Climate Preparedness Summit September 21

Come learn about what King County is doing to prepare for climate impacts, meet the staff working on preparedness, learn about preparedness tools that may help your program, and find out how you can help get the county prepared! The Summit is set for Sept. 21, 9:30 – 11:30 a.m. in the King Street Center, 8th Floor Conference Room. All King County employees welcome, but space is limited, so please sign up online, and ensure you have prior supervisor approval. For more information, please email Jessica Engel or call (206) 477-3132.

Ideas from 9/6 Training

Some more great ideas from the 9/6 training! Completing the survey automatically enters you into a drawing for a cool prize. Create a friendly competition between work groups in the division. Give a “golden ticket” for some fun event (root beer float party? Museum of Flight?) in exchange for completed survey. Drawing for prizes for those completing the survey. Let employees put a dot on an anonymous board when they take it to visually show how many have taken it — fill up the bucket!

Executive Constantine celebrates West Point 50th birthday with employees

On Aug. 18, King County Executive Dow Constantine joined Christie True, Director of the Department of Natural Resources and Parks, and Wastewater Treatment Division employees, former employees and retirees, to celebrate the West Point Treatment Plant’s 50th birthday. West Point, located next to Discovery Park in Seattle, has been helping protect Puget Sound for 50 years, and treats wastewater from homes and businesses in Seattle, Shoreline, north Lake Washington, north King County and parts of south Snohomish County. “We should be proud that we run such a clean sewage treatment plant that… Read More

Creating a better workplace, one action plan at a time

King County’s Public Health employees, like many County employees, are on the frontline of providing critical services to help residents live longer, healthier lives. People join Public Health because they want to help other people.  Public Health has a wide range of customers – ranging from restaurant diners to people in medical distress who call 9-1-1 to our county’s most vulnerable residents who face barriers due to poverty, race, homeless status, gender, or limited English proficiency. So when the 2015 Employee Survey launched last September, leaders at Public Health saw an opportunity… Read More

King County employee saves passenger’s life on ferry commute

It just takes one person to save a life. And for a gentleman on the evening ferry headed from Seattle to Bainbridge Island on July 18, that person was a quick-thinking King County employee. It began with the announcement that there was a medical emergency. A passenger was having trouble breathing and ferry crew members had responded. When they realized he needed medical attention, a call was put out for medical professionals who could assist. That’s when Jim Gleckler, a Registered Nurse with Public Health, stepped forward. “He had stopped breathing and… Read More

My accidental mentoring opportunity … that turned out great!

By Dijana Steward, IT Project Manager and member of the KCIT Employee Engagement Committee In July, King County IT CIO Bill Kehoe and I were asked to participate in the “Diversity Panel and Resources Event for Tech Industry Career Opportunities” event, an evening-long program hosted by the Department of Community and Human Services to provide insight and inspiration to people of color in their quest to build a career in technology. Bill was on the employer leadership panel and I was on the “this is how it really is” diversity panel. I… Read More

Indoor shelter sites reopen, encampment ends

Working in collaboration with the Church Council of Greater Seattle, Catholic Community Services (CCS), Seattle Housing and Resource Effort (better known as SHARE), and the City of Seattle, we have been successful in negotiating an agreement to re-open more than a dozen indoor shelter sites in Seattle that had been closed since early spring. As a result, SHARE moved their encampments from our Administration Building Plaza and Goat Hill over the weekend. Under an agreement signed with CCS last week, approximately 250 shelter beds are re-opening, with two significant changes to operations:… Read More

Survey Participation Ideas

We had a really fun group Thursday that came up with some great ideas to generate excitement about taking the survey. Here were some of their top ideas: Share results of last year’s “One Thing” effort at staff meeting — then end staff meeting early so people can take the 2016 survey. When participation hits 100% – pizza lunch with gift drawing! For field staff incentivizing completing surveys via rewards, for example if the group achieves over 75% they get something or provide overtime/time to complete the survey. Elect an employee survey… Read More

Social Media Spotlight: KC Road Services Twitter

King County Road Services maintains 1,500 miles of road & 181 bridges in unincorporated King County. Follow the KC Road Services on Twitter today! Click here to view all King County social media pages.

Bloodworks Northwest is holding an Apheresis and Whole Blood Drive, September 9 and 16

BloodWorks Northwest will be hosting a blood drive Friday, September 9 and Friday, September 16 in the Chinook Building, room 123, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Please sign up at the online scheduling site, contact (800) 398-7888 or email schedule@bloodworksnw.org for an appointment. To donate apheresis or blood: Make an appointment, click here or call 1-800-398-7888. To donate platelets or plasma: Make an appointment, click here or call 1-800-398-7888. For more information about the donation process and the importance and impact of donating blood check out the following links: find answers… Read More