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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
Help us recruit your next teammate to King County
Have you noticed some of the new outreach and marketing being done to attract candidates to King County? There is a small, creative team within the Department of Human Resources’ Talent Acquisition team who are creating tools to support centralized outreach and marketing. Some of those tools include social media blocks that we released for Mental Health Awareness Month, which you may have seen online. The team’s efforts were designed to bring visibility and voice to county-wide recruitment with coordinated messaging at no cost to departments. Examples include advertising on El Rey radio in February… Read More
Are you one of our 38,000 LinkedIn followers?
More than 38,000 King County employees, residents, and job seekers are getting up-to-date news and information, job opportunities, trainings, employee spotlights, and more by following King County on LinkedIn. Are you one of them? To follow King County on LinkedIn, go to the King County company page and click “follow” (you will need to create a LinkedIn account if you do not have one). You can also get employee news and information by following us on these platforms: Accessing Employee News is an acceptable use of IT assets.
Tech Tip: Multi-factor Authentication
What is it? Multi-factor Authentication (MFA) is the process of verifying that you are who you claim to be when logging in to a device or an account. If you’re reading this from your work computer, you probably logged in to your computer – that’s single-factor authentication. But single-factor authentication is no longer enough to keep your accounts secure. Learn more below about the various ways you can digitally-authenticate your identity. Understanding the types of identity claim factors: Something you own. This is using a mobile phone or device that you have… Read More
Social Services on ‘portrait mode’
“King County has a lot of services that can help people. Maybe other employees are veterans or have relatives who are. If they need help or have questions about the program, I’m always open,” Anh Tran says. Following several iterations of what is now known as the Veterans, Seniors & Human Services Levy (VSHSL), veterans and their family members can access housing, connect to mental health counselors, and get help navigating a complex system. King County defines veteran differently than other agencies, allowing Social Service Professionals like Anh to provide lower-barrier services to… Read More
Angela Toussaint receives 2022 Individual Contributor Award
DAJD Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Manager Angela Toussaint has been honored with the Individual Contributor Award, one of King County Executive’s Performance Excellence Awards which highlights an individual contributor who does not directly manage staff. The Individual Contributor Award is one of three Leadership Excellence Awards honoring King County leaders who embody the Executive Branch values and drive for results that make King County better for employees and customers, and move King County closer to its True North: Making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive. View the award announcement and watch… Read More
Supporting LGBTQ+ Youth Mental Health on Vashon Island
Cross-posted from Cultivating Connections Young people across King County and the country are facing increasingly difficult mental health challenges. Young people who are in underserved communities, including LGBTQ+ and BIPOC young people, face even steeper challenges. According to King County’s Healthy Youth Survey, LGBTQ+ young people have an urgent need for mental health supports, with higher rates of suicidal ideation and attempts, and depression. King County is working with community partners to meet LGBTQ+ youth with needed resources, through programs that prioritize culturally relevant supports. Read more.
Transforming transit for a greener tomorrow
Cross-posted from Metro Matters Every week, more than one million people use King County Metro‘s buses, on-demand services, paratransit vans, water taxis and other modes to get to where they need to go. Metro serves 37 cities in Washington state, including Seattle, and a county with a population that’s greater than 15 U.S. states. Metro is proud to be an industry leader in how we deliver our service sustainably. Our transition to a zero-emission fleet powered by renewable energy is part of King County’s holistic approach to combat climate change. We are on track… Read More
Executive Constantine appoints Marissa Aho as new Director of Climate Office
King County Executive Dow Constantine has appointed Marissa Aho – a highly experienced leader in climate action and resilience planning – to serve as Climate Director, overseeing King County’s work to address climate change and advance its Strategic Climate Action Plan. “Marissa has an exceptional background to lead King County’s Executive Climate Office, bringing with her nearly a decade of expertise in strategy and policy planning around climate action, environmental justice, resilience, and sustainability,” said Executive Constantine. “We look forward to her leadership as King County continues investing in solutions and taking… Read More
Executive Constantine announces changes to Senior Leadership Team
King County Executive Dow Constantine announced the upcoming departure of Deputy Executive April Putney and the appointments of Shannon Braddock as Deputy Executive and Karan Gill as Chief of Staff. Shannon, the current Chief of Staff, and Karan, the Deputy Chief of Staff, have decades of experience between them in policy, strategy, and government and community relations in our region. “I would like to thank April for her service to King County as she prepares to depart next month for an exciting new opportunity outside of government,” Executive Contantine said. Read more.
White Center Teen Program celebrates 30 years
Cross-posted from King County Parks The White Center Teen Program will celebrate its 30-year anniversary on June 30. The program, based out of the Log Cabin at Steve Cox Memorial Park, exists to create a space for young people to come together and build friendships in a safe space. Through discovering new activities and hobbies, teens build community together, practice leadership, and cultivate a sense of belonging. Read more.
