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.