John Taylor Confirmed as Department of Local Services Director 

Crossposted from Inside Transportation  The Metropolitan King County Council on Monday gave its unanimous approval to the appointment of John Taylor to lead the newly formed Department of Local Services that is set to begin operations at the beginning of the year. Taylor, appointed by County Executive Dow Constantine in October, now formally serves as the director of the department that will better coordinate and deliver direct services to the nearly 250,000 people who live in unincorporated King County.  “John has worked in the unincorporated area and has already established wonderful working… Read More

More tips for getting around SR 99 closure

Matching commuters with carpool apps As the region prepares to face regional congestion starting after the evening commute January 11, 2019, with the closure of SR 99 through downtown and the permanent closure of the SR 99 Viaduct, King County Metro is partnering with carpooling apps Scoop and Waze Carpool to help match commuters and provide more mobility options to area employees! For a limited time, riders earn discounts and drivers earn bonuses by following these four easy steps: Download a free carpool app (Scoop or Waze Carpool). Enter your trip locations… Read More

King County wins award for using Microsoft HoloLens to train staff at West Point Wastewater Treatment Plant  

King County Information Technology (KCIT) has been recognized for using Microsoft’s HoloLens mixed reality device to train operators at a wastewater treatment plant. Partnering with Microsoft and local tech startup Taqtile earlier this year, KCIT launched a project that provides training to employees working at the West Point Wastewater Treatment Plant, ultimately winning a Digital Edge 50 Award for Digital Transformation. The County will be honored at the AGENDA 19 Conference hosted by CIO.com in March.  “We’re thrilled by this national recognition,” said King County CIO Tanya Hannah. “Our fantastic partnership with the King County Department of Natural Resources… Read More

Taniguchi: The end of an era means new beginnings 

Crossposted from Inside Transportation  (Note: Below is an email that Director Harold Taniguchi sent to all Department of Transportation employees.)  Dear colleagues,  At the end of this month, the nearly quarter-century history of our King County Department of Transportation will come full circle.  The department was first created by Executive Gary Locke in 1996 to bring together the related functions of Transit and Roads in King County under one roof called Transportation. Other lines of business were added, and over time our staff strength grew to more than 5,000 today. It is… Read More

Featured Job: Senior Marketing Communications Strategist (Marketing and Sales Specialist III) 

Salary: $77,315.26 – $93,468.34 Annually  Location: Seattle, WA  Job Type: Career Service, Full Time, 40 hrs/week  Department: Department of Transportation – Transit Division  Job Number: 2018EE09024  Closing: 12/25/2018 11:59 PM Pacific  King County Metro’s Marketing and Service Information Unit in the Customer Communications and Services Section of the Mobility Division has a Senior Marketing Communications Strategist (Marketing and Sales Specialist III) position available.  This is a senior, individual contributor position responsible for owning marketing strategy and implementation directly related to the success of critical mobility solutions for people who live or work in… Read More

Go Public with Marcus 

This is the third installment in our video series featuring employees talking about why they chose a King County career. As part of King County’s recruitment efforts we are highlighting how employees feel empowered through their jobs to make a difference in our community. Here meet Marcus, Criminal Justice Policy and Strategy Section Manager. Learn more about our careers at www.KingCounty.gov/jobs.  

Navigate around the SR 99 closure

Starting January 11, 2019, after the evening commute, SR 99 through downtown Seattle will close for approximately three weeks, and the SR 99 Viaduct will permanently close, so make sure you visit kingcounty.gov/getready to review your options and find out which routes are affected. This week, we’re highlighting the King County Water Taxi for employees living in West Seattle, which provides a quick 10 minute sail from Seacrest Park to Downtown, departing every 20 minutes during commute periods. Metro is adding a second vessel at commute times during the closure to increase capacity. Shuttles are… Read More

Pet of the Week: Slinky and 50% off adoption fees

Crossposted from Tails from RASKC  She’s fun for a girl or a boy – she’s Slinky, our Pet of the Week! This young black cat is an affectionate lovebug who likes getting attention on her own terms. She can get overstimulated with petting, so you just need to keep an eye out for signs she may need a break. Since she is so spirited, she’s one of our “Rambunctious Red” pets.  Read more at Tails from RASKC  Additionally, throughout the month of December, RASKC is offering 50% off dog and cat adoption fees at our… Read More

Did you know you had this benefit? Third medical plan option KingCare Select 

King County introduced this option earlier this year, which joins KingCare and Kaiser Permanente’s SmartCare Connect as one of three medical plan options available to King County employees. Learn more here.

Training Spotlight: Conflict Awareness and Introduction to Mindfulness

Conflict Awareness, Jan. 25: We all encounter difficult people. Whether you are a supervisor, a customer service professional, or have a challenging co-worker, it’s important to know how to rise above your initial emotional reaction and turn negative situations into positive outcomes. Topics include understanding why we label people as difficult, types of difficult people, tools and techniques for resolving issues, coping strategies for dealing with the effects of difficult people, and conflict management strategies. Read more and register.  Introduction to Mindfulness, Feb. 14: In this workshop we will review the various aspects of mindfulness practice,… Read More