King County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Sam Dinning was recently featured In this TEDxSeattle talk, discussing the difference between equality and equity in criminal justice reform. Sam works within the Juvenile Division and explores how to prosecute cases considering equity instead of equality.  “Criminal justice reform depends on our willingness to reexamine fundamental principles. Pursuing equity, rather than equality, would produce more just and more effective outcomes.”

On Dec. 12, Chief Operating Officer Casey Sixkiller and Budget Director Dwight Dively visited employees at Fleet Administration Division in Renton to formally present the Executive’s Performance Excellence Award for Cost. Fleet field service mechanics saved 124 hours just in travel time, or $12,300 in savings, in the first six months by adding diagnostic software to field service computers.  Field service mechanics are assigned to various areas of the county including Black Diamond, Fall City, and Redmond to support field crews. When needed, bringing vehicles and equipment into the Renton Shop for repairs is costly considering… Read More

King County is planting one million trees with partners by 2020 to capture carbon pollution and better prepare for climate impacts. Department of Natural Resources and Parks moved a step closer to this goal by hosting the third annual native tree and shrub planting event for employees.  Planting one million trees in King County by 2020 in cooperation with public and private partners is one of the key strategies in King County’s Strategic Climate Action Plan (SCAP). Currently, King County and partners have planted more than 452,000 trees in King County since 2016. These trees also… Read More

Our final video in our Go Public video series features Celia Jackson, Deputy Director of Government Relations. She also shares about the real impact public service can make.  “Everyone is born with a different level of opportunity and different barriers that they meet, but I think it is our responsibility as local government to do our best to remove those barriers.”  Learn more about our careers at www.KingCounty.gov/jobs.

Dear fellow King County employee, At the end of each year our team takes a moment to review what we have achieved together in the previous 12 months, and looks ahead to what we want to accomplish during the coming year. Each year, looking back, I am astounded by the breadth and impact of our achievements, and 2018 is no exception. This year King County Metro was named the best large transit system in North America. We launched our Road Map to Zero Youth Detention, with the goal that every young person… Read More

Crossposted from Tails from RASKC  Sweet senior Beau is our Pet of the Week!  This handsome boy is gentle and loving, and likes to take things slow. He may get nervous in new situations, and is looking for a family who understands he may need some time to warm up. Once he gets to know you, though, Beau will be a very devoted friend!  Read more from Tails from RASKC

Salary: $97,219.20 – $123,219.20 Annually  Location: Seattle, WA  Job Type: Career Service, Full Time, 40 hrs/week  Department: Department of Transportation – Director’s office  Job Number: 2018MCK09050  Closing: 1/6/2019 11:59 PM Pacific  The Economic Development Program Manager is a key resource within the Department of Local Services and will provide strategic planning, coordination and support for economic development activities within unincorporated areas of King County. This new position will work out of the Director’s office, reporting to the External Relations Manager, and will provide leadership in the development of innovative economic development programs and… Read More

Pesha Klein, an Environmental Scientist with the Department of Permitting and Environmental at the Vashon Island Office, received the following note of appreciation from a visitor to the Vashon Office:  “Thank you very much for your insightful assistance today. I came in there expecting to hit a wall and leave frustrated. What I found was just the opposite. You were entirely helpful and actually concerned that I was taking in all the information that you shared with me. Yes I did, yes I have and I am moving forward. All the best!”  Kudos to Pesha for… Read More

If you retire before age 65, King County offers two types of coverage, COBRA and Retiree Medical. Learn more here.

Crossposted from Keeping King County Green  How do you solve a problem like achieving net-zero energy use? If you’re the King County Parks team working at the North Utilities Trails Crew Shop near Marymoor Park, you do it through solar panels, new lights and efficient heat pumps and air conditioners. By utilizing these tools they were able to solve the design and financial puzzle of achieving net-zero energy on two buildings with limited roof space available for solar power.  For their efforts the Parks team was awarded the inaugural King County Executive Performance Excellence… Read More

My Northwest recently ran a story that highlighted “The Mole,” which was a piece of equipment used by the Solid Waste Division back in the 1960s. The Mole bears a striking resemblance to a prop used in Star Wars, and the article sought to get to the truth. Read the full story here. Learn more about how the trash-eating monster was once used to clean up King County in the video below.

This week our ongoing series featuring employees talking about why they chose a King County career and how they are making a difference in our community features Hannah Johnson, a Communications Specialist with the Best Starts for Kids Program in the Department of Community and Human Services.   Learn more about our careers at www.KingCounty.gov/jobs.

