Executive Constantine appoints experienced business leader as Chief Information Officer
Following a nationwide search, King County Executive Dow Constantine today appointed Megan Clarke – a highly experienced and well-regarded business leader – to serve as Chief Information Officer and oversee King County’s Department of Information Technology (KCIT).
Clarke, originally from the Seattle area, brings nearly 20 years of experience in the CIO field including government, higher education, and the arts. Read more.
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County offices closed Nov. 24 and 25
King County government offices will be closed this Thursday, Nov. 24 and Friday, Nov. 25 in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday.
Click here for Metro Transit holiday bus schedules.
If you have questions about your holiday schedule, please speak to your supervisor. Have a safe and healthy holiday.
Note: There will be no Employee Newsletter on Thursday, Nov. 24 due to the holiday.
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Indigenizing leadership, advocacy, and education
Throughout Native American Heritage Month, the Native American Leadership Council in partnership with the Office of Equity and Social Justice are bringing you videos in employee news featuring Indigenous and Native community members, King County employees, youth and elders on the movement to increase awareness of the diverse experiences, culture, stories of struggle and resilience within the Native community.
This week features the youth and elders participating in the Urban Native Education Alliance’s (UNEA) Clear Sky program. The Clear Sky program provides intergenerational opportunities for Native youth and families to strengthen Native identity using cultural knowledge, tools of empowerment, and change strategies that prioritize Native voice. Read more and watch the video.
State-of-the-art stormwater station in Georgetown to protect the Duwamish River and Puget Sound
King County’s new $275 million Georgetown Wet Weather Treatment Station will be ready for crews to operate this rainy season enabling better protection of the Duwamish River and Puget Sound from stormwater pollution during severe rainstorms, which are occurring more frequently due to climate change. Read more and watch the video.
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Cross-posted from Executive Services Express
Harborview Medical Center, the people’s hospital, is undergoing a radical campus-wide modernization.
Owned by King County and operated by University of Washington Medicine, the medical center will experience dynamic improvements over the next 10 years thanks to King County voters who overwhelmingly approved a $1.74 billion capital improvement bond in 2020. Read more.
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Rescue team rigging training at Ravensdale Range
From the King County Sheriff's Office Weekly Newsletter
Recently, a team of deputies, sergeants, and King County Medic One paramedics assigned to the ancillary helicopter rescue team literally hung around at the Ravensdale range for rigging training.
Crewmembers worked on tying and using the standard rigging system to anchor themselves and safely move a patient up and down higher angled terrain. They climbed and rappelled from the training tower to reinforce their rescue skills.
The helicopter rescue team enjoys a robust partnership with colleagues at King County Medic One. This team, along with helicopter hoist rescues, is trained to move patients across varied terrain in normal and snowy conditions. They also train in avalanche rescue and recovery, basic life safety, and assisting Medic One team members with advanced life safety techniques.
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Intuitive eating tips for the holidays
It is common to feel stressed about food and exercise during celebrations, and this often peaks at winter holidays. Balanced You and our colleagues at Public Health want to remind you to be gentle and kind to yourself.
The winter holidays and the new year are a great time to take a look at our assumptions and judgments about food, exercise, and our bodies, and to learn more about Intuitive Eating and making peace with food. During the holidays, you can support yourself and others by:
- Not labeling foods as “good” or “bad”
- Honoring your cravings around food by giving your body and mind what they are asking for
- Offering yourself kindness and self-compassion if you feel uncomfortable after eating
- Redirect conversations about “good” or “bad” food, dieting, or body size. Say, “I’d prefer we didn’t talk about this. Let’s talk about (insert topic – sports, nature, music, art) instead.”
Read more about the principles of intuitive eating on the Balanced You blog.
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Resources to help navigate family conversations about racism
As we look toward gatherings over the holidays and into the future, the Anti-Racist White Action Group offers some resources that may help you with what might be difficult family conversations.
ARWAG is one of the county’s Affinity Groups (also called Employee Resource Groups) that addresses racism and other forms of oppression to advance the county’s equity and social justice goals. Email arwag@kingcounty.gov to join this group, get the meeting notices or for any questions.