Sean Catanese named 2023 Public Risk Manager of the Year
Cross-posted from DES Express Sean Catanese, Enterprise Risk Management Program Manager, has been named the 2023 Public Risk Manager of the Year by the Public Risk Management Association (PRIMA). Catanese received the award at the PRIMA 23 conference in Long Beach, California. The award honors “the grand master of risk management — the one with the ability to handle losses, foresee risks and mitigate dangerous outcomes,” PRIMA stated in the award announcement. Read more.
Learn to identify plants
Cross-posted from Noxious Weed News If you’re looking at a new plant and not sure where to start with identifying it, the internet is your friend. Whether you’re looking in a park, on a trail, or in your own backyard, we can provide some tips to help you figure out what plant you’re looking at. Before you get started with some plant identification specific applications, it will be helpful to become familiar with some useful plant terms. Read more.
Look inside the giant new tunnel that will improve water quality in Seattle’s Ship Canal
The famed “MudHoney” drill, Seattle’s latest celebrity boring machine, has finished its 100-foot-deep tunnel-boring job. It recently broke through its destination at a shaft in Wallingford, completing a 2.7-mile journey from Ballard along the Lake Washington Ship Canal. The work took 21 months at a pace of about 50-feet a day. This is a major milestone in a multi-year project to construct a tunnel and pump system that will improve water quality for the benefit of people and wildlife. Read more.
Keeping children safe during the wildfire season
Cross-posted from Best Starts for Kids With rising temperatures and dryer conditions, the 2023 wildfire season is expected to start early in King County and last into the fall. Wildfire smoke is unhealthy for everyone, especially after heavy exercise or spending long periods of time outside. Children are more sensitive to heat and wildfire smoke than adults because their lungs and bodies are still growing. In preparation for wildfire season, Public Health has put together recommendations to help protect children from smoke and unhealthy air. Read more.
Addressing inequalities in LGBTQ+ cancer screening coverage in King County
Cross-posted from Public Health Insider While we are fortunate to live in a top-ranked state for LGBTQ+ equality, LGBTQ+ communities have long faced misunderstanding and stigma due to limited healthcare access. In addition, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) who are LGBTQ+ face extra challenges receiving equitable care due to systematic segregation, lack of access, and exclusion. There is also evidence that many LGBTQ+ individuals are likelier to experience inadequate and poor care because of potential bias and lack of knowledge from health providers. Increasing awareness of cancer screenings is crucial and will ensure… Read More
Executive Constantine responds to US Supreme Court affirmative action decision
King County Executive Dow Constantine released a statement today on the Supreme Court’s ruling on affirmative action in college admissions. “Allowing disparities rooted in racism to persist is a choice,” Executive Constantine said. “When we ignore that fact, as the court did today, we perpetuate the ugliest aspects of our nation’s past and present. The better future we all want is built on a foundation of pluralism, diverse perspectives, and abundant, shared opportunity, and America will not be able to reach its potential until we directly confront and defeat discrimination and bias —… Read More
Independence Day holiday is Tuesday, July 4
Tuesday, July 4 is Independence Day, which means that King County government offices will be closed. All offices will be back on schedule Wednesday, July 5. On July 4, most Metro Transit buses will operate on Sunday schedules with extra late-night services. There will not be an Employee Newsletter published on July 4. If you have questions about your holiday schedule, please speak to your supervisor. Have a safe and healthy holiday.
Emerald Downs racetrack discounts for employees July 9
King County employees and their families are invited to attend the Emerald Downs racetrack for King County Day on Sunday, July 9 for free admission. Employees can pick up tickets at will call, and there is no need to reserve. There is also no limit, as long as the entire party arrives together. Employees will need to show proof of current employment, such as an employee badge or recent paystub. Please contact Emerald Downs directly for more information. Their customer service number is: 253-288-7711. As part of the Family Fun Weekend event, gates open… Read More
WA Cares Fund deduction to show on July 6 paystub
The mandatory payroll tax for the state’s new WA Cares Fund long-term care insurance program will begin on your July 6 paycheck. The premium is 0.58% of gross wages (58 cents per $100). The initial maximum value of the benefit will be $36,500 (adjusted annually for inflation). The WA Cares Fund deduction will appear on your paystub, as shown below, in the Taxes section under the description “WA LTC/EE.” Note, also in this section are deductions for Washington’s mandatory Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) program, which began in 2019. PFML deductions… Read More
Sun safety tips
As we all know, our region does not get year-round sun. It seems like every year when summer arrives, we rush outside to get the much-needed sun we’ve been missing. Whether you are enjoying your summer activities or exposed to sun during your workday, don’t forget to follow these sun safety tips to keep you cool and safe: Wear sunscreen: No matter your skin type, sunscreen helps protect you from damage caused by UV rays. Cover all exposed areas of your body with an SPF 30 or higher sunscreen. Wear appropriate clothing: Choose lightweight,… Read More
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