Employee News
Telling the stories of King County employees
Bring a little inspiration to your day and build connection with your team by signing up to be an Ambassador. The Employee Giving Program is now recruiting King County Employees to serve as an Ambassadors for this year’s Annual Giving Drive to their work groups/sites. As an Ambassador, you are the heart and soul of our Employee Giving Program team. We can NOT run this program and support so many great causes without you. Last year that resulted in $2.29 million! You are the key to making sure that every King County… Read More
Crossposted from Metro Matters Are you an Access rider, caregiver to an Access rider, or service provider? Help shape the future of Access Transportation by taking our survey! King County Metro is continuing its full review of our paratransit rideshare service, Access Transportation, that will shape the service for the next seven to 10 years. We are at the stage where we are looking for community feedback from Access riders, Access caregivers, and Access service providers – organizations and businesses where Access riders are picked up and dropped off. If any of… Read More
Crossposted from Public Health Insider At a recent community celebration, Public Health – Seattle & King County unveiled an ambitious five-year strategic plan aimed at improving the health and well-being of our community. This new roadmap is the culmination of extensive collaboration and input from nearly 100 community and public health system partners, as well as hundreds of Public Health staff members. Informed by the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic and underscored by King County’s commitment to equity and the declaration of racism as a public health crisis, the plan charts a course toward a… Read More
King County employees can now receive a 20% discount for courses available through Method Learning academic tutoring. Method Learning is a proven college readiness service that provides tutoring and helps guide students on their academic journey. For more details and to take advantage of the discount, click here. Services available include college admissions advising, college financial advising, ACT and SAT test prep, academic coaching, and much more. See all available employee discounts on the Employee Discount webpage.
Crossposted from Public Health Insider What happens when we flush a toilet, or turn off a sink tap? For most of us, we don’t give much thought to it – out of sight, out of mind. But once we walk away, what goes down the drain begins a whole new journey through the wastewater system. In King County, over 85,000 homes and businesses rely on septic systems to treat their wastewater and protect their health every day. But what is a septic system? What happens when it fails, and what happens to… Read More
Last week, the King County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) joined forces with Overcomer Covenant Church to distribute backpacks to the South King County community. In partnership with Mission Africa, the church generously provided 500 backpacks filled with school supplies to local children. This event also offered valuable community resources and snacks for all attendees. Sgt. R. Nishimura and Deputy K. Ray staffed the KCSO booth, spreading joy by distributing frisbees, bracelets, and stickers to the excited kids. Officers were particularly moved by a young child who took an immediate liking to Deputy Ray… Read More
Crossposted from the DES Express National Night Out is an annual event that promotes community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie. It’s also an opportunity for public safety agencies, including King County Emergency Management and Regional Animal Services of King County, to share critical information with the community. Last week, Emergency Management employees went on the road in Carnation and Milton, while RASKC animal control officers paid visits to Issaquah, Kenmore, North Bend and Snoqualmie. Read more.
Crossposted from Cultivating Connections On Aug. 12, Connections Health Solutions and the City of Kirkland opened the region’s first walk-in 24/7 behavioral health crisis center along with partner cities of Bothell, Kenmore, Lake Forest Park, and Shoreline. The new crisis center will provide walk-in urgent care and continued stabilization for people experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis. Its opening completes the first fully connected local crisis care system for behavioral health in King County: connecting and providing our North King County community members with someone to call (988 or the Regional Crisis Connections Line),… Read More
Summary King County Executive Dow Constantine and the King County Sheriff’s Office announced successful arrests as part of “Operation Safe Transit” to combat crime along the key transit corridor in downtown Seattle. Story King County Executive Dow Constantine and the King County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) announced four arrests as part of a larger public safety initiative to make transit safer, combat crime, and provide behavioral health supports and resources, particularly along the transit corridor in downtown Seattle. The larger initiative, known as “Operation Safe Transit,” was launched by KCSO on May 1… Read More
Crossposted from Public Health Insider Summer may have the longest days of the year, but they always seem to go by the fastest. With the new school year just a few weeks away, now is a great time to make sure your child has the vaccinations they’ll need. Not only are vaccines required for school and childcare, they’re also among the best tools to help your child stay healthy and thrive, this year and beyond. Start with your healthcare provider If your child has a doctor, we recommend getting ahead of the… Read More
