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
Maui fires – Support disaster relief during the Annual Giving Drive
Crossposted from KC Employee Giving During the first week of August, wildfires erupted in Maui. Spurred on by dangerous winds from Hurricane Dora, the fire spread quickly, wracking devastation across the island. The resulting fires became the most devastating natural disaster the state of Hawai’i has ever seen, with a death toll of over a hundred people, thousands of homes destroyed, and the almost-complete destruction of the historic town of Lāhainā. Communities across the world mobilized in response to this crisis, from the national level down to the small, hardworking nonprofits. While… Read More
Christie True – Executive Constantine’s longest-serving department director – retiring after 39 years of service at Department of Natural Resources and Parks
King County Executive Dow Constantine announced the retirement of Department of Natural Resources and Parks Director Christie True – the longest-serving department director on his Cabinet – after a 39-year career at the agency. Executive Constantine credited True for reinforcing King County’s reputation as a trusted environmental steward by producing climate solutions, protecting water quality, restoring habitat, conserving open space, and improving access to parks and trails. The Executive Office will conduct a nationwide recruitment for one of the largest metropolitan natural resource agencies in the country. “Since I appointed her Director… Read More
Attend an Open Enrollment info session or benefits fair
Open Enrollment education sessions Open Enrollment for next year’s benefits is coming up, Nov. 1–15. Get a head start on understanding your 2024 benefit choices by attending an online information session or a benefits fair hosted by your Benefits team. Register for an Open Enrollment information session to: Learn more about your 2024 benefit choices. See what’s changing next year. Discover why it’s important that you participate in Open Enrollment. Ask questions. Attend a benefits and retirement fair to: Talk with representatives from our benefits and retirement vendors. Get your questions answered… Read More
Celebrating 2023 National Disability Employment Awareness Month
In October King County celebrates the contributions made by people with disabilities, and how disabilities, both visible and non-apparent, enhance our workforce, our communities, and our country. King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci honored the contributions of individuals with disabilities by proclaiming October as National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). On Oct. 10, during hybrid King County Council meeting, Councilmember Claudia Balducci read the proclamation and provided additional personal insights. Thank you to the King County Council for recognizing National Disability Employment Awareness Month as a time to honor the invaluable contributions of… Read More
Sign up to close a ballot drop box
Ballots for the November General Election head out the door on Wednesday, Oct. 18 and the countdown to Election Day, Nov. 7, has begun. As you know, drop boxes close at 8 p.m. sharp on Election Day and there is often a last-minute rush of voters looking to get their ballots in on time. King County Elections needs your help to provide customer service and assistance to voters using this last opportunity to return their ballots. Sign up to join us for a fun and fulfilling experience helping your neighbors experience the excitement… Read More
Annual Giving Drive: Reason eight
Reason eight to participate in the Annual Giving Drive is to join the movement of change agents at King County. The Employee Giving Program provides thousands of ways to make a difference and thousands of nonprofits to support, all through one program. When we act together, we change the world for the better. Join us for the Annual Giving Campaign and be part of the change. Check out the video below for more information. You can find more EGP participating nonprofit organizations online or in the 2023 King County EGP Nonprofit Giving Guide. You can… Read More
Resources and support during National Substance Use Prevention Month
Crossposted from Balanced You Balanced You recognizes October as National Substance Use Prevention Month and wants to highlight the importance of prevention in protecting people’s health and support those in recovery, as well as the family, friends, and community supporting them. We also remember those who have lost their lives to substance use and recognize the devasting loss for their loved ones. Millions of Americans suffer from substance use disorders, which includes alcohol and tobacco dependency, non-medical use of prescription drugs, abuse of over-the-counter medications, and illicit drug use. Read more.
Celebrating Metro’s Hispanic/Latinx employees
Crossposted from Metro Matters Over the past month, we have been engaging with our Metro colleagues from the Latinx Affinity Group to learn about their unique experiences related to heritage, community, and personal identity, as part of Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month. This heritage month is uniquely recognized in the middle of September through the middle of October (Sept. 15 – Oct. 15), as it coincides with national independence celebrations in several Latin American countries. Read more.
Celebrating 35 Years with Jamie Schmeichel, Parks Specialist
By Quinn Pense, Parks District Maintenance Coordinator Please join us in celebrating Jamie Schmeichel, an extraordinary individual who has dedicated an impressive 35 years of their life to serving our community. Jamie is an integral member of the nursery team and restoration program, working diligently to ensure the flourishing beauty of our parks. His current tasks include weeding, filling pots with soil, transplanting plants, measuring fertilizer, planting seeds, and helping to tidy up around the Nursery. He does all of this with a smile and comes to work happy to be part of… Read More
Power of connection: Resources for survivors of domestic and sexual violence
Crossposted from Cultivating Connections October is Domestic Violence Action Month and Domestic Violence Awareness Month. During the month of October victim advocates, allies, survivors of abuse, their loved ones, and the surrounding community come together to raise awareness of domestic violence and its impact on individuals, families, and communities. It is a time to connect, lift each other up, share resources, save space for each other, mourn lives lost, and celebrate progress towards ending domestic violence. Everyone has a role in ending domestic violence and its impact on our communities, from staying connected to… Read More
Adaptive adventures: Making the outdoors accessible
Crossposted from King County Parks This spring, the Healthy Communities and Parks Fund (Tier 1), awarded nearly $200,000 total to 14 different organizations working to improve access to parks, open space, and recreation in underserved communities of King County. One of those organizations is Needs of the Community (NOC) Society, who received almost $15,000 to provide free and accessible travel opportunities for young adults with medical illnesses and disabilities through their Camp Without Borders program. Read more.
