Helping young adults with disabilities make school-to-work transition
The transition from high school to adulthood can be scary for anyone, but particularly for someone who has a developmental or intellectual disability. “You start to become an adult when you leave high school. Whether you’re an 18 or 21 year old like the people we serve, it’s just a pivotal time. Everyone wants to know, ‘Well what are you going to do?,’” Richard Wilson said. Wilson is the program manager who heads up the Developmental Disabilities Division’s School to Work Program. The program works with school districts in King County to… Read More
Transitional Duty Program a win-win for employees and King County
When an employee gets injured at work, returning to their job can sometimes be difficult. That’s where King County’s Transitional Duty Assignment Program comes in. The TDA program helps employees who aren’t medically ready to return to their regular jobs because of temporary medical restrictions. A TDA helps employees get back into a work routine through short-term, temporary work assignments. The TDA program, managed by Human Resources Division’s Safety and Claims, partners with work groups throughout King County to identify short-term work assignments that can be performed by employees with temporary medical… Read More
Disproportionality in the jury room
Three attorneys with King County’s Department of Public Defense are partnering with the Public Defender Association’s Racial Disparity Project to prove what they have seen over and over again in their work as felony public defenders: African-Americans are not only vastly under-represented on juries, they’re also under-represented in the jury pool. Ben Goldsmith and Twyla Carter, both felony attorneys in DPD’s The Defender Association Division (TDAD), and Daron Morris, deputy division director, hope to collect enough data to put forward a compelling case to court administrators and others in the criminal justice… Read More
Kudos! Wastewater Treatment Division employees
I am proud to announce that WTD employees have once again earned the Platinum Peak Performance Award for multiple years of consecutive 100 percent NPDES permit compliance for effluent limits for both West Point and South Plant. AND… Brightwater, Carnation, and Vashon treatment plants will all win Gold Awards this year! The Gold Awards honor treatment works that have achieved 100 percent compliance with their NPDES permit for an entire calendar year. West Point has achieved 100 percent compliance for 12 years, and South Plant has achieved this status for 16 years…. Read More
Project RAMPART saving lives with AEDs
The city of Duvall is now better equipped to respond to cardiac arrest calls thanks to Public Health’s Project RAMPART. Project RAMPART, an acronym for Regional Approach to Municipal Public Registry and Training, provides funding to cities within King County to purchase Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) and train employees on how to use them. The project falls under Public Health – Seattle & King County’s Emergency Medical Services Division (EMS) and is funded by the EMS Levy. Duvall Police Department recently received two AEDs under Project RAMPART—one AED for their office and… Read More
Poetry on Buses showcases local voices
Starting in November, some of the spaces that contain advertisements on King County Metro Rapid Ride buses will display poetry instead. “It’s about local voices and art in your everyday life,” Tamar Benzikry-Stern, Project Manager for 4Culture’s Public Art program and Poetry on Buses, said. 4Culture, King County’s cultural service agency, is a public development authority which works with County departments to bring art into King County buildings, infrastructure and public places – including buses. This year, 4Culture and King County Metro are rebooting “Poetry on Buses,” a program that originally started in 1992. King County residents were asked to submit poems online and invited to… Read More
Second Pet Adoption Center opens in Kirkland
On June 13, Regional Animal Services of King County (RASKC) opened a second Pet Adoption Center. The new Eastside facility is located inside the Kirkland Petco. Since the grand opening, about 50 pets have been adopted from the Eastside center. “This translates to a quarter of our total adoptions during this time period,” said RASKC Operational Manager, Glynis Frederiksen. Seven years ago, only 45 percent of animals in King County shelters were being adopted or returned to their homes. Now the rate of adoption or return in King County is 85 percent…. Read More
Kudos! Patti Gravel, Customer Service Specialist, DCHS
Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) Education and Employment Resources employee, Patti Gravel is the first face that job seekers see when entering WorkSource Renton and she always greets them with a warm smile and a “how can I help you today?” Our unemployed job seekers appreciate Patti’s warmth and caring and she is a customer service champion for both job seekers and the staff at WorkSource Renton. She is always pleasant and helpful when staff needs anything from booking a room to directions within the Center. Job seekers find her… Read More
Kudos! King County earns national award for innovative program
King County has been recognized with an Achievement Award from the National Association of Counties (NACo). The awards honor top county government programs that are innovative and enhance services for their residents. NACo recognized King County’s eAppeals – Online Property Assessment Appeals Program for its 2014 Achievement Award in the category of Information Technology. eAppeals allows property owners to file an appeal of their property valuation on-line. eAppeals users can compare the valuations of comparable properties, forecast potential tax savings and submit evidence to support their appeal digitally as part of the… Read More
Five Questions with Lisa Hillman, IT Service Delivery Manager, KCIT
1. What was your first role at King County? Public Health MIS Desktop Manager. I came to King County in June 2003 as a contract employee to temporarily backfill a departing MIS IT desktop manager (PCSA Manager) plus kick-start the Windows 98 to XP migration. Never working in public service, I didn’t plan on staying with the County beyond the contracted 910 hours however; I was instantly attracted to the mission, the people and the potential to make a difference. 2. What do you do as an IT SDM? It’s fun, diverse and… Read More
Employee News 