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Holiday travel? Metro will help you get there
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King County Wins 2025 Geospatial Professional Network Award for Innovative AI-GIS System
Recognizing the service of Metro veterans
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DES one of the shining stars at Employee Giving celebration
Crossposted from the DES Express The Department of Executive Services (DES) shone brightly at a celebration of the 2024 Employee Giving Campaign, held on February 26. Department leadership accepted awards given to DES for the highest participation among departments with more than 600 employees. All DES ambassadors were recognized as “Outstanding Ambassador” for their contributions. Pictured from left, John Taylor, Department of Local Services Director and co-chair of the Employee Giving Campaign; Lorraine Patterson-Harris, Department of Executive Services (DES) Director; Tom Koney, DES Deputy Director; Nathan Emory, Emergency Management Ambassador; and Jorge… Read More
Mental health services expand at Seattle school-based health centers
Crossposted from Public Health Insider Young people in King County have been in need of more access to mental health services in a time when the Surgeon General has declared youth mental health a public health crisis. “There was a mental health crisis as students came back to school in the wake of COVID,” said Noir Goldberg, a 2024 graduate of Ballard High School and former executive board member of the Seattle Student Union. “So many students were suffering but were having a hard time finding a therapist in their community because of… Read More
Together We Thrive: Employee Engagement Survey is coming on March 31
The Employee Engagement Survey is returning and will take place March 31 – April 21. Your feedback is invaluable in shaping the future of our workplace. Keep an eye out for the survey link that will land in your inbox on March 31, and let’s get ready to share what makes us thrive! Note: District Court, Superior Court, and the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office are not taking part in this survey. Check out the video below to learn more!
DES Director’s Office employees repack 4,300 pounds of food
Crossposted from the DES Express Thirteen employees from the Department of Executive Services (DES) Director’s Office sorted and repackaged nearly 4,300 pounds of baked goods at Food Lifeline recently. That’s a lot of dough! The Director’s Office has volunteered at Food Lifeline for four consecutive years as a team-building activity and to give back to the community. Food Lifeline’s mission is to feed people experiencing hunger today while working to end hunger for tomorrow. Groups of volunteers sort and repack food at their Seattle warehouse in two-hour sessions, helping feed people facing… Read More
Introducing Sunaree Marshall, the new Housing and Community Development Director
Crossposted from Cultivating Connections King County Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) warmly welcomes Sunaree Marshall as the new director of the Housing and Community Development (HCD) division. Sunaree brings 15 years of experience in housing and community development and has helped oversee HCD programs, including critical funding and investments that have supported King County’s flagship Health Through Housing Initiative, expanded the County’s Housing Finance Program, provided critical operational funding to organizations working with people and families experiencing or at risk of homelessness, and strengthened countywide affordable housing policies. Read more.
King County Metro restarts fare enforcement March 31
Crossposted from Metro Matters Starting March 31, King County Metro Fare Enforcement Officers will ask riders for proof of fare payment on buses and streetcars. Friendly, verbal reminders will be given to riders who did not pay. Metro first will focus fare inspections on RapidRide routes, other high-ridership bus routes and the Seattle Streetcar. “Metro relies on fares to provide safe, clean and reliable transit service, however we estimate that one-third or more of our riders are not paying their fare,” Metro’s Chief Safety Officer Rebecca Frankhauser said. “By restarting fare enforcement,… Read More
Available discounts for The Summit at Snoqualmie and UW Husky baseball
King County employees can now take full advantage of two new discounts. The Summit at Snoqualmie: Save up to 15% on select online Winter 24-25 lift ticket reservations using discount code 25Summit7jmq. Offer applies to select winter season lift tickets when purchased online in advance. Offer is not valid for tickets purchased prior to this offer launch or for onsite purchases. Click here for more information and to purchase tickets. University of Washington Husky baseball: The Diamond Dawgs are back at Montlake and are happy to offer discounted tickets to local Washington and government employees… Read More
DHR’s “Legacy” pages to be deleted on March 31
King County has launched a new Employee Intranet homepage, along with an intranet site and updated public-facing pages for the Department of Human Resources (DHR). These changes centralize employee information into a single portal, accessible only to King County employees, while also making it easier for residents to find what they need on kingcounty.gov. New pages: King County Employee Intranet homepage (SharePoint) Department of Human Resources Intranet (SharePoint) Department of Human Resources public webpages Important: DHR’s existing “legacy” pages on kingcounty.gov are scheduled to be deleted on March 31. If a DHR URL contains the… Read More
Providing reentry supports for veterans following incarceration
Crossposted from Cultivating Connections Returning to the community after incarceration poses new and unique challenges, especially for veterans. Getting identification and taking care of physical and mental health needs are a priority, and so is finding employment, securing housing, and accessing food and transportation. Understanding all of these systems can be challenging. Recognizing the specific needs of veterans returning to their communities after incarceration, King County’s Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) launched the King County Veterans Reentry Program (KCVRP) last year. Empowering veterans to successfully rebuild their lives and reintegrate into society, KCVRP helps… Read More
Inquest Program collaborates with 4Culture to bring art to a courtroom
Crossposted from the DES Express When the Inquest Program started moving into a vacant courtroom in the King County Courthouse, the room looked, well, a bit dismal. “It was a courtroom that hadn’t been regularly used for the last few years,” said Claire Thornton, an Inquest Program attorney. “There was dust everywhere. Members of the team pitched in to clean, mop, and wipe shelves down.” Once Courtroom E-753 was painted, Thornton, whose husband is an artist, felt like the room really needed art. The program once was housed in the Clark Children… Read More
Discount available to April 24 comedian performance
Employees can receive $10 off for each ticket to an upcoming Jeff Dunham performance. Thursday, April 24, 7 p.m. at the Tacoma Dome. Learn more and purchase tickets here. See all available employee discounts on the Employee Discount webpage.