Reminder of required training: We Are Racially Just: Our King County Values at work
To reach our True North – a welcoming community where every person can thrive – we must achieve racial justice. “We Are Racially Just” is a core value of King County. Through personal testimonies from King County employees, the We Are Racially Just: Our King County Values at Work eLearning course explores what it means to be racially just and helps to familiarize employees with King County’s Pro-Equity and Anti-Racist actions and identify behaviors that can support these actions at work. This training helps to ensure that each of us understands what it means to be… Read More
Kaiser Permanente and unions reach tentative agreement
Kaiser Permanente and the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions which represents their employees recently announced they reached a tentative national agreement. The Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions has withdrawn their notices of a potential strike and there should be no disruption in services King County employees receive from Kaiser Permanente providers and facilities. For more information, please call Kaiser Permanente Washington at 800-297-6877, or contact the King County Benefits team at 206-684-1556 or email KC Benefits.
King County’s Ruth Woo Emerging Leaders Fellowship: Empowering tomorrow’s public service leaders
We are excited to introduce the 2023-2024 Ruth Woo Emerging Leaders Fellows. The Ruth Woo Emerging Leaders Fellowship offers a unique one-year, paid fellowship and is dedicated to nurturing the next wave of public service leaders. Inspired by Ruth Woo, a dedicated advocate of public service and mentor to elected officials, the Fellowship provides immersive experiences across various County departments. Fellows will actively contribute to projects aligned with King County’s core values of equity, social justice, and community well-being, engaging in tasks ranging from supporting government initiatives and strategic planning to tracking… Read More
Support humanitarian efforts in the Middle East during the Annual Giving Drive
The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has resulted in a dire humanitarian crisis in the Middle East. Thousands of lives have been lost, and many more people have been injured and displaced. Many nonprofit organizations were already on the ground providing aid, and more still are working to ensure immediate and long-term humanitarian aid for Israel, Gaza, and the surrounding region. When people are in need anywhere in the world, employees want to help. The King County Employee Giving Program has several nonprofits in the program that are responding. Both short-term and… Read More
Learn about 2024 benefits before Open Enrollment
Take the time to review your benefit choices before Open Enrollment, Nov. 1-15. The following benefit changes become effective for all employee benefit groups on Jan. 1, 2024: KingCare PPO and KingCare Select (Regence BlueShield) medical plans: The PrudentRx program will be offered by CVS to members who take specialty drugs. If you enroll in PrudentRx, you will pay $0 for eligible specialty medications. If you do not enroll, you will pay 30% coinsurance for specialty medications. PrudentRx representatives will contact all eligible employees to enroll. The CVS Cost Saver program will… Read More
Five questions with Lauren Orichio, Supported Employment Program Manager
1. What is your role at King County and when did you start? I started at King County on Sept. 18 as the Supported Employment Program Manager. The goal of the Supported Employment Program is to create employment opportunities for individuals with developmental disabilities within King County Government. In doing so, we get closer to having a workforce that reflects the community we serve. 2. What is your background in supported employment? I was a special education teacher in Seattle Public Schools before joining PROVAIL, a multi-service agency supporting individuals with developmental… Read More
Upcoming employee COVID-19 and flu vaccine clinics
King County is hosting two onsite clinics where employees can get vaccinated against both COVID-19 and the flu. Employees can register for one of the two clinics offering both COVID-19 and flu vaccines scheduled for November. This is the new 2023 monovalent COVID-19 vaccination targeting the XBB 1.5 strain of COVID-19. Learn more and register here.
Helping King County’s older adults prepare for emergencies
Crossposted from Cultivating Connections Every September organizations and local governments across the country observe National Preparedness Month to raise awareness about the importance of preparing for disasters and emergencies that could happen at any time. This year, the nationwide theme “Take Control in 1, 2, 3” focuses on preparing older adults for disasters, specifically older adults from communities that are disproportionally impacted by hazardous events. To learn more about the Department of Community and Human Services‘ (DCHS) work to prepare older adults for emergencies in King County, Taylor Gaston, the Veterans, Seniors and Human… Read More
Annual Giving Drive: Reasons five through seven to give
The Annual Giving Drive is in full swing so we want to share reasons five, six, and seven on why you should participate. October includes a variety of important national and global causes dedicated to raising awareness and support. Among many of them are World Mental Health Day, Latinx/Hispanic Heritage Month, and Disability Employment Awareness Month. There are several organizations in the Employee Giving Program that are leading in these areas, and we’ve highlighted a few in our most recent blog. We look forward to sharing more about the amazing non-profits throughout the drive… Read More
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