Employee News
Telling the stories of King County employees
By Whitney Abrams, Chief People Officer At King County our work is guided by our True North – Making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive – and our values. Our True North and values represent what is important to us as an organization, what we stand for, and the way we act. The way we treat one another and the way we expect to be treated are critical in building a workplace culture based on respect, belonging, and inclusivity. There is no room for any type of harassment or discrimination… Read More
The 2024 MLK Jr. calendar, designed by artist Rey Daoed, is now available for King County employees to order. We have developed a more streamlined process for the distribution of the annual calendars. All orders will need to be submitted via the order form by Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2023. Listed below are the guidelines for submitting orders: Artist Bio: Rey Daoed is diagnosed with autism and apraxia of speech. Typing, handwriting, and text-to-speech apps are his preferred method of communication. Rey began painting in 2015, and the medium soon became an important… Read More
Updated Dec. 28, 2023, with RSVP information. King County employees are invited to join in honoring human rights leader and King County’s namesake, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the annual celebration on Thursday, January 11, 2024. The theme for the celebration is “Passing the torch and continuing the journey,” along with the guiding quote “The task is not done. The journey is not complete. We can and we must do more.” – Martin Luther King III. There will be artistic performances from Jeffrey Lewis, Jamaar Smiley, Brohamm, and Massive Monkees. The keynote… Read More
Cross-posted from WLRD News Congratulations to the Hazardous Waste Program for being named an EPA Safer Choice Partner of the Year for the seventh consecutive year. This national award recognizes individuals, businesses, and other entities that identify cleaning and chemical products to be healthier for people and the environment. The Program advocates for upstream strategies to eliminate harmful chemicals at their source, rather than requiring homeowners and the public sector to dispose and/or treat them. Two examples: the presence of “forever” chemicals (for example, PFAS), in everyday products used in packaging, cosmetics,… Read More
By Katie Hayhurst In 1993, Department of Natural Resources and Parks (DNRP) employees Greg Rabourn and Mary Rabourn (née Pehl) began working as Special Waste Technicians in the Solid Waste Division. Little did they know it was also the start of a beautiful relationship. This couple’s “meet-cute” involved 900 acres of squishy garbage at the Cedar Hills Regional Landfill. Greg started working one month before Mary was hired and agreed to take the new person out for a tour of the landfill. Mary recalled the scene as semi-trailers slowly shuffling 40 yards… Read More
Cross-posted from WRLD News During a recent site visit on Bear Creek, Senior Ecologist Jen Vanderhoof was thrilled to see dozens of big, beautiful Chinook salmon in the creek near the reach known as Little Bit/Klapp. But as quickly as her heart soared it sank when she saw many of the salmon getting trapped and dying in a thicket of reed canary grass surrounding a beaver dam. Jen immediately did what she could to help the salmon on site and then emailed several colleagues King County’s Water and Land Resources Division (WRLD)… Read More
Do you have money left in your Flexible Spending Account (FSA)? To check the balance of your Health Care or Day Care FSA, go to Navia Benefits and sign in to your account. Expenses must be incurred by Dec. 31, 2023, and submitted for reimbursement by March 31, 2024. Please see details below. Health Care FSAs Day Care FSAs If you have questions about your FSA benefits, contact Navia at 425-452-3500 or Navia Benefits.
Most of us have a smartphone, but how many of us really think about the security threats faced by these mobile devices? Mobile devices are vulnerable to many different types of threats. The bad players are increasing attacks on mobile devices and targeting your phone using malicious applications. Using these methods, they can steal personal and business information without you having any idea what’s going on. Even if you’ve downloaded a security or antivirus application, securing your smartphone goes beyond these services. Improving your mobile security practices is your best defense against… Read More
Whether it’s by bike, bus, or boat, the King County Employee Transportation Program (ETP) helps get you to and from work with a variety of resources while saving you money with your employee ID/ORCA card. KCEmployees.com recently spoke to Tim Hams, the new ETP Manager and asked five questions to get to know him a little better. What is your role at King County and when did you start? Employee Transportation Program (ETP) Manager, effective September 30, 2023. I supported ETP for a couple years with the prior ETP Manager before his… Read More
Dear fellow King County employee, For more than a century, our nation has dedicated November 11 as the day to recognize the brave members of our country’s armed forces, past and present. They placed their own lives at risk to defend freedom here at home and around the world. Veterans Day is our opportunity to honor and thank them for their service. King County is home to some 115,000 veterans of all ages. Almost 1,200 of our King County colleagues are veterans, working alongside us in every department and every branch of… Read More
