Welcome to the new DES Express
Happy New Year and thanks for reading DES Express. This is the first edition in our new format, designed to be easier for you to skim through and select articles of most interest to read thoroughly. Just click on the "Read more" buttons for the complete stories.
As always, if you have feedback or story ideas, please contact Barbara Ramey. Thanks!
Marina Sebright selected as Henry M. Jackson Foundation fellow
Marina Sebright, Data and Analytics Manager for DES, is participating in the Henry M. Jackson Leadership Fellows Program this year for civic-minded leaders under age 40. The nine-month program is named after one of the most successful leaders in American public service. Senator Henry M. “Scoop” Jackson was well known and respected for mentoring generations of young men and women into political and civic leadership.
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Welcome new DES employees
Several new employees joined the Department of Executive Services in December. Welcome!
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From professional chef to heavy-duty field mechanic:
A ride-along with Brian Becker
(Editor’s note: I recently went on a half day ride-along with a Fleet Services field mechanic. These are some impressions.)
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Brian Becker spent the first 16 years of his career as a professional chef. Now he’s got nearly that much experience as a mechanic. Becker sees many similarities between the two careers. Plus, his dad was a mechanic and he grew up tinkering with cars, so it seemed like a natural transition.
Becker has been a heavy-duty mechanic at Fleet Services for about four years, and is one of six field mechanics there. His job is to service all sorts of vehicles and equipment at the wastewater treatment plants at West Point, South (in Renton) and Vashon Island, as well as respond to “road calls,” emergencies that come up. He’s also a backup mechanic for King County International Airport – Boeing Field.
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Emilia Jones completes FEMA Basic Academy
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Emilia Jones, Recovery Program Specialist at Emergency Management, recently completed the FEMA National Emergency Management Basic Academy. The 120-hour long Basic Academy includes five courses that cover fundamentals of emergency management, science of disaster, planning and emergency operations, the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program, and public information basics. The Basic Academy was held at the Emergency Management Institute in Emmitsburg, Maryland and provided a valuable opportunity to network with emergency management professionals from around the country.
Congratulations, Emilia!
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Christine Oh named new director of Risk Management
Christine Oh has been selected as the new director of the Office of Risk Management Services (ORMS) in the Department of Executive Services (DES). She began her new position on December 24.
“Christine has the experience, professionalism and management skills to lead the Office of Risk Management Services into the future,” said Caroline Whalen, director of DES. “She brings both continuity and a new perspective to the county’s nationally recognized program.”
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Officer Shepherd recognized in The Seattle Times
It's not every day members of the public take the time to thank employees for their good work. Someone did recently, recognizing Animal Control Officer Dominique Shepherd for helping with an aggressive dog. Someone wrote to the Times' Rant and Rave column:
"RAVE to Bruce at King County Parks and Officer Shepherd from Regional Animal Services of King County who quickly responded to an aggressive dog issue. Many people who are affected appreciate their dedication and efficiency."
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Top Express stories of 2022
Thank you, readers of the DES Express! The new year brings an opportunity to look back to see where we’ve been. With your story ideas, we covered a wide range of topics involving the department’s divisions and offices. The top two stories were both feature-length, so we won’t shy away from longer stories when it makes sense. Many of the top stories focused or incorporated equity and social justice topics. That’s not surprising, since that is a high priority for DES and the county, and is an intentional focus of this publication as well.
Here’s a list of the top 10 stories in 2022, which, due to a tie, total 11.
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DES employees share their learnings from Facing Race
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On January 10, several Department of Executive Services employees shared highlights from Facing Race, the largest multiracial, inter-generational conference in the nation for organizers, educators, creatives and other leaders. Cecelia Hayes, senior practitioner of equity and social justice for DES, kicked off the meeting by sharing an overview of the conference. About 3,500 people attended the conference nationwide, both in-person and virtually. Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, historian and bestselling author, was a keynote speaker. |
DES plays key role in severe weather response
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The Department of Executive Services regularly helps King County stay operational during severe weather, as safely as possible. During the severe cold and ice that hit in late December, DES agencies, including the Office of Emergency Management and Facilities Management Division, helped senior county leaders make a rare decision: close county buildings and suspend most services for a day. |
Facilities Management recognizes BOS employees
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The Facilities Management Division's Building Operations Services (BOS) leadership would like to recognize the commendable efforts of these employees during the recent severe winter weather:
- Utility Maintenance Workers IIs: Glen Brown, Kevin Roberson, Rick Bonaventura, Eric Smith, Swayze Guerrero, Sergio Juarez, Gabe Serna, Dave Hefa, Petelo Pupungatoa; Supervisor: Teia Tuifua.
- Electricians: Alex Sanchez, Gary Clements.
- Engineers: Mark Naanes, Alrawe Mazin, Daniel Rios-Vergara; Foreman: Don Jones, Keith Skinner.
- Facilities maintenance constructor: Pepe Kang
- Custodians: Eva Pupungatoa, Van Luong, Jose Reynaga, Albert Cariaga, Ruth Doboyou, Mike Taylor.
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EBS changes name to Financials and Procurement Solutions
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Submitted by the FPS Team, Business Resource Center
We are excited to announce that the “EBS” team is officially changing our name to “Financials and Procurement Solutions” or “FPS."
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DES-related headlines make it into county’s top 22 of 2022
One of the department's key accomplishments of 2022 was highlighted in Executive Constantine's Top 22 Accomplishments of 2022. Thanks to leadership by the Finance and Business Operations Division, pro-equity contracting is projected to generate $1.6 million more to Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprises (MWBE) construction and consulting services in 2022. Watch the video below.
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Emergency Management partnerships keep fighting COVID
For the past two years, the Emergency Management COVID Logistics Team has been hosting monthly events in different parts of the county to distribute free disinfecting wipes, hand sanitizers, and COVID test kits. On December 11, they took it to a new level, working with the Seahawks and Lumen Field, to distribute supplies after the football game. Emergency Management staff, along with folks from Public Health – Seattle & King County, distributed more than 4,000 bottles of hand sanitizer, 900 packages of disinfecting wipes, and over 4,300 test kits in three hours. The Seahawk 12s were grateful for the items, and despite the loss, left with appreciative smiles.
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FMD celebrates the holidays
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The Facilities Management Division issued service awards, served a tasty buffet and even included live entertainment at their year-end celebration last month!
Check out all the fun photos.
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