Dear fellow King County employee,

Sometimes things of great value are hidden in plain sight. That was my sense on Tuesday, July 12 when I had the pleasure of a short drop-in to visit with our employees at the Downtown Public Health Clinic at Fourth and Blanchard in Belltown. Despite the short time available, it didn’t take long to see the dedication and hard work of our committed Public Health staff up close. 

The site is actually several clinics in one, with staff and services tailored for the needs of specific communities, including the Refugee Clinic, the Family Health Clinic, the Dental Clinic, and the downtown Needle Exchange program. The clinic is also right on a bus line, providing ease of access for residents and employees.

Meeting county employees and seeing their service to our residents in action is one of the best parts of my job, and I had the pleasure of speaking with several staff members who spend their days or nights caring for some of the most vulnerable people in our community.

King County Executive Dow Constantine has appointed Alex Fryer to serve as his new communications director, effective Aug. 1, 2016.

Fryer has extensive background and experience in both public and private sector communications, most recently as Vice President of Public Affairs for The Fearey Group, a local media and government relations firm.

"Alex Fryer’s exceptional knowledge and expertise in communications, and in community outreach and engagement, will help advance our work on equity and social justice, climate change, regional mobility, implementing our groundbreaking Best Starts for Kids initiative, and continuing to build the best run government in the nation. He will be a great asset and a welcome addition to our team,” said Executive Constantine.

Finding new and better ways to recover threatened salmon species in King County is a top priority of the Water and Land Resources Division of the Department of Natural Resources and Parks.  

Chris Gregersen, an Environmental Scientist who works to monitor projects designed to improve fish habitat, has recently done just that while saving the county about $45,000. 

The Watershed and Ecological Assessment Team use an in-water, fish sampling technique called electrofishing. It’s a process that temporarily stuns fish allowing them to be gathered and evaluated – without being harmed – and then returned to the water. 

Traditionally boats used to do this are often too big, difficult to maneuver, expensive or dangerous for the environment the team works in. They needed something lighter and agile, and began considering building a custom cataraft specifically for King County waterways.  

“Try to stay positive, one day at a time, one trip at a time and enjoy your free time doing whatever makes you happy.” – Vicki Leslie, Metro Transit Operator of the Year

Known for her safe driving, quick wit and ability to brighten the days of her riders and coworkers, bus driver Vicki Leslie today was named King County Metro Transit Operator of the Year.

Metro officials and fellow bus drivers praised Leslie during a surprise ceremony in Bellevue, echoing commendations she received from customers over the years. Leslie has been driving Metro buses since 1981.

“Vicki is an extraordinary employee who gives her very best every day on the job – to her riders and to her co-workers,” said King County Executive Dow Constantine. “She is exceptionally deserving of this recognition, and a great example of how King County provides truly top-notch customer service.”

For more on this story read this King County Metro News Release

At the ceremony, a band also celebrated Vicki with an awesome rendition of Proud Mary, tailored to driving her bus on the east side. View video of the celebration and song here.

Crossposted from Lean in King County 

Lean leaders aren’t always in a position of authority – but they are in a position to influence (as we all are to one degree or another). Regardless of their formal role, Lean leaders are trained to nurture continuous improvement through facilitation and coaching, which can positively impact and promote culture change. 

Employees trained in Lean leadership have learned the comprehensive elements of Lean and the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle. Lean leaders can guide teams through improvement processes and teach them to use Lean tools to build the capability and capacity in agencies and promote a problem-solving culture.

Crossposted from King County WTD

From Gold to Platinum, King County Wastewater Treatment Division is moving up the periodic table!

Each year the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) recognizes member agency facilities for their dedication in maintaining compliance of National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) limits.

All of our plants are receiving awards this year, but we’re especially excited to announce that our Vashon Plant has now moved up the ranks from Gold to Platinum within NACWA’s Peak Performance Awards. The Platinum Awards category recognizes 100% compliance with permits over a consecutive five-year period.

As shared from the DCHS Touching Base Newsletter 

Five weeks into operations, DCHS has made significant strides as it works to implement Coordinated Entry for All (CEA), a regional coordinated entry system to connect those experiencing homelessness to housing and services. CEA aims to reduce barriers to housing for those facing a housing crisis through a standardized assessment tool and coordinated referral and housing placement process.  

In June, King County took over referrals for family and young adult programs, which has been managed by Catholic Community Services and All Home through Family Housing Connection and Youth Housing Connection since 2012. Since the launch of CEA at King County, 141 youth and families have been referred to housing. In addition to working with families and young adults, CEA is now also providing assessments to homeless single adults. Referrals to single adult programs will begin in mid-September after assessments have been conducted county-wide. 

The Third Annual Working with our Troops Career Expo will take place Wednesday, August 10 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Washington State Convention Center, 800 Convention Place, Sixth Floor, Seattle. 

The event is a partnership between the King County Veterans Program, WorkSource Seattle / King County, and the Washington State Convention Center.  

In addition to King County, more than 100 employers will be in attendance - including major corporations, small businesses, and Federal, State, County and City agencies. 

There will also be one-to-one resume writing and review sessions tailored for veterans and military spouses. 

Preregister and view the list of employers on Eventbrite.

Crossposted from DES Express  

King County Elections recently opened a number of new ballot drop boxes at locations all over King County, more than doubling the number of places where citizens can exercise their right to vote. This was a major undertaking, as many of those new boxes needed to be open in time for the August primary election. 

The Facilities Management Division was tasked with installing the drop boxes, which they did in plenty of time for an “unveiling” ceremony in mid-July. Nate Valderas, an administrator for Elections, sent this note to Building Services: 

I wanted to take a quick moment to acknowledge your staff and the assistance they provided to the Department of Elections over the past month. Your crew was instrumental in installing 18 new ballot drop boxes for the voters of King County and we thank them! 

Specifically, I wanted to thank Van Pham, Eric Riedel, and Linda Romanovitch for coordinating with us and call out Dave, Eric, and Mike for their work as well. 

We’ll have another 19 boxes to install in September and we look forward to working together again. 

Thanks! 

Congratulations and kudos to FMD Building Services!