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
Innovation Section receives award for wildlife excellence
Crossposted from the Plane Talk Newsletter King County International Airport recently received an award from United States Department of Agriculture’s Washington State office for a project promoting wildlife excellence. Dave Decoteau, deputy director of the airport, accepted the award on KCIA’s behalf at the 2024 Washington Airport Management Association Annual Conference in May. The airport’s Innovation Section received the award for partnering with USDA to develop the Wildlife Hazard Assessment Tool (WHAT) application. “It is an application for capturing wildlife observations on our airfield,” said Vanessa Chin, Innovation Section Manager for the… Read More
Celebrating Pride and the fight for equality
Dear fellow King County employee, This month we celebrate Pride and the fight for equality and equal rights for LGBTQIA+ people, along with the many accomplishments and contributions they have made in our communities here in King County and around the world. It is also a time to reflect on the adversities that LGBTQIA+ people have faced throughout history and their courage in the ongoing struggle against injustice. As you may know, Pride began as a protest against discrimination and police violence, in the form of the Stonewall Uprising in New York… Read More
300,000 Metro riders fuel region’s recovery
Crossposted from Metro Matters Our region reached a major milestone when more than 300,000 people rode King County Metro. Achieving the highest one-day total in four years is proof that transit is the engine of our economic recovery. We’re going to more places and we’re traveling together. The 303,000 people who took Metro on May 15, 2024, represents an increase of 22% from just a year ago and 156% from 2020. And this fall, your transit options will grow, too. Metro is adding more bus service, including in the evenings and on… Read More
Metro explores hydrogen fuel cell buses to reduce emissions
Crossposted from Metro Matters King County Metro will explore adding up to four hydrogen fuel cell buses as early as 2026 as part of a pilot project. These zero-emission buses provide extended range, run on hydrogen and emit only water vapor. Seeing how hydrogen fuel cell buses perform will inform if Metro uses them to complement its battery-electric and trolley buses. Metro is a global transit leader on sustainability and is moving toward a 100% zero-emission fleet. The hydrogen fuel cell bus pilot project has the potential to benefit riders, reduce local… Read More
Humans of Road Services: Meet Lydia Reynolds-Jones
Crossposted from King County Local Fairness and fearlessness. For decades, Lydia Reynolds-Jones has leaned on these two pillars to guide her, both professionally and personally. Lydia began working for the Road Services Division more than 30 years ago as a roadway design engineer. The traits that keep her engaged, energized, fulfilled, and never bored are continuous learning and problem solving. Over the years, she has led and managed various units and programs. She has served as the Road Services Division Strategic Business Operations Section Manager since 2021. Read more.
Look for dependent eligibility verification information from Mercer
King County and its labor partners have engaged our trusted vendor Mercer Consulting to conduct a routine eligibility verification of the dependents enrolled in our health plans. If you cover a family member on your King County medical, dental, or vision plan, look for information from Mercer regarding the dependent eligibility verification process you are required to complete. On June 18, Mercer sent instructions and your Audit ID by mail and email. These communications are legitimate—please do not delete. Use your Audit ID to access the Mercer Secure Website, where you can… Read More
Downtown Customer Service Center receives BRG Innovation Award for Service
The Downtown Customer Service Center (CSC) has received the 2023 Best-Run Government (BRG) Innovation Award for Service. Congratulations to the Department of Executive Services (DES), Department of Public Health (DPH), Assessor’s Office, King County Information Technology (KCIT), the Executive Department, and all their partners for their commitment to Best-Run Government. This award recognizes workgroups and teams that have made progress on our customer service goals to prioritize customer-centered services, improve the customer experience, increase staff understanding of customer needs, and/or incorporate service practices and processes into their project. With the closing… Read More
Honoring Juneteenth with stories of community impact that move toward Black liberation
King County Executive Dow Constantine emailed all county employees on Wednesday, June 19, in recognition of Juneteenth and its profound historical and cultural significance for our nation. Juneteenth recognizes the end of legal slavery in America, commemorating June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, and informed people who were still enslaved that slavery had ended more than two years prior. In his email Executive Constantine shared a new video highlighting the incredible work of four organizations that actively confronts the root causes of structural racism. “I recently had the… Read More
Seattle Pride Parade on June 30 and 2024 King County Pride shirts are now available for purchase
March with your King County co-workers, friends, and families in the Seattle Pride Parade on Sunday, June 30. Plan to meet at King County’s staging area at Fourth Avenue between Seneca and Spring from 11:15-11:45 a.m. Once the King County contingent gets moving at 12:10 p.m., it takes about two hours to get to the end of the parade route. There will be fun swag for folks attending the parade as well as water for the contingent and a spot on the Metro Pride Bus in case anyone needs to rest. Additionally,… Read More
Executive Constantine proclaims June 19, 2024 as Juneteenth
King County Executive Dow Constantine has proclaimed June 19, 2024 as Juneteenth in King County, stating that “Juneteenth marks both the long, hard night of slavery and discrimination, and the promise of a brighter morning to come.” “Juneteenth is a time for celebration, prayer, and gathering of the community, and organizations have the common mission to promote and cultivate knowledge and appreciation of Black history and culture,” he said in the Proclamation. “I urge all citizens to become aware of the significance of this celebration in Black History and in the heritage… Read More
New programs bring music, mentorship, and business skills to King County’s detained youth
