Meet our Elections translators: KC Jung, Korean
Crossposted from Election Connection
We’re highlighting the great work our translators do helping to make our elections and services accessible to every member of the community. Here we sit down for a brief Q&A with KC Jung, our Korean language translator.
What is your background and what brought you to working in local government at King County?
I am originally from Seoul, South Korea. I first came to the U.S. to study English and decided to adopt this country as my new homeland because of the diverse background of people and places.
Read more at Election Connection
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Employee discount: Pacific Northwest Ballet “The Nutcracker,” WildLights at the Zoo and Snoqualmie Summit
Employees can receive a 10% discount to the Pacific Northwest Ballet’s performances of George Balanchine’s “The Nutcracker,” and discounted tickets to Woodland Park Zoo WildLights and the Summit at Snoqualmie.
See all available discounts on the Employee Discount webpage.
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Chief Technology Officer provides insight on cloud technologies
Recently, Aaron Barak, Chief Technology Officer for King County Information Technology shared his experience with cloud technologies through an editorial piece for CIO Review. The article mentioned how cloud technology can help employees shift from operations and maintenance tasks to more innovative activities that allow for increased value to line of business services.
“Staff, previously anchored to legacy bespoke, on-premise solutions, can now, thanks to the ease and efficiency of cloud computing, spend their time developing emerging skill sets and innovative projects that benefit local government and residents,” he said. Read the full article here at CIO Review.
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Employee discount to UW Local Government Appreciation basketball games, Jan. 5 and Feb. 2
King County employees are welcome to take advantage of discounted tickets to two UW Husky basketball games. These games are part of the UW Local Government Appreciation discount.
- Saturday, January 5 against Washington State University
- Saturday, February 2 against University of California Los Angeles
To access the discount visit this link here. For more information contact JRothbaum@pac-12sales.com.
See all available discounts on the Employee Discount webpage.
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Join us Nov. 8 to honor employees who serve in Guard and Reserve
King County has approximately 90 employees who currently serve in the National Guard or Reserve. This event will recognize them for their service to our country and present them with a “challenge coin” in appreciation. Register and read more here.
Thursday, November 8, from noon to 1 p.m., Chinook Building, 401 Fifth Ave., Room 121/123
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Pet of the Week: Keyla
Crossposted from Tails from RASKC
This happy girl is Keyla, our Pet of the Week!
She’s an eight-year-old pittie who is very affectionate and would love to spend time cuddling with you! Despite her size, Keyla thinks of herself as a lapdog, and will gladly curl up in your lap for a nap. She’s an expert snuggler!
Read more
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Exec visits Elections employees on Election Day
King County Executive Dow Constantine visited King County Elections headquarters in Renton on Election Day as the staff counted ballots. This is the first General Election since he and Director Julie Wise made it possible for King County voters to return ballots without having to pay for postage.
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King County Whistleblower Protection Code
King County encourages employees to report significant wrongdoing, called “improper governmental action,” so that problems can be identified and corrected. The Whistleblower Protection Code creates a reporting process for such improper governmental action (IGA), and aims to protect employees from retaliation for reporting or cooperating in an investigation of improper governmental action.
- Employees with concerns about improper governmental action, including violations of laws, dangers to the public health or safety, or gross mismanagement or waste, are encouraged to report these concerns to their department head or the King County Office of the Ombuds. Reports to the Office of the Ombuds may be made anonymously or confidentially.
- Employees who believe they have experienced retaliation for reporting IGA or cooperating in such an investigation should contact the Ombuds. Retaliation is defined as an unwarranted and adverse change in the employee’s employment status or terms and conditions of employment, and is prohibited if it is due to the employee’s IGA reporting. Employees who believe they might have experienced retaliation are encouraged to consult with the Ombuds Office before filing a complaint so that they may receive information and guidance about the complaint process. Employees have six months to report instances of retaliation.
For more information on the county’s Whistleblower Protection Code view the Whistleblower Protection Code Summary and the Whistleblower Protection Code, or contact the King County Office of the Ombuds at Dexter Horton Building, 710 Second Avenue, Suite 790, Seattle WA 98104, 206-477-1050 (voice | TTY) and ombuds@kingcounty.gov.
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King County Veterans Court celebrates Veterans Day and court graduates, Nov. 8
Regional Veterans Court will be holding a celebration of all veterans and a graduation for those successfully completing the court program on Thursday, November 8, 2018 at 1 p.m. at the King County Courthouse (Courtroom E-326). Regional Veterans Court is a specialized track within King County District Court that connects veterans in the justice system to health and behavioral health treatment, housing and other services they may need to re-stabilize their lives. The Court helps veterans stay out of further involvement in the justice system, and reduces the use of jails and emergency services by veterans.
The team uses a collaborative approach to identify the underlying issues that led to a veteran’s involvement in the justice system, and develops a personalized treatment plan. Participants receive behavioral health care and social services from the federal and state departments of Veteran Affairs, the King County Veterans Program, and other local providers of veteran services.
“Regional Veterans Court is an excellent example of how we can improve outcomes for our community to keep it safe and to help veterans find their way back to their communities,” said Regional Mental Health Court/Regional Veterans Court Judge Ketu Shah. “It is incredibly moving to see our participating veterans recover in their health and support each other to achieve positive relationships with their families, co-workers, and peers.”
Funding for Regional Veterans Court is provided by the voter-approved King County Veterans and Human Services Levy which will hopefully be renewed next year.
Additional questions or comments should be directed to: Callista Welbaum, Court Manager, Callista.Welbaum@kingcounty.gov , 206-477-1315 or Kate Tramontana, Court Coordinator, Katherine.Tramontana@kingcounty.gov, 206-477-0905.
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King County Drug Court serves as international model
King County Superior Court’s Drug Court is an international model, and recently had two international visits to capture what Superior Court is doing right to help manage the opioid epidemic.
On Monday, the U.S. State Department sponsored a high-level delegation from Haiti. Visitors spent several hours speaking with Drug Court Supervisor Mary Taylor and Judge Dean Lum about how it works and the success rate.
On Tuesday, French journalist Romain Bolzinger from the French version of 60 Minutes captured how drug court impacts just one person as he followed a participant through the process. He shared that there is also an opioid epidemic in France and officials there are looking for scalable solutions to manage the problem.
Superior Court is proud to be an international model and thanks all the participants – from DPD, the prosecutor’s office and the candidates themselves – for participating in a program that is difficult, but works.
Pictured: French journalist Romain Bolzinger following a participant through the Drug Court process.
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