look like genuine security alerts, please be aware that King County does not use QR codes to re-authenticate passwords. Only scan QR codes from trusted, expected sources. Please use the “Report Phishing” button in Outlook to report any suspicious emails. Thank you for helping keep King County safe from cybersecurity threats!
First 2024 Professional Development Scholarship application period ends Oct. 8
The first application period for the 2024 Coalition Labor Agreement’s Professional Development Scholarship Program ends at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023. The Scholarship Program is a benefit offered as part of the 2022 – 2024 Coalition Labor Agreement and is only open to employees represented by one of the unions in the Coalition. Award recipients for this period will be notified between Nov. 20 – Dec. 1, 2023. Please check the scholarship website for important dates, information and the link to apply. The Scholarship Program is part of the County’s commitment to Investing in YOU, and is designed to assist eligible… Read More
Possible Kaiser Permanente employee strike will not impact the Pacific Northwest region
The Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions recently issued notice of a possible strike from Oct. 4––6. This does not include Kaiser employees in the Pacific Northwest region. At this time, the negotiations involve only a fraction of Kaiser Permanente workers and facilities in Washington—primarily in the southwest edge of the state. Other areas impacted are Colorado, Mid-Atlantic States, Northern California, Oregon, Southwest Washington, and Southern California. Kaiser Permanente and Coalition leaders will continue negotiating with hopes to reach an agreement before any work stoppage occurs. Kaiser has plans in place to ensure continued access to needed health care… Read More
A ‘New Energy’ arrives as Executive Constantine unveils new colors for Metro’s electric fleet
Crossposted from Metro Matters King County Executive Dow Constantine unveiled one of Metro’s next-generation battery-electric buses wrapped in the new colors of the fleet today at Metro’s South Base. Called “The New Energy,” the livery design is a mix of electric yellow and seafoam blue, is a visual representation of Metro’s commitment to helping combat climate change and will be outfitted on all the new vehicles joining the fleet. Along with Executive Constantine, Metro General Manager Michelle Allison, King County Councilmember Rod Dembowski, and Teague Livery Design Manager Katie Ryan, helped unveil… Read More
Staff commended for their life-saving work
Operations would like to recognize the professionalism of all involved in last weekend’s incident where a woman fell in between the cars of the train at Pioneer Square station and became pinned against the platform. Charles Dedrick was on North Control handling this incident simultaneously while managing the Mariner’s post-game trains. Abdi Ibrahim was the first field responder who kept the Link Control Center (LCC) informed on the first responders’ arrival and assisted with passenger transfers during the single track. And most importantly, the quick reactions of the operator, Naweedullah Payam, who… Read More
Greg Wilson receives award from Washington Alliance for Better Schools
Greg Wilson, a Program Manager within Public Health’s Environmental Health Services Division, won the inaugural Outstanding Leadership Award from the Washington Alliance for Better Schools (WABS). WABS is a collaborative of school districts and industry leaders working to support students. They give this award in recognition of a person or team who has demonstrated outstanding engagement with WABS over time. Greg was selected due to his collaboration with WABS for over a decade, providing instructor support and coordinating teacher externships, and for his consistent advocacy for partnerships between WABS and Public Health…. Read More
Public Health program transforms into collaborative troupe, empowering employees and engaging the community
The Employee Engagement Strategy (EES) Program at Public Health – Seattle and King County has recently undergone a remarkable transformation, evolving into a dynamic collective known as the EES Troupe. The Troupe brings together participants from various divisions and departments throughout King County, with the aim of fostering effective employee engagement and strengthening collaborative strategies. The EES Troupe has been working diligently to create a robust working environment that promotes teamwork, innovation, and productivity among colleagues internally. By encouraging employees to work together and leverage their diverse expertise, the Troupe aims to… Read More
Metro’s newest Bus Operator of the Year: Lisa Nault
Dear colleagues, On Thursday afternoon, I joined several King County employees and leaders at East Base to celebrate Lisa Nault—Metro’s 2022 Bus Operator of the Year. Metro awards Bus Operator of the Year annually to individuals who personify excellence, safety, and customer service. I have been fortunate to be part of these celebrations for many years and am honored to be able to recognize Lisa with this award for the first time as Metro’s General Manager. Our operators are the finest in the nation and no one embodies this more than Lisa…. Read More
Employee News 