Awards given to King County

Washington Governor

2024 Smart Communities Award: Parks (co-awardee with City of Bellevue) for the Eastrail Wilburton Framework Plan.

North American Hazardous Materials Management Association

2023 Agents of Change award: Hazardous Waste Management Program, for the Program's work in identifying aluminum cookware brought from Afghanistan as previously unrecognized source of lead exposure and lead to replacing with safer stainless steel alternatives and being removed from online retailer websites.

EPA Hazardous Waste Management Program

2024 Safer Choice Partner of the Year: Safer Choice is a program that helps individuals and businesses identify chemical products that are healthier for people and the planet. It acknowledged the program's commitment to education and partnering with communities in King County to identify safer product alternatives. 2024 marks the eighth year in a row receiving this award.

National Association for Clean Water Agencies (NACWA)

• National Environmental Achievement Awards – Community Leadership (2025): Sewer Heat Recovery. The program captures and reuses heat energy from wastewater, turning it into a sustainable and renewable energy source.
• National Environmental Achievement Awards - Public Information and Education (2025): Operator-in-Training Program (Video). Video tells the story of how our nationally-recognized Operator-in-Training program came to be through innovations in learning and hiring practices.
• Platinum Peak Performance Award (2023): West Point Treatment Plant - Platinum 6, Brightwater Treatment Plant - Platinum 7, Vashon Wastewater Treatment Plant - Platinum 13. Platinum Awards recognize 100% compliance with permits over a consecutive five-year period.

Water Environment Federation

Utility of the Future Today Recognition Program, Activity Area: Energy Generation & Recovery: Sewer Heat Recovery.

American Council of Engineering Companies

2024 Best in State Silver Award in the Category of "Future Value to the Engineering Profession & Perception by the Public": Jan Road Levee Setback Project. The project improves access for residents during flood events that previously isolated the neighborhood and reduced erosion risks along the cedar river trail and SR 169.

Engineering Excellence Award - Original or Innovative Application of New or Existing Techniques: Georgetown Wet Weather Treatment Station

American Society of Landscape Architects

2024 WASLA Professional Award: Georgetown Wet Weather Treatment Station.

National Association of Government Communicators (NAGC)

2024 Social Media Campaign (PAID) Category, 2nd Place: “Don't Wait to Inflate, a Puget Sound Starts Here Campaign.” This campaign focused on the chemical 6PPD-Q, which is found in tire dust and tire crumbs and is linked to coho salmon mortality. Maintaining tire inflation can slow the breakdown of tires and prevent the dust and crumbs from entering into stormwater, which runs off into coho filled streams in King County. It is the first public engagement effort on this chemical in the nation and is offered in Spanish, Korean, Vietnamese and English. King County is a Puget Sound Starts Here campaign partner.

In 2023, DNRP Public Affairs received 4 awards:

• 1st place, “Working Without a Net” category for a hosting a dual livestream aboard our research vessel, SoundGuardian, as scientists measured the underwater noise of Puget Sound that poses multiple risks to southern resident orcas.
• 1st place for a news release announcing Executive Constantine’s proposal to rapidly accelerate King County’s capacity to protect open space.
• 2nd place for a video on King County’s first Extreme Heat Mitigation Strategy.
• Award of Excellence for the press tour we organized at čakwab, a major floodplain restoration project along the Green River that simultaneously reduced flood risks, improved salmon habitat, and provided more food for southern resident orcas.

IDIC Filipino Senior and Family Service

Certificate of Recognition: DCHS Adult Services Division (ASD) was recognized for playing an integral role in helping IDIC serve our community and achieve success over the years.

Seattle Public Schools

Partnership Recognition: Developmental Disabilities & Early Childhood Supports Division (DDECSD) School to Work program. The program partners with the Seattle Public Schools BRIDGES program to support students with developmental and intellectual disabilities in getting their first paid job before leaving high school.

Urban and Regional Information Systems Association (URISA)

“Exemplary Systems in Government” Award:

• King County Aerial Imagery Program (2024 Single Process System Category - Distinguished System)
• King County State of GIS (2024 Enterprise System Category - Distinguished System)

Urban and Regional Information Systems Association (URISA)

“Exemplary Systems in Government” Award: King County Smart Building Management System (2023 Enterprise System Category - Exemplary System)

City-County Communications & Marketing Association

Savvy Award, Award of Excellence, Category - Graphic Design Publications: Veterans, Seniors and Human Services Levy (VSHSL) Renewal Materials

National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO)

Model of Practice Award (2024): Public Health – Seattle and King County, Prevention Division, Immunization Team. Mobile Childhood Vaccination Clinics in High Social Vulnerability Index Zip Codes. The Model of Practice award recognizes the best local public health practices in the country.

Model of Practice Award (2023): Public Health – Seattle and King County, Office of Equity and Community Partnerships. A Community-Led and Anti-Racist Approach to Public Health. The Model of Practice award recognizes the best local public health practices in the country. Additionally, there was a recognition of “Best of the Best,” which included a presentation highlighting the office’s work.

