Past honorees
2021
Leadership Excellence Awards
Fred Jarrett Award: Honors a department or division leader
Recipient: Jennifer Hills, Director of the Office of Risk Management, Department of Executive Services
People Leader Award: Honors a leader below the department or division leadership level who directly manages staff
Recipient: Hedda McClendon, COVID Emergency Services Director, Department of Community and Human Services
Individual Contributor Award: Honors an individual contributor who does not directly manage staff
Recipient: Carolina Johnson, Data Asset and Technical Manager, Department of Community and Human Services
Innovation Awards
Innovation Award for Cost
Recipient: Department of Executive Services/Business and Finance Operations/Procurement and Payables Section – Strategic Sourcing Program
Project Team: Dominic Palo, Alex Clark, Nick Baltes, David Malone
Innovation Award for Service
Recipient: Department of Community and Human Services/Developmental Disabilities and Early Childhood Supports Division – Refugee Resettlement Hotel
Project Teams: Click here to see team members
Innovation Award for People
Recipient: Department of Executive Services/Fleet Services – Apprenticeship Program
Project Team: Heavy Duty Technicians: Roger Brady, Paul Brown, Dick Hughes, Dana Stacks, Jeff Van Derveer; Apprentices: Michael Domiquel, Mason Keselburg, Christina “Tina” Taylor; Union: Tommy Hunt, Shana Peschek; Washington State Department of Labor & Industries: Sandra Husband; Fleet Leadership: Jennifer Lindwall, Chris Gavigan, Cindy Kittleson-Walker, Lynn Walters, Isaac Wisdom
Innovation Award for Equity and Social Justice
Recipient: Department of Public Health/Environmental Health Services Division – Box Fan Filter Distribution Project
Project Team: Environmental Health Services Division: Shirlee Tan, Khanh Ho, Addison Houston, Rachele Hurt, Sinang Lee, Roda Mohamed, Fanaye Amsalu, Ayantu Hajikadir, Julie West, and Brad Kramer; Partners: Department of Natural Resources and Parks, Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, Washington State Department of Health, and University of Washington
Innovation Award for Sustainability
Recipient: Department of Natural Resources and Parks/Water and Land Resources Division – Lones Levee Setback and Floodplain Restoration Project
Project Team: Dan Eastman, Chris Ewing, Todd Hurley, Mason Bowles, Mike Thai, Jon Hansen, Josh Kahan, Suzanna Smith, Will Mansfield, Nathan Brown, Cynthia Saleh, Sophie Brooks, Cody Toal, Ashley Gould, Paul Adler, Amanda Hubbard, Jessica Alvarado, Andrea Plischke, JoAnn Dulan, Tammy Merritt, Ted Sullivan, Joan Lee, Jon Hansen
2020
Leadership Excellence Awards
Fred Jarrett Award: Honors a department or division leader
Honoree: John Diaz, Director, Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention
People Leader Award: Honors a leader below the department or division leadership level who directly manages staff
Honoree: Matt Canady, Transit Chief, Metro/Transit Facilities
Individual Contributor Award: Honors an individual contributor who does not directly manage staff
Honoree: Cecelia Hayes, Equity, Social Justice and Engagement, Senior Practitioner, Department of Executive Services
Innovation Awards
Innovation Award for Cost
Honoree: Department of Executive Services/Office of Risk Management – Lower Duwamish Settlement
Project Team: Jennifer Hills, Department of Executive Services; Kevin Wright, Prosecuting Attorney’s Office
Innovation Award for Service
Honoree: Departments of Public Health - Seattle and King County, Community and Human Services, Metro Transit, and Executive Services – Isolation and Quarantine, Shelter De-intensification, and Transportation for Pandemic Response
Special Recognition: Department of Executive Services/Facilities Management Division and Office of Emergency Management
Project Teams: Click here to see team members
Innovation Award for People
Honoree: Department of Human Resources/Career and Culture – Workplace Mental Health
Project Team: Brooke Bascom, Heather Steffensen, Janna Wilson, Jena Scott, Karla Clark, Mary Norman, Megan Jourdan, Michele Ritala, and Shawna Johnson
Innovation Award for Equity and Social Justice
Honoree: Department of Public Health - Seattle & King County – Community Mitigation and Recovery Team
Project Team: Click here to see team members.
Innovation Award for Sustainability
Honoree: Department of Natural Resources and Parks/Wastewater Treatment Division – South Wastewater Treatment Plant Biogas System Optimization
Project Team: Instrumentation & Electrical, Mechanical, Day Operations, Shift Operations, Process, Engineering, Construction Management, Safety, Facilities Inspection & Project Management
2019
Leadership Excellence Awards
Fred Jarrett Award: Honors a department or division leader
Honoree: Caroline Whalen, Director, Department of Executive Services
People Leader Award: Honors a leader below the department or division leadership level who directly manages staff
Honoree: Alex Ebrahimi, Coordinated for All (CEA) Housing Referrals Supervisor, Department of Community and Human Services
Individual Contributor Award: Honors an individual contributor who does not directly manage staff
Honoree: Michelle Sarju, Project/Program Manager, Public Health
Innovation Awards
Innovation Award for People
Honoree: Department of Community and Human Services – Recruitment and Hiring Initiative
Project Team: Elizabeth Causby-Miles, Susan Churchill, Annette Coleman, Bridget Tibbs, Khanh Hang, and Elena Romani
Innovation Award for Cost
Honoree: Department of Executive Services/Facilities Management Division – Franchise Project
Project Team: Terri Hansen, David Hackett, Anthony Wright, and Cristina Gonzalez
Innovation Award for Service
Honoree: Department of Human Resources – Automation of Verification of Employment
Project Team: Tracey Dang, Ampalavanar Mohanakumar, Grey Lewis, Pam Bell, Heather Cory, and Michael Strutynski
Innovation Award for Equity and Social Justice
Honoree: Metro Transit – Mobility Framework
Project Team: Tessa McClellan, De’Sean Quinn, Mary Bourguignon, Tristan Cook, Brian Van Abbema, Gary Prince, and Carrie Lee
Innovation Award for Sustainability
Honoree: Metro Transit/Mobility Division – Via to Transit
Project Team: Daniel Rowe, David Eldred, Jenifer Merkel, Ashley Dunn, Shelby Cramer, Torie Rynning, Pierce Canser, Jeremy Waldner, Brian Van Abbema, and Casey (Catherine) Gifford
2018
Cost
The Fleet Division’s field service mechanics saved 124 hours in travel time in the first six months of 2018 by adding diagnostic software to field service computers.
Service
Metro Transit decreased missed trips due to “no operator” by nearly 70% compared with the previous year.
People
Public Health’s part-time employment pilot program in the Community Health Services division increased attendance in 83 percent of employees, with an overall 60 percent reduction in use of sick leave or unpaid leave.
Equity and Social Justice
Best Starts for Kids, a collaboration between DCHS and Public Health, reduced barriers to funding for community-based service providers, enhancing equity in service delivery.
Sustainability
In 2018, the Department of Natural Resources and Parks’ North Utilities Maintenance Shop became the first county project to meet net-zero energy status.