Employee News
Telling the stories of King County employees
The King County South Wastewater Treatment Plan was recently highlighted on KIRO 7 for the creative way in which barn cats are helping the facility deal with rodents. Barn Cats R Us is a volunteer program that rehomes feral cats to barns and garages. They hunt rodents and also save King County taxpayers money as facilities no longer have to call exterminators. The cats are promoted as “organic rodent control” that keep facilities from using pesticides and chemicals that can potentially harm children, pets and wild animals. The feral cats are placed… Read More
Crossposted from Expanding the Narrative, personal stories of government and public service When I was a boy, a very young boy, I lived with my mother and father on a houseboat in the Bay Area. This houseboat was a part of a hippy enclave that was ‘squatting’ at an unofficial dock constructed by said squatters. We didn’t have running water. My mother would fill up a huge copper bowl for our water use. There were no guardrails on the docks for a little boy like me. I fell into the water so often… Read More
By Dr. Jeff Duchin, Health Officer Crossposted from Public Health Insider The horrible violence of the past week, with the killing of black men by police officers in Baton Rouge and Minneapolis and of white police officers protecting peaceful demonstrators in Dallas, revolting and deeply offending to all, has left us feeling confused, helpless and frightened. As a public health community dedicated to promoting conditions under which all persons thrive in good health, how can we respond? First, we need continue to renounce and work to end violence against all persons, adults… Read More
Crossposted from Best Starts for Kids For Best Starts for Kids, we’ve had the fortune of working with a broad range of community and content experts through our Children and Youth Advisory Board (CYAB) . The CYAB brings together many leaders working to create a healthier place for all King County children and families. Two members recently have been recognized for their instrumental contributions. Zam Zam Mohamed is the CEO and Co-founder of Voices of Tomorrow. She also works closely with other community partners to eliminate racial and ethnic achievement gap that exists for East African children… Read More
Crossposted from Public Health Insider If you see what looks like a giant RV with a splash of sunshine painted on the outside, you’ve probably spotted King County’s new Mobile Medical Van. You might catch a glimpse at various locations around the city of Seattle, as the van makes its rounds to church-sponsored meal programs, tent cities, and other locations where people living homeless gather. The Mobile Medical program helps address some of the unique challenges of living homeless. How do you make a medical appointment and keep track of it, when you must… Read More
King County welcomed U.S. Army veteran Craig Foster as its new Chief of Rideshare Fleet Operations Tuesday, June 14. A native of Boston, MA, Craig’s military service found him at Ft. Knox (Kentucky), Korea, Ft. Hood (Texas), Germany, here at Ft. Lewis, at Ft. Stewart (Georgia), and then back at Ft. Knox as a Drill Sergeant. After his second tour at Ft. Knox, he became a Warrant Officer in the Automotive Maintenance field and continued on to Ft. Rucker (Alabama) and Germany, finally returning to Ft. Lewis in 2012. Craig said his… Read More
This article will explain the difference between spam and phishing emails and what to do when you receive them. What is SPAM? Unsolicited email or undesired email (generally advertising a product or service). You do not need to report each junk or Spam email you receive in your mailbox. Just delete it! Things to Remember 1. Never respond to emails unless they’re from someone you know or something you’ve personally subscribed to – it just confirms your address is valid and you’ll keep getting more spam as valid emails are traded & sold amongst… Read More
Metro drivers have continued to provide excellent customer service throughout difficult holiday schedules and crowds. This rider is one of many who has taken to Twitter to regularly showcase their admiration and respect for our hardworking transit staff. Kudos to drivers, especially those on route 150, who have made trips so pleasant for all King County residents and commuters!
Closing Date/Time: Fri. 07/29/16 11:59 PM Pacific Time Salary: $44.40 – $62.50 Hourly Job Type: Various – See Supplemental Information Statement Location: Both Sites KCCF (Seattle) and RJC (Kent), Washington Department: Department of Public Health–Jail Health Services Description: Jail Nurse Practitioners provide direct patient care to jail inmate-patients. Other responsibilities include participation in quality improvement / quality assurance programs to support Jail Health Services care goals; medical oversight, consultation, and management of specialized health care programs for Jail Health Services. Learn more about this position or view all available jobs.