By Christina Lorella Kuzu, Communications Specialist with the Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention The end of May and early June marked the beginning of three new youth programs at the Judge Patricia H. Clark Children and Family Justice Center (CCFJC) in King County, expanding services to youth in custody and allowing a plethora of additional opportunities for residents to spend time participating in group activities together with their peers. Cocreative Culture On Friday, May 18, Providence Kamana and Grady Mukanya of Cocreative Culture visited each of the units at CCFJC, presenting information… Read More
Words matter: Public Health – Seattle & King County’s Equitable Language Guide
It is important to make sure the way we talk and write fosters inclusivity, respect, and equity. In 2020, Public Health – Seattle & King County (PHSKC) recognized gaps in how they communicated with the people they serve. To resolve this issue, PHSKC revised their communication practices which included enhancing equity and inclusion through the words they used in messaging. What partially started as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, grew into a multi-year project that resulted in the launch of the Equitable Language Guide for PHSKC. The Equitable Language Guide is… Read More
Dependent eligibility verification audit begins June 18
King County and its labor partners are collaborating with our trusted vendor Mercer Consulting to conduct an eligibility verification of the dependents enrolled in our health plans. If you cover a family member on your King County medical, dental, or vision plan, you are required to verify the eligibility of each person by completing the process and providing documentation. On June 18, Mercer will send a mailed letter and an email with instructions and details explaining the process. Employees are required to review plan eligibility requirements and provide documentation supporting the eligibility… Read More
Recipient of BRG Innovation Award for Cost helped stabilize region’s behavioral healthcare system
A team comprised of employees from the Behavioral Health and Recovery Division, Finance and Compliance Services, and Performance Measurement and Evaluation in the Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) is the recipient of the 2023 Best-Run Government (BRG) Innovation Award for Cost. The award was one of eight announced by Executive Dow Constantine in a video. The Behavioral Health Medicaid Rate Increase Project Team was instrumental in increasing rates for behavioral health providers, who have been struggling to attract and retain staff at a time when the County seeks to increase access… Read More
Three things we did to make contracting more equitable
By Office of Equity and Community Partnerships, Public Health – Seattle & King County Sometimes systems that were intended to create fairness backfire. Organizations and vendors should have equal opportunity to bid for government contracts, so government agencies typically use Requests for Proposals (RFPs) in an attempt to open up contracting. But in reality, this process can add to disparity. For example, if you are a small organization or business, you probably don’t have dedicated staff who can easily respond to RFPs. Even for highly capable staff, it can be daunting and… Read More
Keeping KCCF orderly and fun: Ting Chou marks 25 years with King County
By Christina Lorella Kuzu, Communications Specialist with the Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention You can find Ting Chou at the King County Correctional Facility (KCCF) every Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to noon, making sure officers and residents get what they need. From stocking supplies to fulfilling resident kites (a written request from a person in custody), his role as a records unit support clerk is important to jail operations. Ting also makes it his unofficial duty to guarantee that coworkers don’t take themselves too seriously. “We know when he’s… Read More
Discount tickets for the Taste Northwest
The Taste Northwest is back! King county employees can enjoy food, fun, and entertainment at discounted prices. Go to TheFair.com/Corporate, click ‘Buy Tickets Online’, then enter the access password: king24. Note: Enter your log in twice – once to access and once at check out. You will not see your discount until you enter the code at check out. The code is the same for each entry. See all available discounts on the Employee Discount webpage.
Kelly Rider appointed Director of the Department of Community and Human Services
Executive Constantine has appointed Kelly Rider Director of the Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS). Since February, Kelly has served as Acting Director of DCHS and previously served as Chief of Staff, where she oversaw legislative efforts, policy development, strategic partnerships, and investments in our region. In her seven years with DCHS, Rider has built lasting relationships with human services providers and jurisdictions across King County, and helped advance key initiatives, including Health Through Housing and the Veterans, Seniors, and Human Services levy, renewed for a fourth time last year. Read more.
King County adding Wilburton Trestle to Eastrail
A public-private partnership that includes Washington’s Climate Commitment Act, Amazon, the City of Bellevue, Kaiser Permanente, and the King County Parks Levy started transforming the 120-year-old Wilburton Trestle into a trail bridge that will be added to the emerging 42-mile Eastrail. “We’ve built strong partnerships to transform the historic Wilburton Trestle into a trail bridge for Eastrail,” said Executive Constantine. “Creating a regional trail that offers healthy, reliable, scenic connections to some of the world’s leading job centers, vibrant cities, and light rail service demonstrates what we can achieve when we align… Read More
Natural Resources and Parks’ Recruitment Standards Project receives Innovation Award for People
Like many organizations today, King County is facing challenges in filling vacant positions amid shortages in the labor market and fierce competition for talent. In addition, the County’s commitment to Equity, Racial, and Social Justice means that embedding pro-equity practices into its processes is crucial in advancing these efforts. The Human Resources team in the Department of Natural Resources and Parks (DNRP) realized that it could be more effective in bringing much-needed talent on board if it could speed up the recruiting process and build equity practices into every step of the… Read More
About
We tell stories that highlight the work we do to support our residents,
build strong communities, and make our region a great place to live and work.
Our 17,000+ employees work every day to make King County
a welcoming community where every person can thrive.
Share this:
King County, WA LinkedIn
Follow us on LinkedIn to stay up to date with all King County professional news.
Employee News 