Featured Headlines
Clean energy projects bring $5.2 million in savings for WTD
Balanced You attends the Healthy Worksite Summit
Let the world class KCSO Motorcycle Unit take you for a spin
Meet the SCOPE Team, connecting services directly to your community
News
Uprooted and transplanted, Max and his trees find new homes
Crossposted from Clean Water Stories from King County People from around the world have found themselves calling King County home, with only an estimated three in 10 Seattle area adults born in Washington. One of these Seattle transplants is Max Solis, who uprooted from Los Angeles in 2019. “I felt like I was in the wrong place, like there was no future for me in California,” Max says. “I really feel like I’ve found my place in Seattle.” It should be of no surprise then to learn that Max has found himself looking over his… Read More
Growing people power rooted in community love
From the American Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pasifika Affinity Group “King County is centering people and their experiences to help inform what shapes our strategies, which shape our policies, funding, procurements, and allows true impact in communities being able to create their own resource building,” Amy Pak (she/her) says. “We have incredible leaders. There’s so much knowledge, skill, and power within the community.” Inaccessible, exclusionary practices and a history of systemic racism and inequity obstruct the pathways for grassroots, Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), immigrant and refugee communities to access needed services…. Read More
Labor Day holiday is Monday, Sept. 4
Monday, Sept. 4 is Labor Day, which means that King County government offices will be closed. All offices will be back on schedule Tuesday, Sept. 5. On Sept. 4, most Metro Transit buses will operate on Sunday schedules. If you have questions about your holiday schedule, please speak to your supervisor. Have a safe and healthy holiday.
Animal Services hosts free vet clinic
Crossposted from the DES Express Washington Health Outreach and The Ellevet Project teamed up at Regional Animal Services of King County (RASKC) headquarters in Kent recently to provide free veterinary care for pet owners facing financial hardship. “It went really well,” said Anna Ludwig, board pre
Thunder Run uses KCIA as western hub for the first time
Crossposted from the DES Express King County International Airport – Boeing Field (KCIA) supported Thunder Run, an emergency exercise managed by a consortium of volunteer pilots and other groups, for the first time last month. KCIA served as one of the hubs west of the Cascade Mountains for the drill, which involved folks from all over Washington and Oregon. Read more.
Ernest Kandilige appointed permanent Metro Deputy General Manager
Crossposted from Metro Matters Since the beginning of the year, Ernest Kandilige has been serving as Metro’s Interim Deputy General Manager. Starting today, I’m delighted to share that we will no longer need “Interim” in his title, as I have officially appointed Ernest as Metro’s Deputy General Manager. As Deputy General Manager, Ernest is focused on supporting Metro operations in Vehicle Maintenance, Bus Operations, Transit Facilities, Safety and Security, Marine and Rail. I am confident in the leadership that Ernest brings and know how deeply he cares about the role Metro plays… Read More
New public website, www.KingCounty.gov, now live
King County has successfully transitioned our public website (kingcounty.gov) to a new platform! The new website provides a user-centered experience with information that is easier to find, navigate, and understand. The site features a modern design and simplified organization that reflects current best practices. Universal templates offer consistent experiences across departments and encourage “plain language” content written for 5th-8th grade reading levels. Thank you for your patience while we settle into this new and exciting online space! Here’s what you can expect: Be prepared for customer questions. Online visitors will see the new King… Read More
Tips for clean air indoors on smoky days: A Public Health comic
Crossposted from Public Health Insider When it’s smoky out, it’s important to do all you can to keep indoor air clean. Check out these tips from our crafter’s corner and don’t forget to visit www.kingcounty.gov/wildfiresmoke for more tips and resources. More information about protecting your health from wildfire smoke, including how to make a DIY box fan filter is at www.kingcounty.gov/wildfire smoke. View the entire comic here.
Employees, others get an opportunity to test out “zippy” electric vehicles
Crossposted from the DES Express Fleet Services recently hosted their first “Ride and Drive” event focused solely on light duty electric vehicles, the kind you might drive at work or home one day (or already!). The goal was to provide information and opportunities for King County employees and folks from other agencies to try out electric vehicles, enticing them to consider using them when more become available. Attendees met first to hear presentations from electric auto makers. “Ford, Volvo and Mack Trucks all focused on their vehicle electrification programs, what’s available and… Read More
Kelsey Urban gets a birds-eye view of the county’s potential risks
Crossposted from the DES Express When your job is to help manage risk for King County, it’s critical to understand what those potential risks are. So, when an opportunity came to get a birds-eye view during a routine King County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) helicopter flight, Kelsey Urban, the new Deputy Director of the Office of Risk Management Services, jumped at the chance. Brendan McCluskey, Director of Emergency Management, joined in to provide an emergency management perspective. Read more.
