Celebrating Pride and the fight for equality
Dear fellow King County employee, Happy Pride Month! Every June we celebrate Pride and honor the fight for equality and equal rights for LGBTQ+ people that began in June of 1969 with the Stonewall Riots led by trans women of color. Pride is a time to recognize the accomplishments and many contributions of LGBTQ+ people to our communities here in King County and around the world, to our shared history and our shared future. It is a time to reflect on the adversities that LGBTQ+ people have faced throughout history and their… Read More
Innovation Award for Equity and Social Justice
The Innovation Award for Equity and Social Justice goes to the Department of Public Health/Environmental Health Services Division – Box Fan Filter Distribution Project. Wildfire smoke and COVID-19 pose a significant health risk for some people who may not be able to afford an air filtration unit in their home or business. The Environmental Health Services Division of Public Health joined with community partners to distribute low-cost kits of box fans and furnace filters to vulnerable and low-income residents. These kits proved highly effective in reducing indoor air pollution. Click here to read more… Read More
Innovation Award for Service honorees
The Innovation Award for Service goes to the Department of Community and Human Services/Developmental Disabilities and Early Childhood Supports Division – Refugee Resettlement Hotel. Hundreds of Afghan refugees evacuated to King County when U.S. troops withdrew from Afghanistan and needed temporary housing while they resettled. The Developmental Disabilities and Early Childhood Supports Division collaborated with multiple King County departments and community partners to quickly turn a county-owned hotel into safe, welcoming, and culturally respectful housing for our Afghan refugee neighbors. Click here to read more and watch the video. Each year, Executive Constantine… Read More
Innovation Award for Cost honorees
Each year, Executive Constantine holds the Performance Excellence Awards, which honor employees and workgroups at King County for their exceptional contributions to performance, leadership, and innovation. These leaders embody the Executive Branch values and strive to reach our True North: Making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive. This year’s recipient for the Innovation Award for Cost is the Department of Executive Services/Business and Finance Operations/Procurement and Payables Section – Strategic Sourcing Program. Residents rely on King County government to be a responsible steward of resources. To ensure the county gets the… Read More
Airport staff to present on diversity and inclusion at industry conference
Cross-posted from Executive Services Express Vanessa Chin and Kevin Nuechterlein’s proposal for a presentation on diversity and inclusion has been selected by the Northwest Chapter of the American Association of Airport Executives (NWAAAE) for their fall conference. Their presentation will be titled, “Sustainable Culture Change for a More Diverse and Inclusive Airport.” “For me, one thing I want to definitely impart with the airport industry is that the way that King County empowers our airport to live out our True North values and embed equity in all the work we do,” said Chin,… Read More
April is Records and Information Management Month
Humans have been creating records for over 5,000 years. For most of that time, records have been created in similar ways – by entering data on physical objects, like paper (or clay tablets). The advent of electronic records in the late 20th century pushed many of us into rapid change, adapting to new technologies and processes. Most recently, the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to a quick change in how we work, as many county agencies shifted to electronic processes and made efforts to digitize their physical records and “go paperless”. The King County… Read More
Employee Appreciation Day is March 4
King County values the many contributions of each and every single one of our employees. Thank you for your hard work providing services for King County residents, and your dedication during these challenging times. We appreciate your efforts to continue growing, building, and leading the way in making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive.
Powering regional recovery by inclusion
Every October, King County recognizes Disability Employment Awareness Month, celebrating the many contributions of people with disabilities to our communities, workforce, and country. As part of our everyday values, King County employees have been working to expand inclusion in the workforce, civic life, and recreation. During the coronavirus pandemic, inclusion means making sure that people with disabilities have access to the basics: food, transportation options, and access to vaccines and health care. In 2021, the Disability Awareness Month Committee gathered stories about King County employees working to improve accessibility, provide services, and… Read More
Employee vaccination clinics provide over 1,800 COVID-19 vaccine doses
As the COVID-19 vaccine became more widely available, it became clear that to best support essential workers who have complex schedules and shifts, King County would need to bring the vaccines to worksites. Through a collaborative partnership with Public Health – Seattle and King County, their vaccine partners, and King County labor unions, onsite clinics provided 1,877 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to County employees and their loved ones between April 9, 2021 and Oct. 2, 2021. King County Metro led the way, hosting 31 clinics that provided a total of 1,582… Read More
Fred Jarrett Leadership Excellence Award presented to John Diaz
The final honoree of the 2020 King County Leadership Excellence Awards, receiving the Fred Jarrett Award, is John Diaz, Director of the Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention (DAJD). The Fred Jarrett Award honors a department or division leader who is outstanding in their work and embodies the Executive Branch values, striving to reach our True North: Making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive. In the short time he has been with King County, John has shown he is open to new ideas, and ready to take on tough challenges… Read More
Employee News 