King County Council Women’s History Month celebration, March 25
The King County Council will host its annual educational panel discussion for Women’s History Month. The purpose of the event is to bring people together to explore, share and honor women’s history. This year’s theme is Moving forward together! Women educating and inspiring generations, which will be an opportunity to celebrate the collective strength and influence of women who have dedicated their lives to education, mentorship, and leadership. Councilmembers will also present the second annual Jeanne Kohl-Welles Women Uplifting Women Award. Tuesday, March 25 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. King County Chinook Building, Rooms… Read More
Department of Local Services launches LinkedIn, YouTube accounts
Crossposted from King County Local There are now more ways to connect with the King County Department of Local Services. We’re excited to announce that we have launched our official LinkedIn and YouTube channels! These channels offer new ways for us to engage with the communities we serve in an ever-evolving social media landscape. These also allow us to give the public a direct connection to those on the Department of Local Services team. Read more.
Helping people in a crisis: Update on King County’s Mobile Rapid Response Crisis Teams
Crossposted from Cultivating Connections King County launched its new Mobile Rapid Response Crisis Teams (MRRCT)1 in December and the expanded program is providing much-needed relief to our communities while we build more crisis care centers for people to go in a mental health, drug or alcohol related crisis. Mobile crisis teams are trained mental health workers and peer specialists with lived experience of mental health or substance use challenges. They travel to help people in a crisis where they are. The teams work to calm, stabilize, and solve the crisis in the field and then connect people… Read More
Recognizing our employees as we celebrate Transit Appreciation Week!
Crossposted from Metro Matters March 16-22 is Transit Appreciation Week, which recognizes and celebrates everyone who contributes to the operation of the best transit system in America: King County Metro! A highlight of the week is Transit Operator Appreciation Day on Tuesday, March 18. The most visible faces you see every day are the operators—bus drivers, light rail and streetcar operators, Access, DART and Metro Flex drivers and Water Taxi captains and crew—but our regional mobility system has more than 5,700 people working to get you where you need to go comfortably and safely every… Read More
Watch 2025 State of the County address on March 26
King County Executive Dow Constantine will deliver his 2025 State of the County address at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, March 26, and employees are invited to watch the address live from their workspaces. You can watch Executive Constantine’s address streaming live online or by tuning to King County TV: To stream online paste the following in your browser: https://livestream.com/accounts/15175343/events/4485487 To watch on King County TV tune to Channel 22 (Comcast Channel 22 and 322 (HD) or Wave Broadband Channel 22). Every year, during the State of the County address, Executive Constantine discusses the condition of our… Read More
Meet some of the amazing women of King County Metro!
Crossposted from Metro Matters In honor of Women’s History Month in March, we’ve asked some of the fantastic women at King Count Metro to discuss why they work in transit. Desiree Andersen, Metro Transit Operator Being a Metro Bus Operator has been one of the most rewarding jobs I have ever had. Each day I get to interact with people from all walks of life. I get to look through a unique window into our King County community. Driving for Metro has taught me to be grateful for the little things, having… Read More
King County Security Tips – Lock your screen
Locking your screen when you get up from your desk is a security action that is often overlooked and can have dangerous consequences. Failing to lock your screen can open you up to several vulnerabilities–some more serious than others. Although many organizations have a policy which automatically locks your screen with a screen saver after a certain amount of inactivity, not all screen savers are password-protected, leaving your workstation defenseless. Here are a few actions the bad guys can do when you leave your workstation unlocked and unattended: Files can be downloaded… Read More
Tap your King County ID or ORCA card on transit
King County Metro will resume fare inspection on March 31. Fare Enforcement Officers will ask riders for proof of payment. As a reminder, everyone—even riders with fully-subsidized transit benefits from an employer like King County—needs to tap their King County ID or use another payment method. As a reminder, you can use your King County ID to travel anywhere, at any time, for free on transit. Tapping your card directly supports transit—and benefits you and Metro in other ways, too. For example, it lets Metro know how you ride public transportation so they can… Read More
Submit 2024 FSA claims by March 31, 2025
If you still have funds remaining in last year’s Health Care or Day Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA), take the following steps to get reimbursed for expenses incurred in 2024. Check your FSA balances – Go to Navia Benefits and log in as a participant. Learn about eligible expenses incurred Jan. 1—Dec. 31, 2024 – Health Care FSAs cover a variety of medically necessary expenses for you and your eligible family members, including deductibles, coinsurance, and copays, and other Eligible Health Care Expenses. Day Care FSAs cover a range of services for your child, disabled spouse, or dependent parent… Read More
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