WTD Bright Ideas winner and finalists in the WEF Operations Ingenuity Contest
The Wastewater Treatment Division (WTD) “Bright Ideas” program is a system for continuous improvement through employee ideas. Employees can submit and track their ideas through an online tool. This year, the Water Environment Federation (WEF), an international wastewater industry leader, awarded Stanley Caberto, master industrial maintenance mechanic, the “Gadget Guru Award for Resourcefulness” for three inventions he created that help keep vital facilities running smoothly. Also included in the Ingenuity contest as finalists who found “an imaginative, inventive and resourceful solution to a pesky problem”: 1) WTD’s branding team who developed the… Read More
2015 MLK calendars available starting December 8
We are thrilled folks love the King County calendars and await them eagerly. We appreciate your patience! Calendars will start arriving to distribution points during the week of December 8, 2014. We are unable to deliver to each office, so please check below for your nearest distribution point. EMPLOYEES OUTSIDE THE DOWNTOWN AREA: Calendars will be delivered to county offices outside the downtown area, so please wait for the delivery. If you do not have a calendar by December 16, please call 206-263-2444 and we will direct you to a location where… Read More
Metro’s wreckers: always at the ready
Day or night, King County Metro Transit’s wreckers respond to trouble calls and emergencies. They push, pull, lift, or tow, whatever it takes to get buses and traffic moving and Metro’s riders to their destinations. Metro has single wreckers stationed at each of its outlying bus bases (North, East, and South), but Atlantic Base has two—referred to as Atlantic 1 and Atlantic 2—to support the three Seattle core bases (Ryerson, Central, and Atlantic) and the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel. These downtown Seattle wreckers and their crews have their work cut out for them, including responding… Read More
County’s Investment Officer prioritizes financial safety
As the County’s Investment Officer, Mike Smith manages an investment portfolio worth an average of $5 billion. With the safety of $5 billion at stake, Mike depends heavily on assistance from his colleagues Christine Denis and Josh Freese in managing the King County Investment Pool. In keeping with the County’s goals of financial stewardship and being the best-run government in the nation, Smith and his colleagues focus on the three ideals for public investing: safety, liquidity, and return. “You want to keep the principal safe, you want to make sure money is… Read More
Five Questions with Cynthia Hernandez, Project/Program Manager IV, DNRP
1. What was your first role at King County? I was hired to work as the Correspondence Manager for County Executive Ron Sims when he first became Executive in 1997. In those days most constituent correspondence came as paper mail addressed to the Executive, so I coordinated with departments to get those letters answered. I did some community engagement ghostwriting for the Executive on everything from proclamations and recognitions to talking points and book chapters. I also wrote the first “customer service” policies we had for responding to constituent inquiries and oversaw the… Read More
Transit employee makes “Top 40 under 40” list
Christina O’Claire, supervisor of strategic planning and analysis (Service Development) for Metro Transit, was named in September by Mass Transit magazine as one of its 2014 “Top 40 under 40.” This list honors transit professionals who made significant contributions to the public transit industry. Nominated by peers, honorees were judged on job commitment, industry involvement and contributions, achievements, and innovation in their field. O’Claire was cited for “helping King County Metro move into the future through an evolving array of strategic performance and planning initiatives.” She is currently working to keep Metro… Read More
Kudos! New video spotlights program that gives veterans new skills
King County is partnering with 4Culture, Historic Seattle and local construction firms to give returning military veterans new skills that they can use in building restoration and preservation careers. VETS RESTORE is a new education and career opportunity for returning military veterans in King County where participants are trained in preservation carpentry and introduced to the building rehabilitation trades. The mission of VETS RESTORE is to connect veterans with the valuable work of revitalizing America’s historic building stock. In this video, Bryan Fry with the King County Veterans’ Program shares how diverse opportunities,… Read More
CASA volunteers help keep children safe
What makes a good Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer, according to Peggy Larson, is someone who has a commitment to helping children. “They get the reward of knowing they’ve made a difference in a child’s life,” Larson said. Larson, a CASA Supervisor at the Maleng Regional Justice Center who works with CASA volunteers, has been at King County for 25 years. “It’s a great job. I love working with our volunteers. They’re such interesting people and they do so much on behalf of the kids,” Larson said.
Training Series: Leadership in a Changing Landscape
Take advantage of a series of three training opportunities that will build your leadership skills and help you manage change in difficult circumstances: Change Management for Leaders, December 2, 9 am – 4:30 pm, Seattle Marriott Waterfront, 2100 Alaskan Way, Seattle Performance Under Pressure, December 3, 9 am – 3 pm, Seattle University, Campion Towers, 305 Harrison Street, Seattle, WA 98109 Workforce of the Future: Managing Millenials, December 4, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm, Bell Harbor Conference Center, 2211 Alaskan Way, Seattle. You can take all three classes or individual classes depending… Read More
Executive meets with employees, volunteers who are “a voice for children”
In neglect and abuse cases involving children, a vital role is played by a group of volunteers known as CASAs. King County Executive Dow Constantine recently visited some of the employees and volunteers from the Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) program in Kent to learn more, and thank them for their care and support of children going through traumatic times. A Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) is a trained volunteer who represents the best interests of children up to 11 years old who have allegedly been abused and/or neglected as they are… Read More
Employee News 