The 2017/18 biennial budget and what it will mean for employees and our priorities

The March 23 Employee Town Hall was hosted by Natasha Jones, Director of Customer Service, and featured King County Executive Dow Constantine, Budget Director Dwight Dively, and Matias Valenzuela, Director of the Office of Equity and Social Justice, in discussion on the 2017/18 budget forecast and what will it mean for King County employees and the County's priorities.

 

Host

Director of Customer Service Natasha Jones advances customer and employee satisfaction by improving the County’s delivery of customer service. She leads an inter-departmental team of Customer Service Officers, establishing performance measures and inspiring a culture of continuous improvement. Jones has served in a communications and media relations role for three executive administrations and two other local governments, where she has focused on public outreach and government accessibility. Before working in government, she was a television news assignment editor, producer, reporter, and anchor.

Panelists

Dow Constantine, King County Executive. Since his election as King County Executive in November 2009, Dow Constantine has been working to instill a culture of performance that changes the way King County does business and forging partnerships with residents, cities, employees, and other county leaders to craft real, sustainable reforms. Before his election as Executive, Dow served as a King County Council member for eight years, and has held elected office in Washington state for 15 years. A Seattle native, Dow graduated from West Seattle High School and the University of Washington. He earned University of Washington post-graduate degrees in law (1989) and urban planning (1992).

Budget Director Dwight Dively leads the offices responsible for developing and monitoring the annual King County budget, implementing the King County Strategic Plan, and identifying and tracking performance measures. As director of Performance, Strategy and Budget, he oversees a wide range of activities, including project analysis, financial forecasting, demographic analysis, and policy development. Prior to King County, Dively had a 22-year career with City of Seattle, most recently serving as Director of Finance and leading the city’s financial and budget management initiatives since 1994.

 

Matias Valenzuela, Director of the Office of Equity and Social Justice, supports and works with King County leadership, employees and local and national partners to advance practices, strategies and policies that promote fairness, justice and opportunity for all. Matias formerly managed for Public Health - Seattle & King County and Community Engagement and Partnerships for Public Health. He is also an affiliate assistant professor at the University of Washington’s School of Public Health and Community Medicine.

Archive

Our previous Town Hall on Sept. 9, 2015, featured an informative discussion on what King County is doing – and what we can do better – to recruit, develop, support and empower employees, what we can learn from other organizations, and how employees are the key if we are to become the best-run government in the nation.

Natasha Jones, King County's Director of Customer Service, hosted the event and was joined by:

• Dow Constantine, King County Executive
• Nancy Buonanno-Grennan, Director of King County's Human Resources Division
• Scott Welch, Global Corporate Relations Manager for Columbia Sportswear Company.

Watch it here.

2015/16 Budget

Find out more about the 2015/16 Budget here.