Crossposted from Metro Matters Metro Transit’s finest operators competed this week to prove just how awesome and precisely they can drive a 40-foot-long Metro bus at the annual ‘Metroadeo.’ Drivers snaked their buses through left and right turns, passenger stops and tight spaces. It takes care to adjust your speed and set up just right to perform each of the maneuvers, all scored by judges with a sharp eye and high expectations for precision. “Our operators are great, but the top Roadeo finishers are amazingly good– true technicians of their craft,” said… Read More
Crossposted from Public Health Insider Our health officer, Dr. Jeff Duchin, recently wrote a Seattle Times op-ed demanding more national and local effort to address gun violence. He wrote the article following the devastating mass shooting in Orlando, but gun violence is much more than mass shootings – it includes suicides, homicides, assaults and unintentional deaths that involve a firearm – which occur throughout our country and community in single incidents or small groupings, every day of the year. Each of these types of gun violence occurs at its own unique intersection… Read More
Crossposted from Metro Matters In a surprise ceremony last Wednesday, lead mechanic Gary Archer was named Metro Transit’s 2016 Vehicle Maintenance Employee of the Year – to the smiles and applause of his coworkers and team at South Base in Tukwila. It’s the second time Gary has won the award, unprecedented in Metro’s history. Archer was selected by his peers, more than 600 vehicle maintenance workers across Metro’s seven bus bases. Gary first won the Employee of the Year award in Vehicle Maintenance in 2003. Read more at Metro Matters
KCIT has a strategic plan to develop projects and processes that ladder up to the priorities of King County’s Best Run Government initiative. To make sure teams stay on track, we work from a Tier Four Board. It tracks goals, projects, value, metrics and the names of those who are accountable. Every two weeks, the leadership team gathers around the Tier Four Board to talk about progress. But not everyone knows about the Tier Four board and why it matters to every KCIT employee. So CIO Bill Kehoe walked the leadership team… Read More
King County Executive Dow Constantine used the launch of a new employee video series, “Hot Topics,” to talk about one of the biggest issues that came out of last year’s Employee Survey: career growth and advancement. “It’s clear that we aren’t doing enough to provide genuine, equitable career development and growth opportunities for all employees, and that’s something that I am committed to fixing,” Executive Constantine said. “That’s because I want King County to be a place where you can pursue your passion for public service and take your career in a… Read More
Members of the iconic Seattle band Soundgarden help Executive Constantine launch the SoundGuardian, King County’s new environmental research vessel. The new 48-foot vessel will be used by field scientists at the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks to collect samples in Puget Sound, Lake Washington and the Duwamish River. For more information view the video on King County TV or read more in the official press release..
Shared from the DCHS Touching Base Newsletter Adrienne Quinn, Director of the Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS), Jesse Benet, DCHS Diversion and Reentry Coordinator, and Cindy Spain, United Healthcare (Managed Care Organization – WA Apple Health provider), attended a day-long convening at the White House called Data-Driven Justice Community Workshop on June 13. Fifty-five counties and seven states were represented at the event, each sending human services leadership, police chiefs, commissioners/judges, and diversion and reentry subject matter experts to discuss the intersection of data science with intentional diversion practices to… Read More
Crossposted from Tails from RASKC Fireworks are beautiful to look at, but they can be scary for our pets. The bangs and booms are hard on their sensitive hearing, and even the calmest pet can get upset by the unfamiliar loud noises. To help your pet cope with the noise from fireworks, and reduce the chance that it runs away, Regional Animal Services of King County offers these tips: Keep your pet secured indoors in the quietest room of your home while fireworks are audible. You can also use soothing music or… Read More
Closing date: Continuous (Until Filled) Salary: $114,920.00 – $145,683.20 Annually Job Type: Appointed Location: King County Elections – 919 SW Grady Way, Renton, WA 98057 Department: Department of Elections Description: With a growing commitment to providing an accessible voting experience to the residents of King County, the Department of Elections is looking for a dynamic and visionary leader to manage the daily operations of the Information Technology Division. Just like industry leaders in our region, we are looking for an out-of-the-box thinker, who will break down barriers and challenge us to continuously improve. We… Read More
As shared from the DNRP WTD Watermark Newsletter Jessica Tanumihardja recently joined West Point [treatment plant] as the newest process analyst. Prior to WTD, Jessica was an engineer-in-training at Northwest Water Systems and earned her graduate degree in environmental engineering from the University of Washington. Jessica first learned about WTD by meeting HR staff at a college job fair. “They were really nice and friendly so I applied for an internship in project management.” Jessica worked with Project Manager Erica Jacobs and others during her internship. After graduating, Jessica received emails about… Read More