Crossposted from Tails from RASKC Regional Animal Services of King County (RASKC) is joining with hundreds of other animal shelters nationwide in the “Clear The Shelters” initiative. During this special event, which runs from August 10 through September 10, RASKC will reduce adoption fees on all pets. The fee to adopt a cat or dog is just $30, the cost of a pet license. “Adopting a pet from RASKC is always a great value, and during the ‘Clear The Shelters’ campaign it’s even better,” said RASKC Manager Dr. Gene Mueller. “No matter… Read More
Many King County employees use Microsoft Teams chat to communicate with colleagues on a daily basis. As a reminder, employees’ chat messages may disappear from view within three days, but are retained in servers up to 17 days. During that time, they are discoverable and subject to public disclosure. Best practice is to only use Teams chat for transitory communications that do not need to be retained as documentation of your work. If your agency’s retention schedule requires a message to be kept for longer, consider using email that can be filed… Read More
On a sunny Wednesday morning, the inviting aroma of freshly brewed coffee and delicious Hawaiian cuisine wafted through the air at Patrick’s Café. This popular local spot, known for its warm ambiance and tasty offerings, played host to a special gathering – Coffee with a Cop, organized in partnership with the King County Sheriff’s Office. The event drew a good number of community members, attracting both regular patrons and passersby. Community Service Officers (CSOs) and Deputies, accompanied by several members of the command staff and leadership, engaged in meaningful conversations with community members,… Read More
Metro is partnering with the Photographic Center Northwest (PCNW) on an international call for photos to be featured at bus shelters across King County. Successful photos could remain in bus shelters for up to 10 years. This call is open to all County employees and their family members of all ages. This year’s theme is “Show Us Your World” and intended to explore personal, cultural identity and connection. This can include, but is not limited to, photos that display: Culture, values, and traditions that have been passed down from previous generations. Shared… Read More
Crossposted from Metro Matters Recruiting and training new bus operators allows our region’s transit network to continue to grow. On June 21, King County Metro celebrated the graduation of 54 part-time operators to full-time status. June also marked Metro’s highest number of full-time operators since 2021, although we still need to add many more to meet the high demand for transit service in the coming years. In addition, we recently began training our first class of external candidates seeking to become full-time bus operators. Metro has historically hired part-time operators who can… Read More
The Administrative Professionals Program is excited to announce the Administrative Professional Recognitions for the first and second quarter of 2024, from January through June. These 27 individuals have been recognized for their excellence as administrative professionals at King County. View the recognitions here. The list includes: Allison Pierce, Amanda Knell, Amiee McCrea, Angela Simmons, Audrey Johnson, Betty Jimerson, Channy Koing, Chris Stein, David Matsumoto, Dorcas Olegario, Elaine Edwards, Jennifer Blackstone, Judi Hendrickson, Julie Chung, Katerina (Katie) Kovalchuk, Kelly Uyehara, Krystal Heflin, Lauren Bagby, Linda Eaves, Marla Erickson, Marni Donnely, Maureen Dahlstrom, Renee Jacklin-Pool, Roger… Read More
The King County Sheriff’s Office was delighted to witness Deputy Marty Hodge being publicly recognized at a recent Mariners game with his name illuminated on the big screen. Deputy Hodge dedicated 21 years to service in the United States Army as a Master Sergeant in special forces, notably contributing to the first Iraq war and operation Enduring Freedom. Following his military tenure, Deputy Hodge transitioned to a role at the King County Sheriff’s Office, where he has diligently served as a deputy for the past 22 years. Deputy Hodge initially commenced off-duty… Read More
Tuesday, Aug. 6 is Election Day for the August Primary. This is your opportunity to help your favorite candidate make it to the General Election. The best way to return your ballot this close to Election Day is by using an official ballot drop box. Drop boxes close at 8 p.m. on Aug. 6 so don’t delay, return your ballot today. King County Elections will also have Vote Centers open this weekend for those who still need to register to vote, get a replacement ballot, or use an accessible voting device. After you’ve voted,… Read More
Crossposted from Metro Matters They read, travel, garden and work around their homes. They are bike riders—both motor and stationary. They enjoy making jams and jellies. They are even former clog dancers! They are operators with two centuries of driving experience. The operators on your bus are as unique as you, and all of them love driving and giving back to their community. Read more.
Crossposted from Metro Matters King County Metro is increasing transit service this fall, including adding over 3,700 new bus trips each week, launching the RapidRide G Line in Seattle, connecting buses to new Sound Transit light rail stations, and expanding Metro Flex to Northshore. Starting Sept. 14, King County Metro is expanding evening and weekend transit service, and launching its eighth RapidRide – the G Line – which will provide fast and frequent service through downtown Seattle, First Hill, Capitol Hill, the Central District, and Madison Valley. Read more.