See something, say something. Issues that is
Crossposted from King County Parks Plog As your King County Parks staff, our job is to keep your parks clean, safe and open. It is part of our daily routine. That said, stuff happens. Daily, if not hourly, staff can be rerouted to deal with any number of issues. We of course handle anything we come across during our rounds, but sometimes, you visitors are onsite before we are. (Looking at you, “Training for a marathon before work,” and, “Dogs will eat my furniture if they don’t play in the field before… Read More
King County honors the heroic sacrifice of firefighter Luther Dean Bonner with a new airport fire station that captures his story
At a ceremony Monday at King County International Airport, the new rescue and fire station was named in honor of a fallen firefighter whose act of bravery has been overlooked for decades. In 1943, Luther Dean Bonner, a 23-year-old Seattle firefighter, died while attempting to rescue passengers and warehouse workers after a plane crashed into a plant near the airfield. Thirty-two people were killed, making it the largest loss of life from a fire in Seattle’s history, yet Bonner’s sacrifice was never properly recognized. King County elected officials invited members of his… Read More
Metro’s Anita Whitfield: Paving the way for equity in public transit
Crossposted from Metro Matters As Metro’s EEO/Diversity and Inclusion Manager, Anita Whitfield has been breaking down barriers and instilling a shared sense of responsibility for promoting equity and social justice. Whitfield has worked to create a culture where employees feel safe to have difficult discussions about historical and current inequities. She’s led training for many employees (which she calls “shared learning opportunities”), and played an instrumental role in shaping a vision for making Metro and King County government more equitable for all employees and residents. Whitfield recently was honored by the Puget… Read More
Executive Constantine thanks DNRP employees for becoming “carbon neutral”
King County Executive Dow Constantine today congratulated Department of Natural Resources and Parks employees for helping DNRP become King County’s first “Carbon Neutral” agency. Dear DNRP employee, Earth Week is a great chance to congratulate every Department of Natural Resources and Parks (DNRP) employee for helping DNRP become King County’s first “Carbon Neutral” agency! Please watch the video linked here (also available below) from DNRP Director Christie True and me, thanking employees not only for helping DNRP reduce and remove more greenhouse gas emissions than it generates, but doing it a year ahead of… Read More
Grand opening of Administration Building Plaza April 21
Join us to kick off the activation of the Administration Building Plaza as a place for employees to relax and come together in the nicer weather. The event will feature guest speakers and a ribbon cutting, as well as foosball, ping pong and participation from vendors including the YMCA, Oxbow Farm, Snoqualmie Valley Farmers, 24 Hour Fitness and many more. Delicious food from a variety of food carts will be able for purchase as well. Friday, April 21 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. west side of King County Administration Building For… Read More
Administrative Professionals Recognition Day event, April 26
Please join us for the second annual King County Administrative Professionals Recognition Day event on Wednesday, April 26, 2017. The event will be held from 11 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. at the King County Courthouse, Room E-942, 516 Third Avenue. Register for the event today to ensure your spot. Please plan for travel time through the security checkpoint and elevators.
Tech Tip: Privacy protections and the internet
There has been a lot of talk recently about Internet Privacy. The other Washington is moving to change online privacy protections and this Washington is moving to protect them at the state level. No matter what the outcome, this is a good reminder that we should all take some basic precautions to safeguard our privacy while surfing the web. Check your ISPs Privacy Policy Your ISP is your Internet Service Provider (AKA Comcast, AT&T or Verizon). Every ISP has a policy which governs what they will do with your personal information. This… Read More
Test of KCInform employee alert system, April 25
Earlier this year, King County launched a new employee emergency alert system called “KCInform”. This system, powered by CodeRED, allows us to reach you by phone, text, and email with timely information in an emergency or natural disaster. Your safety is our priority, whether you are at work or home, so having updated personal contact information (work cell phone and home phone, email, and/or cell phone) is critical for reaching you wherever you are. In January you were emailed a personal profile link to enter your information into KCInform. Many of you… Read More
Corrections Officer couple achieves Gold one step at a time
Two King County corrections officers earned Gold in this year’s Healthy Incentives program, and they did it one step at a time up 12 flights of stairs each morning. Sonya and Randy Weaver are both corrections officers assigned to court detail with the County’s Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention. They have been with DAJD for 19 and 20 years, respectively, and have been a married couple for 10 of those years. Each work day morning, the couple climbs the 12-story stairwell of the King County Courthouse before their shift begins, and… Read More
From the Hip: Caroline Whalen, Director of Executive Services
Employee engagement is job #1 When Dow Constantine and Fred Jarrett asked me to serve as director of the Department of Executive Services (DES) seven years ago, I frankly was overwhelmed. How could I move out of operations and project management to lead the diverse set of agencies that make up DES? I told them, “I’m the person you put in a black suit and throw out of the helicopter with a specific mission, not the person in the planning room overseeing the operation.” But, they had confidence in me to make… Read More
Employee News 