King County is the nation’s first local government to offer a certified carbon credit program that protects local forests
King County is the nation’s first local government to offer a certified carbon credit program that protects local forests.
The county’s new Forest Carbon Program offers local companies the opportunity to offset a portion of their carbon emissions within King County where their employees and their families can explore and enjoy the protected forests in both urban and rural communities.
“We are making it possible for local companies to help us protect forests, confront climate change, and promote healthy habitat right here where their employees live, work, and play,” said Executive Constantine. “Our first-of-its-kind carbon credit program has the potential to be a national model for public-private partnerships that improve the quality of life for people and wildlife in their own backyards.” Read more in the official press release.
|
Employee takes passion for equity and social justice beyond King County
Lily Clifton joined King County to provide administrative support to Deputy County Executive Rachel Smith and the Executive’s Senior Leadership and Government Relations team, while being part of an organization that can make a difference in her community, but her passion for equity and social justice is helping her make a difference beyond her County position.
“I have worked in public service, campaign, and nonprofit roles for years,” said Lily. “I was really excited to come work at the County and learn more about regional government.”
Since starting in January, Lily has participated in the annual Point in Time Count of people experiencing homelessness, assisted with the organization of the Executive’s State of the County address, and has been learning about the County’s work on the 2020 Census. Read more.
Pictured: Lily with other members of the Washington State School for the Blind Board of Trustees.
|
Daw to manage external relations for Department of Local Services
David Daw has joined the Department of Local Services, where he will lead the new department’s efforts to engage and collaborate with King County’s unincorporated communities.
A Seattle native, David attended Evergreen State College in Olympia and studied economic development abroad in both Central America and Africa. After earning a bachelor’s degree focused on public administration and intercultural communication, he returned to Seattle. With a friend, he co-founded The Initiative Newspaper, which ran stories about positive community action and provided resources and information about the local African-American community. Read more.
|
Celebrating King County Sheriff's Explorers
On Tuesday, May 14, King County Sheriff’s Office held a banquet honoring their Explorers,
a program for young people in our community with an interest in law enforcement. This banquet was for Explorers representing Burien, SeaTac, Maple Valley, King County Sheriff’s Office, and Sammamish.
The Explorers Program is an opportunity for young adults, ages 14-20, to learn more about law enforcement by meeting commissioned officers who serve as program advisors. Each participant spends time learning about different careers in law enforcement and the skills needed to be successful in a variety of branches. The program has been proven to prepare young adults for their career in law enforcement, with many former members becoming law enforcement officers themselves or going on to join the military.
Learn more about the program and how we can recognize these young people for their accomplishments in the video below.
Let’s talk about it: Mental Health, May events
May is Mental Health Awareness month, an important time to learn more about mental health, change the conversation and understand the resources available whether you’re looking to support yourself, colleagues or loved ones.
Let’s work together to open up the conversation around mental health here in King County. Throughout the year, Balanced You will partner with several groups to organize, promote or support discussions around the County. Below are a few partner events taking place later this month. Please note: additional opportunities are in the works. Look for more information soon or contact us with your ideas.
-
Mental Health 101, Monday, May 20 from 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m., Administration Building, 5th Floor Training Room
-
Mental Health Accommodations, Wednesday, May 29 from 10 – 11:30 a.m., Administration Building, 5th Floor Training Room
-
Mental Health Awareness Lunch & Learn, Wednesday, May 29 from noon to 1 p.m., King Street Center, 4th Floor General Manager’s Room
|
Toastmasters Open House, May 16
Join Toastmasters for an open house to gain confidence and find your voice. Toastmasters is an international organization that provides both communication and leadership development opportunities for County employees. This event is free and open to the public. Visitors should check-in at the 7th floor reception area and follow signs to the Tipping Floor conference room. There will be an overview of the club and the new Pathways program, an online learning tool tailored to individual goals. Raffle prizes and light snacks provided. No RSVP required. For questions, email swdtt.clubcontact@gmail.com.
-
Thursday, May 16, from 12:10 – 1 p.m., King Street Center, 201 South Jackson Street, Seventh Floor, Tipping Floor conference room
|
Bike Show, May 22
In support of Bike Everywhere Month, we will be hosting a Bike Show on Wednesday, May 22 from 2-3:30 p.m. in Chinook, Rooms 121 and 123. Join us for a chance to ask your colleagues how they make bike commuting work for them. There will be a variety of bike set ups to check out. For more information contact Heather Eliason at Heather.Eliason@kingcounty.gov.
|
New and Improved Engagement Survey Report Saves Nearly 70 Trees!
Say goodbye to the days of printing out 100+ page engagement reports! Based on your feedback, this year the County made the shift to a new engagement survey vendor, Confirmit. Part of the many perks of Confirmit was the ability to view engagement results electronically, rather than paging through hundreds of pages of a PDF. Now, instead of struggling to flip through pages of tables, users will have the ability to interact with electronic tiles like a dashboard. Managers and supervisors will have access to the online tool, and reports at the Department and Division level will continue to be available on the intranet.