Cross-posted from Plane Talk With freezing temperatures already hitting the region this fall, King County International Airport (KCIA) is getting ready for the winter ahead. Airport staff held the annual review of the Snow and Ice Control Plan (SICP) late last month and is readying equipment. Airport staff are in close contact with the Northwest Weather Service to stay abreast of severe weather forecasts. As soon as adverse weather conditions such as snow or ice are forecast, Airport Operations activates the SICP and notifies airport leadership. The Airport Duty Manager continuously monitors… Read More
“For those who do not work inside the jail or juvenile detention, these can be somewhat mysterious places. For those who do know the jail and detention, we often see people when they are at the lowest point in their lives.” That statement from the opening remarks by Alan Nance, Director of the Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention (DAJD) at their annual awards ceremony underscores the importance of the work each and every one of the people in DAJD do every day to provide a safe and secure environment. “Our annual… Read More
King County’s employee “Walking Bus” pilot program now offers five afternoon departures times from the King County Courthouse to King Street Station and Colman Dock via the Pioneer Square light rail station. In this pilot phase, which started Monday, Nov. 6, King County employees can join their colleagues and a Facilities Management Division (FMD) Security Escort each weekday evening walking from the Third Avenue entrance of the King County Courthouse to the King Street Station and Colman Dock via a stop at the Pioneer Square light rail station entrance at Jefferson Street… Read More
The Administrative Professionals Program is excited to announce the Administrative Professional Recognitions for the 2023 third quarter, from July through September. These 10 individuals have been recognized for their excellence as administrative professionals at King County. View the recognitions here. The list includes: Catalina Corvalan, Marni Donnely, Shenathan Burtdon, Linda Eaves, Ithica Nolan-Williams, Susan Felchlin, Alison Hoffarth, Stephanie Scappini, Viviana Ramirez-Carrillo, and Bryan Baird. Thank you to the Administrative Specialists, Executive Assistants, Customer Service Specialists, Medical Assistants, Court Clerks, and others who keep King County operating. Please consider taking a moment to recognize an Administrative… Read More
The Employee Giving Program helps King County employees support a multitude of causes from arts, culture, and humanities to mental health services, and more. We have been doing this for 35 years and it is amazing to see the positive impact King County employees can have by working – and giving – together. We can make a difference and are better together! Check out this video below to learn more about the Employee Giving Program and be a part of the change! You can make your campaign pledge here. Pledge today!
Now in its 11th year, King County Regional Veterans Court (RVC) strives to increase effective cooperation between federal, state, and local veteran’s service agencies and the criminal justice system. RVC’s mission is to address the underlying issues that have resulted in veterans being referred to the criminal justice system. This Veterans Day, RVC is seeking additional veteran mentors to work with RVC participants. “Mentors help to continuously support and uplift the veterans they partner with as each vet undertakes the rigorous RVC program requirements,” says Terrell Carrington, RVC Mentor Program Coordinator for… Read More
The King County Vehicle Maintenance Community Connection (VMCC) group is building community among the women, trans women, and nonbinary people in Metro Transit’s Vehicle Maintenance (VM) Division. The mission is to build a sustainable and structured support group where measurable outcomes build community among the women in VM to deconstruct loneliness. The group seeks to understand what it would take to support the current women in VM, and prepare to support future women hired into VM. The group also provides education about the resources available for personal and professional growth. Together, members in… Read More
We are in the fifth week of the Employee Giving Program’s (EGP) Annual Giving Drive and are making great progress. King County has a strong history of supporting and uplifting arts, culture, and humanities that reflect creativity, shared history, and diversity of perspectives. There is a plethora of organizations that create spaces and places that build cultural wealth, connect across differences, and tell stories of vibrant communities. We’ve highlighted a few EGP organizations that are pillars in King County that specialize in arts, culture, and humanities, including a shout to Bob Ross… Read More
Many small businesses and restaurants struggled to stay open and some unfortunately shuttered during the lockdown and restriction period of the COVID-19 pandemic. Small and locally-owned restaurants are the essence of local communities, fostering growth, providing jobs, and contributing to the unique character of their neighborhoods. King County Local Services responded during the pandemic by offering relief funding to numerous small businesses in the county. We were pleased to see that four of the seven restaurants recommended in this recent Seattle Times article received COVID-19 relief funding from King County. It’s rewarding… Read More
Open Enrollment starts today and ends Nov. 15. To ensure you are selecting the right benefits for you and your family for 2024, learn about your choices and see what’s changing next year: All set? When you’re ready, login to PeopleSoft Nov. 1 – 15, and select the Open Enrollment tile. Make your changes, review your Preview Statement, then use the Submit Enrollment button. For help with PeopleSoft, call the IT Service Center at 206-263-4357. If you don’t participate in Open Enrollment… Need assistance? Contact the Benefits team: Benefits, Payroll and Retirement… Read More