National Association of Floodplain and Stormwater Management Agencies (NAFSMA)

2024 First Place Communications to the Public Health Community Navigators for their work to improve communications with historically disadvantaged communities in the Lower Green River Valley.

Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure

2024 Envision Platinum Award. RapidRide H Line for moving forward on equity, social justice and sustainability.

Conference of Minority Transportation Officials

2024 COMTO Washington Public Agency of the Year. For Metro’s commitment to equity and service.

Public Relations Society of America, Puget Sound

2024 Summit Awards:

• free Youth Transit Pass (FYTP) Campaign POV Reels awarded Summit Award for Visual Presentations: Video Category
• FYTP Campaign awarded Summit Award for Public Affairs Category (C+C and King County Metro)

WTS International, Puget Sound Chapter

Innovative Transportation Solution Award: Free Youth Transit Pass. This award honors a local innovative transportation project led by a woman or team of women.

American Public Transit Association (APTA)

2023 Innovation Award: Transit GO Rewards incentive program. The Transit GO Rewards program allows riders to earn rewards that save them money on their next trip.

Transit Wrapped 2024 (Systems with 50+ million annual riders): No. 2 fastest growing ridership nationally

IoThinkTank

IoT Use Case of the Year Award, Best of 2023 Awards: Improving Ridership with Real-Time Passenger Information.

2024 Regional Emmy nomination: “Tap for Transit” TV ad by the Communications and Marketing team

2024 Trailblazer Award: DHR for Innovative Spirit (Early adoption and commitment to providing vital input for product enhancements); Product proficiency (Ability to maximize the potential of product features); and Dedication (Commitment to product improvements and active participation as testers for new features.)

2023 Trailblazer Award: DHR Business Ops team for its valuable contributions, which included suggesting enhancements of products, providing input on new features, testing upcoming features, and participating in the Learn Advisory Board calls.

City of Seattle

Proclaimed Yolanda McGhee and the Liberated Village Weekend (July 27-28, 2024): Yolanda McGhee is an employee of our Children, Youth, and Young Adults Division (CYYAD), in recognition of Yolanda’s 20 years of service at Seattle Public Schools as a Family Support Specialist and her current visionary leadership behind the Liberated Village.

WaterReuse Pacific NorthWest

2024 President’s Award to Kristina Westbrook for leadership in recycled water. Kristina is a founding member of the PNW section of the WateReuse, the nation’s trade association advocating for increased water reuse, and has served as president amongst other leadership roles. At DNRP, she has led the Recycled Water Program in the Resource Recovery Unit.

The Mountains to Sound Greenway

2024 Jim Ellis Spirit Award: awarded to Gary Brown, who is the Parks District Maintenance Coordinator for the Grand Ridge District. The Mountains to Sound Greenway's Jim Ellis Spirit Award recognizes individuals who embody the Greenway values of collaboration, inclusion, trustworthiness, positivity, and pragmatism.

Washington Trail Association

2024 Above and Beyond Award: awarded to Melissa Perozzo, who is a Parks Specialist III with the Backcountry Trails crew. Washington Trail Association's Above and Beyond award recognizes the year's most outstanding volunteers who step up most and help behind the scenes.

Washington State Lake Protection Association

Secchi Disk award: Ben Peterson, Noxious Weeds Program, for his tireless work on aquatic invasive plants.

Safe States Alliance

2024 Alex Kelter Vision Award (Lifetime Achievement Award) presented to Violence and Injury Prevention (VIP) team manager Tony Gomez. The award recognizes individuals who have brought leadership and vision to the field of injury and violence prevention over the course of their career.

Seattle Indian Health Board

2023 Adeline Garcia Community Service Award presented to Brad Finegood, in honor of Brad’s work to address disparities in health care for Native people, especially the “profound impact of [his] leadership and advocacy in behavioral health and substance use recovery in improving Native health and wellbeing.”

Influence the Choice

2023 Issaquah Community Service Award and the Vicki Hoffman Legacy Award presented to Brad Finegood for work to further the mission of preventing youth substance use.

International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO)

2024 Government Person of the Year presented to Public Health’s Plumbing & Gas Piping Program Chief Inspector, Steve Hart. Additionally, Eric Gilbreath, Senior Plumbing Inspector, was appointed to the IAPMO Board of Directors as the Northern Regional Director. These are both recognitions of the dedication, excellence, and perseverance that has led our Plumbing & Gas Piping Program to be a model across the country.

Infectious Disease Society of America

Dr. Eric Chow was inducted into the Infectious Disease Society of America as a Fellow in 2024.

Washington Alliance for Better Schools

2023 Outstanding Leadership Award: presented to Greg Wilson of Public Health’s Environmental Health Services Division. This was the inaugural Outstanding Leadership Award.