Making this shift to online reports saves approximately half a million pages of paper from being printed each year – and that’s a conservative estimate!
In all of our work, we try to be responsible stewards and do our part to protect our environment – it’s one of the main things that makes this region special. Making a simple change like going from paper to online can have a substantial impact.
Interested in the numbers?
 Look for the employee survey results coming Tuesday, May 21.
Ready, set, sign ups now open for weekly produce deliveries at work
Spring has sprung! Get ready to stock up on delicious eats, try new recipes and connect with colleagues, all while supporting local farmers.
What? Through the CSA@Work program (Community Supported Agriculture), employees are able to buy local seasonal food (a “share”) from a farmer and receive deliveries right at or near work. Typically, the share consists of a weekly box of vegetables – additional items such as eggs, flowers and fruits are also available.
When? Beginning in late June, CSA@Work will deliver weekly boxes of freshly harvested produce to 10 King County worksites. Each week, you’ll receive recipes, storage tips, and easy preparation ideas to make the most of your box. Deliveries wrap up in late October. Read more.
|
Check out what’s new at City Hall Park
This spring and summer, you can get lunch from a food truck at City Hall Park on the south side of the King County Courthouse. Trucks will be there from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. several days a week, including LT’s Famous BBQ tomorrow, Odin Star burgers and sandwiches Friday, and Cheesesteak Madness on Monday.
Haven’t been to City Hall Park lately? Check out the new colorful Adirondack chairs and music from the “Busker of the Day.” Depending on the day, a food truck will offer barbeque, cheesesteaks, burgers, sandwiches, or Native cuisine. Some offer vegetarian, vegan, paleo, and gluten-free options. For a complete schedule and menus, go to
www.seattlefoodtruck.com and enter “Pioneer Square” in the location tab. Read more.
|
Did you know you had this benefit? Mentorship Program
King County offers a Mentoring Program designed to provide employees the opportunity to develop beneficial and rewarding partnerships that encourage professional and personal development in powerful ways. Mentoring allows a mentee to build a relationship with a trusted advisor who can help them explore career options and develop future goals in a safe space. Being a mentor can improve coaching skills, build influence and contribute to the success of the County. Learn more at www.kingcounty.gov/mentoring.
Kudos! Employee provides exceptional customer service
The following kudos was received from a customer in praise of Tiffany Frank, Customer Service Specialist III, Records and Licensing Services, with the Department of Executive Services (DES).
“I would like to thank miss beautiful lady Tiffany Frank for her outstanding performance on Monday, April 29, 2019. She was warm, kind, pleasant, knowledgeable and professional when an old Asian woman needed help getting an auto title which we lost and miss Tiffany rewrote an ‘Affidavit of Loss/Release of Interest’ for me even though she was very busy. I would like to share this with you.”
Kudos Tiffany for delivering excellent service!
Training Spotlight
KC eLearning: With thousands of courses, videos, and books, there's bound to be something to spark your learning. Build your knowledge and increase your skills with free 24/7 access to KC eLearning. Employees with @kingcounty.gov email address can login with their email/network credentials, and employees who do not have an email address can log into their accounts using their PeopleSoft ID number. For more information about signing in, accessing KC eLearning via the mobile app, popular trainings and other eLearning opportunities, visit the KC eLearning webpage.
Tech Tip: Working remotely
How to access the training:
To start your Cyber Security Awareness Training please login at:
Your account for Securing the Human:
-
Username: King County email address
-
Password: King County email password
Pet of the Week: Franco
Looking for an energetic, free-spirited companion? Look no further than Franco, our Pet of the Week!
This six-year-old American Bulldog mix is a genuinely happy boy who is eager to please. He always has a big grin on his face and his happiness is contagious! Franco is an active boy, so he’s one of our “Rambunctious Red” personality pets. Read more.
|
Featured Job: Transportation Planner III
Salary: $86,344.54 - $109,446.48 Annually
Job Type: Career Service, Full Time, 40 hrs/week
Department: DLS - Local Services
Closing: 5/22/2019 11:59 PM Pacific
Are you an energized and experienced planner with a strategic mindset? Do you value collaboration, communication and high performance planning outcomes? Do you enjoy leading interdisciplinary teams to the finish line? Are you interested in managing a diverse portfolio of analytic, project and program responsibilities? The King County Road Services Division of the Department of Local Services is recruiting for a Senior Planner to join its Planning, Policy, Grants and Real Property Unit. This is an outstanding opportunity for a high performing individual to join a collaborative team. Our group enjoys a diverse array of colleagues within and outside of King County government. The unit's diverse responsibilities include: Lean/performance management; business planning; operating the division's grant program; preparation of transportation planning products such as the county's Transportation Needs Report; division-wide coordination of activities that align with county-wide priorities including Best Run Government, King County's Strategic Climate Action Plan, and King County's Equity and Social Justice Plan; complex special project management; provision of real property services, and more.
KC Headlines
Interested in sharing a news story, or have a news tip? Click here to submit an item to Employee News. For questions or suggestions, please contact KCEmployees@kingcounty.gov.
|
