Wellness Hero Young Jang
Balanced You Wellness Heroes highlights employees doing things to better their lives, the lives of their colleagues, and our community. Meet Wellness Hero Young Jang, IT Project Manager, King County Metro. Young discusses her work and passion for technology, and how teamwork is driving innovation across our transit systems. She shares highlights from two major projects, how collaboration brings her joy while working with talented colleagues to watch her work come to life, and what she does for self-care. When she’s not leading tech transformations, she recharges through meditation, baking, and hitting… Read More
Farming taught him patience: The skill serves him well in corrections
Crossposted from the DAJD newsletter Officer Kevin Ntabo grew up with farming as a way of life. When not in uniform he carries on that tradition by raising and selling crops in Kent. You might assume that agriculture and corrections have nothing in common. But Ntabo says there’s a key to success in either profession: patience. “People will say that farming is a hard and dirty job, but it is not if you have a passion to do it,” Ntabo said. “It takes a little passion to do it, and sacrifice.” Read more.
Monitoring in Action: DAJD’s effort to improve the hiring process centers applicant experience and cuts costs
Ava Michler, with the Performance and Strategy (PSB) team, spoke with Sara Tollefson and M.J. Wheble about the Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention’s (DAJD) switch to a new background investigation platform used in job hiring. This change saves money and aims to reduce vacancy rates. The DAJD project team collaborates with the new platform’s vendor to improve experience for users and HR analysts. Collecting data is important, as they look to answer questions like: Are we successfully reaching diverse communities in our hiring process? Read the full story here. Take a moment… Read More
Something in the water: How King County is finding and fixing poop pollution
Crossposted from Headwaters By Nalia Matias-Jacinto, WLRD Communications Intern In King County, water is the foundation of daily life, cultural traditions, and thriving ecosystems. But what happens when poop pollution contaminates our water and dangerous levels of bacteria threaten public health and culinary treasures? Solving that problem requires more than infrastructure alone. Scientists, public health experts, and communities must work together to keep the waters and the people of King County safe and healthy— and that’s exactly what we’re doing. Read more.
Check your inbox: Cybersecurity training email sent Aug. 4
An email from King County’s vendor KnowBe4 was sent Aug. 4 to all employees with links to annual cybersecurity training. This is not a phishing attempt. Annual cybersecurity training is required for all employees and contractors with access to King County systems (even if you took it last year). Training must be completed by Jan. 30, 2026. Employees who complete cybersecurity training by 5pm on Monday, Aug. 18 will be entered in a prize drawing. Additionally, the first department to cross the finish line (100% participation) will win serious bragging rights, and a shiny trophy. (Please note: this competition is only available… Read More
Monitoring in Action: How King County’s On-Site Septic Program is improving service and equity
Priscilla de Andrade, with the Performance and Strategy (PSB) team, recently interviewed Meagan Jackson, who leads the Operations and Maintenance team in the On-Site Septic systems (OSS) Program. They discussed how performance data is driving smarter service delivery, faster permit reviews, and more equitable responses to septic system failures across King County. To ensure the program is meeting its goals effectively and equitably, the OSS team relies on a robust performance monitoring system. They collect and analyze data from permit applications and inspection reports to track trends, identify problems early, and evaluate… Read More
Protecting historic nature camps and creating more so a new generation can enjoy healthy outdoor activities
King County Parks is applying multiple strategies to simultaneously protect historic nature camps and provide more equitable access to a new one in South King County, connecting more young people to healthy outdoor recreation and environmental education. King County Executive Shannon Braddock recently toured Camp Sealth on Vashon Island where the county helped the nonprofit that has operated the summer camp for more than a century permanently protect most of the campsite. The Department of Natural Resources and Parks also partnered to reopen Camp Kilworth in Federal Way and helped Highline Public… Read More
Honoring Disability Pride Month and 35 years of the ADA: King County’s path to progress
On July 26, 2025, King County Executive Shannon Braddock proclaimed Disability Pride Day and invited all employees and residents to celebrate the contributions of people with disabilities and recommit to the principles of justice, equity, and “Nothing About Us Without Us.” You can read the full proclamation here. Executive Braddock and the Office of Equity and Racial and Social Justice (OERSJ) celebrated during an event on Saturday, July 26 that included reading the Disability Pride Month proclamation followed by a short program. Monisha Harrell, Director of King County’s Office of Equity and Racial… Read More
Happy Election Day!
Get your I Voted sticker out – it’s Election Day! If you haven’t cast your ballot yet, you have until 8 p.m. sharp to get your ovals filled in, return your ballot to a drop box, and make your voice heard. With more than 80 ballot drop boxes around the county, chances are that there’s one near you – find out where at kce.wiki/DropBox. For more information about King County Elections, visit kingcounty.gov/elections.
Make this weekend a voting weekend!
King County Elections (KCE) is projecting just 35% turnout for this election but they would love to see more folks make their voices heard. The local elections on our ballot will shape our communities for years to come. If you need assistance with anything, give KCE a call at 206-296-VOTE, or visit a Vote Center this weekend. Vote Center locations and hours are available at kce.wiki/VoteCenter. And if you do spend time this weekend voting and get a good photo, you can tag @kcelections on Instagram, Bluesky, or even LinkedIn! For more information about King… Read More
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