Featured Headlines
Holiday travel? Metro will help you get there
Emergency exercise tests communications ahead of World Cup
King County Wins 2025 Geospatial Professional Network Award for Innovative AI-GIS System
Recognizing the service of Metro veterans
News
We’re hiring and training drivers, reducing canceled trips
Crossposted from Metro Matters (Editor’s Note: This blog post includes a message from Metro Transit Interim General Manager Rob Gannon, followed below by a detailed accounting by Operations Manager Ted Harris, who outlines Metro’s efforts to hire drivers during our time of growth. Learn about the opportunity to #DriveForMetro.) At Metro Transit, we strive to provide safe, reliable and consistent transit service. We know that hundreds of thousands of riders depend on us every day to get to work, to school, to shopping, and to an amazing variety of locations. And we… Read More
A special summer for ten students
Crossposted from King County Wastewater Treatment Division Summer’s over and school supplies are flying off store shelves. For ten students, it’s time to return from a special experience. At the end of August, ten high school students completed internships at King County Wastewater Treatment Division (WTD). For six weeks, these interns have seen their world view and horizons expand. They’ve learned about water and wastewater systems at the foundation of our region. They’ve learned about careers that protect the environment. They heard industry professionals describe their career paths and commitment to our… Read More
Climate Preparedness Summit September 21
Come learn about what King County is doing to prepare for climate impacts, meet the staff working on preparedness, learn about preparedness tools that may help your program, and find out how you can help get the county prepared! The Summit is set for Sept. 21, 9:30 – 11:30 a.m. in the King Street Center, 8th Floor Conference Room. All King County employees welcome, but space is limited, so please sign up online, and ensure you have prior supervisor approval. For more information, please email Jessica Engel or call (206) 477-3132.
Ideas from 9/6 Training
Some more great ideas from the 9/6 training! Completing the survey automatically enters you into a drawing for a cool prize. Create a friendly competition between work groups in the division. Give a “golden ticket” for some fun event (root beer float party? Museum of Flight?) in exchange for completed survey. Drawing for prizes for those completing the survey. Let employees put a dot on an anonymous board when they take it to visually show how many have taken it — fill up the bucket!
Executive Constantine celebrates West Point 50th birthday with employees
On Aug. 18, King County Executive Dow Constantine joined Christie True, Director of the Department of Natural Resources and Parks, and Wastewater Treatment Division employees, former employees and retirees, to celebrate the West Point Treatment Plant’s 50th birthday. West Point, located next to Discovery Park in Seattle, has been helping protect Puget Sound for 50 years, and treats wastewater from homes and businesses in Seattle, Shoreline, north Lake Washington, north King County and parts of south Snohomish County. “We should be proud that we run such a clean sewage treatment plant that… Read More
Creating a better workplace, one action plan at a time
King County’s Public Health employees, like many County employees, are on the frontline of providing critical services to help residents live longer, healthier lives. People join Public Health because they want to help other people. Public Health has a wide range of customers – ranging from restaurant diners to people in medical distress who call 9-1-1 to our county’s most vulnerable residents who face barriers due to poverty, race, homeless status, gender, or limited English proficiency. So when the 2015 Employee Survey launched last September, leaders at Public Health saw an opportunity… Read More
King County employee saves passenger’s life on ferry commute
It just takes one person to save a life. And for a gentleman on the evening ferry headed from Seattle to Bainbridge Island on July 18, that person was a quick-thinking King County employee. It began with the announcement that there was a medical emergency. A passenger was having trouble breathing and ferry crew members had responded. When they realized he needed medical attention, a call was put out for medical professionals who could assist. That’s when Jim Gleckler, a Registered Nurse with Public Health, stepped forward. “He had stopped breathing and… Read More
My accidental mentoring opportunity … that turned out great!
By Dijana Steward, IT Project Manager and member of the KCIT Employee Engagement Committee In July, King County IT CIO Bill Kehoe and I were asked to participate in the “Diversity Panel and Resources Event for Tech Industry Career Opportunities” event, an evening-long program hosted by the Department of Community and Human Services to provide insight and inspiration to people of color in their quest to build a career in technology. Bill was on the employer leadership panel and I was on the “this is how it really is” diversity panel. I… Read More
Indoor shelter sites reopen, encampment ends
Working in collaboration with the Church Council of Greater Seattle, Catholic Community Services (CCS), Seattle Housing and Resource Effort (better known as SHARE), and the City of Seattle, we have been successful in negotiating an agreement to re-open more than a dozen indoor shelter sites in Seattle that had been closed since early spring. As a result, SHARE moved their encampments from our Administration Building Plaza and Goat Hill over the weekend. Under an agreement signed with CCS last week, approximately 250 shelter beds are re-opening, with two significant changes to operations:… Read More
Survey Participation Ideas
We had a really fun group Thursday that came up with some great ideas to generate excitement about taking the survey. Here were some of their top ideas: Share results of last year’s “One Thing” effort at staff meeting — then end staff meeting early so people can take the 2016 survey. When participation hits 100% – pizza lunch with gift drawing! For field staff incentivizing completing surveys via rewards, for example if the group achieves over 75% they get something or provide overtime/time to complete the survey. Elect an employee survey… Read More
Social Media Spotlight: KC Road Services Twitter
King County Road Services maintains 1,500 miles of road & 181 bridges in unincorporated King County. Follow the KC Road Services on Twitter today! Click here to view all King County social media pages.