Crossposed from Public Health Insider  Love is all around us–at least love for public health, that is! We’re nearing the end of 2018, and that means it’s time to look back at our department’s hard work with partners throughout the year for a healthier community. Peruse our (not exhaustive) list of achievements, but before you do, take a few moments to watch a video inspired by the 2003 holiday-themed romantic comedy, Love Actually, that celebrates our staff and our mission – and has a little fun along the way.  Read more at Public Health Insider

The recently held Washington Women in Trades “Dream Big Dinner” honored the legacy of “Rosies” – a nickname for “Rosie the Riveter” – women who worked in factories during World War II. The award ceremony recognized the successes and challenges of working women, as well as students, advocates, and workplace leaders. The event was attended on behalf of King County by Joe Baca, a Community Workforce Agreement Administrator in the Department of Natural Resources and Parks’ Wastewater Treatment Division, and Samantha Kealoha, Labor Equity Program Manager with the Department of Executive Services Finance and Business Operations Division. The two were… Read More

Throughout 2018, the Employee Communications Team highlighted the professional accomplishments, County opportunities and important events, challenges and successes of our employees, sharing these in our weekly Employee News e-newsletter, the KC Employee News blog, our Twitter account, LinkedIn account, and YouTube channel. Thank you to all our readers for engaging with our content, sharing it with others, and continuing to show us how we can provide you the information you need to succeed in your career, live a healthy life, and do great work for our residents and our community. The 10 most-clicked Employee News stories… Read More

Crossposted from Tails from RASKC  He’s a dog, not a frog – meet Kermit, our Pet of the Week!  This handsome young pittie mix is very sweet and snuggly! Kermit also loves to play and have fun. He can be a bit shy when meeting new people or being in new environments, but once he warms up he is a big ol’ sweetie who loves to do zoomies all over the yard!  Read more at Tails from RASKC

Happy Holidays all our King County employees! Enjoy this time with loved ones and please stay warm and safe. Know that we appreciate you and everything you do in your work at King County. Thank you for your commitment, time and passion.

Lean Problem-Solving Basics, Feb. 5: Do you feel like you tackle the same problems over and over again? In order to effectively solve problems once and for all, they must be solved at the root! Read more and register.  Communication and Problem Solving Skills, Feb. 7: This one day training will address communication and problem solving skills with the public and with co-workers. This class covers skills for effective listening, speaking, dealing with conflicts and with defensive behavior. Read more and register.  King County GIS training, multiple dates: KC GIS is now offering its schedule of face-to-face GIS… Read More

A Flexible Spending Account (FSA) can help you save an average of 30% on certain medical care and dependent care expenses by using pre-tax dollars. Learn more here.

Employees can now access discounted tickets to Monster Jam and Monster Energy AMA Supercross at CenturyLink Field in Seattle during March 2019. Monster Jam is Saturday, March 15, 2019 at 7 p.m. Click here for instructions for the discount. Monster Energy AMA Supercross is Saturday, March 23, 2019 at 6:30 p.m. Click here for instructions for the discount.   See all available discounts on the Employee Discount page.

Crossposted from King County Parks Plog  King County Parks had a busy year making good on the levy promise to bring 2,700 acres into the King County system by 2020. By the time 2019 rolls around, Parks will be on the lookout for a mere 500 more acres to reach the goal. As an added bonus, scooping up lands happens to be in line with King County’s Land Conservation Initiativeto protect the livability, health, and ecological integrity of our region by preserving 65,000 acres of land within the next 30 years.  Read more at King County Parks Plog 

All Home is now seeking volunteers for Count Us In 2019, the annual Point in Time (PIT) Count of people experiencing homelessness. The count will take place in the early hours of the morning of January 25, 2019 from 2 a.m.-6 a.m. The core purpose of the annual Point in Time (PIT) Count is to collect data on the needs of people experiencing homelessness in our community. The count also provides an excellent opportunity to increase awareness of homelessness and to spark action. A successful and accurate PIT Count is an essential… Read More

At King County we are a 15,000 strong workforce of people committed to serving our 2.2 million residents, but like many in our community, some employees are facing an unprecedented challenge in finding and keeping a home they can afford in the county in which they work.  As we continue to identify strategies to tackle the shortage of affordable housing in our communities, we want to hear from employees: What is your experience as a King County employee trying to buy or keep a home close to your work? What challenges do… Read More

Crossposted from Inside Transportation  The newly appointed Deputy Director of the Department of Local Services adheres to a fundamental rule when working to solve problems.  Don’t complicate things.  “I like to keep things simple,” Danielle de Clercq says. “Break it down to the basics. The simpler we can define the problem, the easier it is to solve.”  De Clercq’s approach has helped the Dutch-speaking, outdoor enthusiast empower people throughout her 30-year career. Whether she was shepherding the exponential growth of a solid waste startup, administering health education grant applications worth millions of dollars, or… Read More

Crossposted from Inside Transportation  The Metropolitan King County Council on Monday gave its unanimous approval to the appointment of John Taylor to lead the newly formed Department of Local Services that is set to begin operations at the beginning of the year. Taylor, appointed by County Executive Dow Constantine in October, now formally serves as the director of the department that will better coordinate and deliver direct services to the nearly 250,000 people who live in unincorporated King County.  “John has worked in the unincorporated area and has already established wonderful working… Read More