Employee Spotlight
The goal of the Employee Spotlight Series is to highlight the exceptional work that our teams are doing every day for our residents. It is also intended to educate our staff about the various programs and departments we provide within the County. For future spotlight suggestions, please get in touch with:
Dawn.Davies@kentcountymi.gov or Phillip.meade@kentcountymi.gov.
Employee Service Awards
We wouldn't be the organization we are today if it wasn't for our dedicated employees. Click here to view the list of employees achieving their 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 years of service.
Congratulations and thank you all for your dedication and service!
Pictured from left to right, our colleagues reaching 25 years of service: Brett Hulliberger- Sheriff Dept., Jennifer Lafler- Friend of the Court, Dawn Davies-Administrator’s Office.
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Welcome to the Team!
We had 17 new colleagues join the Kent County team since last month. We are excited for them to join us and take the first steps in their Kent County careers. If you see a new face in the hallway, please stop and say "hi" and introduce yourself.
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Human Resources
Benefits Open Enrollment 2024
 Just a Reminder:
The 2024 wage increase and annual leave bank accrual will be effective January 8, 2024.
The 2023 leave bank balance may be used through January 7, 2024, which is the end of the pay period before the annual credit of 2024 leave bank accruals.
We just wanted to give you this reminder so that you could plan accordingly.
Kent County Deferred Compensation Plan
A 457(b) Deferred Compensation plan is a powerful tool to help you build the retirement you’ve always envisioned!
Participation in the Kent County Deferred Compensation Plan is voluntary, but in partnership with Kent County’s Defined Benefit Pension Plan, it can prepare you for a well-funded retirement. Eligible employees can enroll in the Deferred Compensation Plan immediately upon employment with Kent County. Enrollment is done directly on Empower’s website. The minimum contribution amount is $25 per pay period and your contribution can be made on a pre-tax or Roth (after-tax) basis. The IRS sets maximum contribution amounts annually. To get started, visit empowermyretirement.com to register as a new member.
If you have any questions or need assistance, our dedicated Retirement Services team is here to help guide you through the enrollment process. Please email us at kcretirement@kentcountymi.gov
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Administrator's Office
If you missed the latest edition of the Administrator's Digest, click here to read the October 16th edition and keep informed of county-wide department happenings.
If you would like to submit an article to the Administrator's Digest or the County Communicator-Employee Newsletter, both newsletters are sent the 1st and 3rd week of the month. Content is due one week before. Please email your submissions to Communications@kentcountymi.gov.
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Department-Wide Group Halloween Contest
A friendly, or should we say, a spooky reminder to start planning for the Halloween Group Costume Competition! The winning team will be determined by a panel of judges. And will receive a traveling trophy and have bragging rights for the year!
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Office of Inclusion
The Kent County Office of Inclusion and the Cultural Insight Council (CIC) welcomes you to join us for the third lunch and learn event of 2023, focused on examining how the factors of addiction, sexual abuse, domestic violence and/or trafficking impact a person’s behavior and quality of life. Please view the image below for more details. To register, please email Dez Mitchell-Garcia at dezirae.mitchell-garcia@kentcountymi.gov.
 Supervisor approval is needed to attend this event, if the program exceeds time allotted for lunch period and travel time.
If you are in need of an accommodation in order to attend this program or have any questions, please contact Dez or Teresa Payne, formerly Teresa Branson.
We hope you can join us! We are offering Inclusion Lunch and Learn events every quarter to continue our journey of advancing cultural intelligence (CQ). To learn more about the Office of Inclusion, CIC, and Upcoming Events check out their intranet sites here:
Inclusion Office - Home (sharepoint.com)
Cultural Insight Council - Home (sharepoint.com)
Cultural Intelligence - CQ (sharepoint.com)
Community Action
Congratulations to Gustavo Perez, Community Action Director on being elected to the Michigan Community Action (MCA) Board of Directors.
MCA is a member service network dedicated to reducing poverty in Michigan.
Thank you for your dedication and committment to our community.
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Sheriff's Office
The National Association of Professional Canine Handlers awarded Deputy Joe McMains & K-9 Jack the Utility Team of the Year for 2022!
Joe and Jack were called to track suspects in thirty-three incidents over nine months. They located twenty-one felony suspects with several being armed. Also, after a vehicle pursuit, four suspects ran away, but three of them were found by this team.
We are very proud of Deputy McMains & K-9 Jack for your dedication along with the rest of the KCSO K-9 Team!
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Veterans Services
Operation Green Light
In the last employee newsletter, we shared information on Operation Green Light (OGL) and how you can get involved with this important and meaningful initiative.
As part of the OGL national initiative, the Board of Commissioners will be presenting a proclamation supporting Operation Green Light for Veterans. We would like to invite employees who are veterans and staff to the board meeting presenting this proclamation on Thursday, November 9, 8:30 a.m. at 300 Monroe, 3rd floor Board Room.
Please obtain permission from your supervisor to attend and note there is limited seating in the board room. The proclamation will be the first item on the agenda. You’re welcome to excuse yourself after the proclamation presentation and return to work.
If you're not able to attend in-person, please consider viewing the live video feed of the proclamation and meeting. Click here for Kent County live stream channel.
If you have any questions, please feel free to email Dawn.Davies@kentcountymi.gov.
Free Well-Being Webinars
High-energy, live weekly webinars provide inspiration and motivation to help you improve your well-being. Click here for a list of wellness webinars.
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Help is just a couple of clicks away. The Employee Assistance Program (Encompass), provides secure and confidential assistance with mental, financial, professional, and physical well-being for all Kent County employees and so much more. Click here to log-in and use our organization’s code to login: kentco.
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