Bloodworks Northwest is holding an Apheresis and Whole Blood Drive, September 9 and 16
BloodWorks Northwest will be hosting a blood drive Friday, September 9 and Friday, September 16 in the Chinook Building, room 123, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Please sign up at the online scheduling site, contact (800) 398-7888 or email schedule@bloodworksnw.org for an appointment. To donate apheresis or blood: Make an appointment, click here or call 1-800-398-7888. To donate platelets or plasma: Make an appointment, click here or call 1-800-398-7888. For more information about the donation process and the importance and impact of donating blood check out the following links: find answers… Read More
Rev Up For Retirement seminar, September 30
With increased concern over the future of Social Security and the stability of retirement plans, you’re never too young (or too old!) to prepare. Bring a brown-bag lunch and hear what the Retired Public Employees Council of Washington, the Statewide Health Insurance Benefits Advisors and the Social Security Administration have to say about planning, PERS, Medicare, and Social Security. Friday, September 30 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Eighth Floor Conference Hall, King Street Center, 201 S. Jackson St., Seattle Registration is required. Due to space limitations, only county employees may attend. To register,… Read More
Kudos to the Wastewater Treatment program for empowering high school students!
In the August 27 edition of the Seattle Times, the King County Wastewater Treatment Division’s Internship Program was mentioned in the “Rant & Rave” section for empowering teens and youth. The mention went as follows: “RAVE For King County’s wastewater treatment high school internship program and their staff. The students started with the thought that government doesn’t care about the average citizen and ended feeling empowered to participate in decision making and making our community a better place for everyone. Incredible growth was demonstrated during the students’ end-of-program presentations.”
Featured Job: Information Technology Projects Manager II
Closing Date/Time: Sun. 09/11/16 11:59 PM Salary: $102,066.43 – $123,391.01 Annually Job Type: Career Service, Full Time, 40 hrs/week Location: King Street Center – 201 S Jackson St, Seattle, Washington Department: Department of Transportation – Transit Division Description: This position will serve as a project manager on large transit technology projects within the Systems Development & Operations workgroup of Metro Transit. Projects may include customer-facing information systems, internal management information and business process systems, transit vehicle operations and communication systems, or other transit-related systems. Learn more about this position or view all available jobs.
Tech Tip: Follow-up to the difference between Office 2013 and Office 365
This is a follow-up to the August 3, 2016 Employee News Tech Tip “What is the difference between Office 2013 and Office 365?” Regarding the home version which employees can download from Microsoft at a discount: Do the two co-exist – the Office suite together with Office 365? Office 365 is a subscription plan. It means you get the latest Office products and regular upgrades as they come out. Alternatively, you can go out and buy a one-time purchase of MS Office. Then you get no upgrades. So for King County, you can… Read More
CPR classes available this fall
King County employees are welcome to sign up for available CPR classes hosted in the Chinook building September through December. Class dates are as follows: Basic Heartsaver CPR/AED Training (Open to all King County employees), register with andrew.burns@kingcounty.gov: Tuesday, September 13, 2016 – 9 a.m. to noon, Chinook Bldg, Room 126 Refresher Heartsaver CPR/AED Training (Open to all King county employees) register with andrew.burns@kingcounty.gov: Tuesday, September 13, 2016 – 1-3 p.m., Chinook Bldg, Room 126 BLS CPR (Healthcare Provider) Training (Open only to Public Health Certificated staff) register with maryalice.allenbach@kingcounty.gov: Tuesday, October 11, 2016 – 9… Read More
Update on Courthouse Electrical Project
The King County Council has approved the proposal to immediately replace the downtown Seattle Courthouse Building electrical distribution system, and design work is already underway. You can get updates on the project on a new intranet site, where you will find the following information Frequently Asked Questions Project Schedule – a four week look ahead *This schedule will be updated every other week or as information changes Project announcements. You can visit the site here and check back for ongoing updates throughout the project.
New uniforms for Facilities security unit
Crossposted from DES Express You may notice that our Facilities Management security personnel are sporting a new look. The old khaki uniform was badly in need of an update. In fact, the old badge patch still had the crown logo on it! Since King County hasn’t used that logo in almost eight years, it was time for a refresh. The new uniforms consist of black shirts, pants, and jackets with an updated King County logo on the shirt sleeve. The jackets also feature the word “SECURITY” stenciled on the back. The new… Read More
Ambassadors Needed for Employee Giving Program
King County employees pledged an impressive $1,751,473.91 to hundreds of nonprofit organizations during the 2015 annual Employee Giving Campaign. This is a great example of the work we do together as an organization to give back to the community. This effort is not possible without the assistance of dedicated, enthusiastic Worksite Ambassadors, and the program is currently recruiting this year’s Ambassadors. Not only do you get to do something great for the community at work, and help create meaningful personal opportunities, Ambassadors also gain or expand their organizational, communication, and leadership skills…. Read More
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