Voters renew Veterans, Seniors and Human Services Levy—continuing nearly two decades of successes
King County voters approved the Veterans, Seniors and Human Services Levy for the fourth time, ensuring that veterans, seniors, and resilient communities can continue to access a broad range of programs and services in King County. Read more in the official press release.
State retirement plan contributions change Sept. 1, 2023
Employer contribution rates for some of the following retirement plans will change on Sept. 1, 2023, as approved by the State Legislature. The state Pension Funding Council adjusts contribution rates, as needed, to fund the retirement benefits earned by members. The PERS employer rate will change to 9.53% for all PERS plans. You will see the new employer contribution amounts under employer-paid benefits on your paystub beginning Sept. 14, 2023. More information is available on the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems (DRS) website. If you have any questions about the rate… Read More
New Racially Just training for all Executive branch employees
Dear fellow King County employee, One of our core values is “We are racially just.” This means that we work purposefully and intentionally against racism and discrimination, and toward equity for all by building anti-racist and pro-equity approaches into our work, our policies, our budgeting, and our trainings. It means that we make racial justice a central part of how we work and act as King County employees. That is why we have launched a new training: We Are Racially Just: Our King County Values at Work. This training will help to… Read More
Take care in hot temperatures
The hotter than normal weather we’re experiencing this week can take a toll on our mental and physical health so it’s important to take care of ourselves, our loved ones, and our furry friends. With the National Weather Service’s Heat Advisory for our area now extended until Thursday, Aug. 17 at 11 p.m., here are some tips from Public Health – Seattle & King County to help you manage the heat. Learn more.
Website migration starts Monday, Aug. 21 – what to expect
Starting Monday, Aug. 21, King County will begin transitioning our public website (kingcounty.gov) to a new platform. While website migration is underway, site visitors may experience brief, occasional errors. This process is expected to be completed by Wednesday, Aug. 23. KCIT is working with departments’ Web Content Manager(s) to ensure a smooth transition with minimal disruptions, but you can help: Be prepared for customer questions. After the transition, online visitors will see the new King County homepage and your department’s new webpages. Your webpages will look different, and customers may need help navigating to… Read More
KCIA hosts Blue Angels for Seafair weekend
Crossposted from DES Express The U.S. Navy Blue Angels roared in and out of King County International Airport for this year’s Boeing Seafair Airshow, held Aug. 4 – Aug. 6. The Blue Angels were parked on the airport’s main terminal ramp again this year, making for a close-up show for airport employees and others at the terminal. Read more.
Employee Engagement for the Equity and Social Justice Strategic Plan Continues Aug. 28 – Sept. 13
Employees who opted-in to Identity-Based Affinity Spaces should have received a calendar invite for their Affinity Space’s second meeting, which are scheduled to take place between Aug. 28 – Sept. 13. Please check your email to ensure you’ve received this calendar invite and seek time approval from your supervisor. Effectively engaging King County employees is a key part of refreshing the Equity and Social Justice Strategic Plan. Earlier this year, employees opted-in to Identity-Based Affinity Spaces, one of the ways the Refresh project will engage with employees. In these meetings, employees will… Read More
Participate in survey to improve the Customer Experience
The Customer Experience (CX) Advisory Committee, comprised of representatives from departments across the county, has developed a survey to learn more about how we are delivering customer service across the enterprise. If customer service, whether external or internal, is a component of your work, please participate in the survey. It takes 10-15 minutes to complete and will be open until Aug. 25. To access the survey, click here. With your participation, we will be able to gain a robust understanding of services we provide to customers, ways we interact with customers, and how we request feedback from… Read More
Caroline Whalen retires after 29 years at King County
Crossposted from DES Express Caroline Whalen, director of the Department of Executive Services since 2010, retires next month after 29 years at King County. Her last day in the office will be Sept. 8. “Working for King County was the best career decision I’ve made,” Whalen said. During her county career, she has written land use code, organized massive rezone mailings along with an associated call center, analyzed legislation, and served as a lead staff for the County Council. She worked her way up to deputy director in the former Department of… Read More
King County Metro’s largest union approves 3-year labor contract with higher salaries and expanded training opportunities
King County Metro and the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 587 have finalized a three-year labor contract that increases wages by approximately 17 percent over the life of the contract. The agreement also includes a lump sum retroactive payment, a retention bonus of $2,500, and a one-time $2,500 ratification signing bonus. The contract shortens the pay step progression and vacation accrual time for part-time transit operators, aligning it with the current policies for full-time employees. Negotiations on the contract started in May 2022, with the parties reaching a tentative agreement this June. 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 