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The Anti-Racist White Action Group needs your ideas
The monthly Anti-Racist White Action Group (ARWAG) meeting is on a different date this month due to the holiday. This month, work continues on the Fall Racial Justice Idea Drive, to discuss and prioritize ideas for racial justice projects toundertake and sustain in the coming year.
Talks will also include current events in the news, the body’s response to stress and trauma, and a member’s dilemma related to racism in the workplace.
ARWAG is one of the county’s Affinity Groups (also called Employee Resource Groups) that addresses racism and other forms of oppression to advance the county’s equity and social justice goals. Email arwag@kingcounty.gov to join this group, get the meeting notices or for any questions.
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Balanced You Self-care webinars: Managing Stress During the Holiday Season
The end of the year is a joyous time, and it can also bring on a lot of stress. From the pressure to buy gifts, travel stress, and even remembering loved ones lost, the holiday season brings up a lot of emotions and anxiety.
Join this Balanced You Self-Care webinar as panelists provide some ideas on how to take care of yourself during this time.
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Upcoming Mindfulness Classes
Mindful Parenting - Balanced You partners with Mindfulness Northwest to offer free classes to King County employees. Parenting through mindfulness isn’t about applying techniques or becoming the “perfect parent.” It’s about encountering our children with awareness and presence, starting with awareness of our own experience.
This workshop will bring the lens of mindfulness to bear on what some say is the “world’s hardest job.”
Mindful Leadership 2: Self-aware Leaders are Better - Learn how mindfulness can help you become a more effective and compassionate leader. Leadership isn't just what you say and do, it's who you are and how you relate to others. Explore how blind spots and bias interfere with good leadership and how mindfulness tools like embodiment help protect against assumptions. And shift self-care from the last thing on your to do list to the first as no one leads well when they are depleted.
See the full mindfulness schedule here.
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Take a free pre-diabetes screening with Omada
November is Diabetes Awareness Month and a perfect time to take a quick screening to see if you may be at risk for diabetes. Often, people don't know if they are at risks for diabetes and Omada can help.
Click 'get started' on this webpage to find out more. If you qualify, a professional health coach will help you build good habits around food, exercise, sleep, and stress. You’ll monitor your progress with a wireless scale and online check-ins with your coach.
Omada is available at no additional cost to King County employees and your eligible dependents who have Kaiser Permanente or Regence BlueShield health coverage.
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Professional Development Scholarship Information Sessions
Career Support Services is hosting general information sessions for the Coalition Labor Agreement’s Professional Development Scholarship throughout November to help you prepare for the first application period in January.
The event will cover eligibility criteria, 2023 timelines, an Individual Development Plan, and more. There will also be time for questions. The next sessions will be:
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Training Spotlight:
Improving email communication - Online - This Seattle College workshop will cover the anatomy of an effective e-mail, using subject lines to your advantage, how to reduce e-mail volume, and general power-writing tips. This course is two sessions and the fee is $75
STAR-LA Interview Practice and Feedback – Online – This 90-minute, small group workshop is designed to provide mock interview practice and feedback using the STAR-LA method as taught by King County Career Support Services. This workshop is for participants who have attended the Career Support Services led Strategic Interviewing Tips and Techniques online workshop or have watched the 10-minute STAR-LA method video found on the Career Support Services website at www.kingcounty.gov/CSS.
Mentorship Lunch & Learn – Online – Would you like to have a mentor, someone who can help you grow professionally? Do you want to strengthen your coaching skills? As a Mentee, you will have a trusted advisor who can help you navigate complex situations, and as a Mentor, you can uncover new or forgotten skills and build influence. This Lunch and Learn is free and multiple dates are available.
Creating Effective Application Materials – Online – This two-hour workshop provides tips and strategies on how to make application materials stand out. Learn the purpose of the job application, resume, cover letter and supplemental questions, and how to make each of them more effective.
Please visit the King County Eventbrite website, Learning and Development website, and Career Support Services website for more learning opportunities. For more information, contact the Learning and Development Team at KCTraining@kingcounty.gov or visit Learning and Development at www.kingcounty.gov/learning.
Confidential Secretary I
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