Celebrating the more than 100 young people who graduated from DCHS youth programs this school year

Crossposted from Cultivating Connections More than 100 young people celebrated earning their secondary credentials (GEDs or high school diplomas) last month with programs in the Children, Youth, and Young Adults Division (CYYAD). Many of these young people also earned college credits simultaneously. Read more.

Employee discount to Bumbershoot 50th Anniversary Arts and Music Festival

Bumbershoot is offering an employee discount as a thank you to King County employees and part of a commitment to keep ticket prices down and affordable. King County employees can buy tickets to the Bumbershoot 50th Anniversary Arts and Music Festival at the discounted price of $50 per day or $85 for the weekend plus service fees. Bumbershoot takes places Saturday, Sept. 2 and Sunday, Sept. 3 at Seattle Center. Performers include Sleater‐Kinney, The Revivalists, ZHU, Jawbreaker, AFI, Brittany Howard, Fatboy Slim, Phantogram, Band of Horses, and many more. The festival will… Read More

As Duwamish River is made cleaner, local artists help community connect to its waters                  

Crossposted from Clean Water Stories The Duwamish River has many sides to it – industrial corridor, habitat for migrating salmon, ancestral waters for the people who have long inhabited its shores and waters. Two local artists have been commissioned to capture the complexity of the Duwamish and the clean water infrastructure that’s being designed to support a healthier river for future generations. Timothy White Eagle and Laura C. Wright are designing art that will be featured as part of King County’s West Duwamish Wet Weather Storage Facility to enhance the project’s connections to community. Both are residents of King County,… Read More

Jail residents receive high school diplomas in first post-pandemic graduation ceremony

Crossposted from the DAJD Employee Newsletter On June 29, a high school graduation ceremony was held at the King County Correctional Facility (KCCF) for six young men. As the first graduation since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was a welcome and inspiring return to normalcy. The six graduates were participants in the Interagency Academy, which was internally supported by DAJD Volunteer Coordinator Karen Pohio, and Education Instructor Tom Meadough. “The graduation ceremony provided a unique opportunity to witness students proudly receive diplomas as a measure of their dedicated efforts to… Read More

Executive Constantine recognizes July 26 as Disability Pride Day

In recognition of July 26, 2023 marking the 33rd anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990, King County Executive Dow Constantine has proclaimed July 26, 2023 to be Disability Pride Day. “For more than three decades, the ADA has made our communities, our economy, and our county stronger and more vibrant by affirming and protecting the fundamental rights of people with disabilities – the right to equal opportunity, economic self-sufficiency, independent living, and accessible and equitable participation in the community,” he says. Read the full proclamation… Read More

Focus on values: We solve problems

Fellow King County employees: As Deputy Chief Operating Officer – and an employee of King County for almost 25 years, much of it in risk management – I am proud of the changes that have taken place in our workplace. We have become more of a learning culture, treating problems as opportunities to learn, grow, and improve. We have also become more comfortable with taking measured risks to better meet the needs of all our residents. These changes are important to consider as we take a closer look at one of our… Read More

Workforce Equity and you: Disability as a protected class                          

As an employer, King County has a reputation for being a place where all people can succeed and thrive. Diversity, inclusion, equity, and social justice are part of our True North for both residents and employees. This means that employees with disabilities, whether visible or not, all have the same rights and resources as employees in other protected classes. The Workforce Equity Team is part of the Director’s Office of the Department of Human Resources (DHR). Workforce Equity provides oversight, guidance, support, and compliance functions that ensure an inclusive and diverse workforce,… Read More

King County runners tackle 200-mile Ragnar 

For 30 hours starting the morning of Friday, July 14, 24 runners representing the Assessor, DES, DNRP, FBOD, RALS, KCIT, WLRD, King County Council, DCHS, the Regional Homelessness Authority, DAJD, the Environmental Lab, DHR, and the Executive Office took to the roads in the annual Ragnar Northwest Passage, an approximately 200-mile relay from far north Blaine to Whidbey Island’s Langley. This is the first year King County fielded two full teams in this legendary annual run.  Running through the night, the King County Ragnariffics (pictured above) and King County Bureaufasts (pictured below)… Read More

KCSO knocks it out of the park with All-Star event support

Originally published in the King County Sheriff’s Office Newsletter, July 13, 2023 The King County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) collaborated with an impressive lineup of agencies and organizations to ensure a safe and secure environment throughout the thrilling five-day All-Star Week events. This lineup included the Seattle Police Department, Seattle Fire Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Aviation Administration, the Transportation Security Administration, Amtrak Police, Burlington Northern Santa Fe Police, the Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the U.S. Air… Read More

Tech Tip: Personally Identifiable Information

What is sensitive information? Sensitive information is privileged information which – if compromised through alteration, corruption, loss, misuse, or unauthorized disclosure – could cause serious harm to an individual or organization. You must always give the highest level of protection to privileged information. Here we discuss Personally Identifiable Information, or PII. What is Personally Identifiable Information?For the purpose of data protection, PII is defined as: any instance of an individual’s first name (or first initial) plus the last name, and any one of 29 additional confidential items. An example of these twenty-nine… Read More