True’s leadership team led the implementation of Executive Constantine’s Clean Water Healthy Habitat initiative to better align investments and actions to produce better results faster for people, salmon, and orcas. Recent examples include major capital projects that simultaneously reduced flood risks and restored salmon habitat along the Cedar River, the Green River, and the Lower Duwamish.
The Department of Natural Resources and Parks also contributed to King County’s Strategic Climate Action Plan, developing the region’s first-ever extreme heat mitigation strategy and wildfire risk reduction strategy. It is now leading the new Re+ initiative to transform the region’s waste system to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
The department has made the region’s wastewater treatment system safer, more reliable, and more resilient during True’s tenure. Crews are currently installing on-site batteries at West Point Treatment Plant that will provide operators with an uninterruptable power supply. Last year it activated the state-of-the-art Georgetown Wet Weather Treatment Station that better protects the Duwamish River and Puget Sound from stormwater pollution during severe rainstorms, which are occurring more frequently due to climate change.
King County Parks significantly expanded as well, now offering 200 parks, 175 miles of regional trails, and 30,000 acres of open space, making progress on its commitment to equitable access to recreation and natural areas. A recent example is the new urban park in unincorporated North Highline. The agency recently completed the final segment of the East Lake Sammamish Trail, contributing to a 44-mile trail corridor that connects Golden Gardens Park in Ballard to Eastside cities and the Cascade foothills with connections to Sound Transit Link light rail stations.
That is in addition to starting and accelerating other countywide initiatives, including historic preservation, farmland conservation, and strengthening the local food economy.
True started her career at King County in 1984 as a water quality technician, advancing to become director of the Wastewater Treatment Division, the largest of the department’s four divisions. Executive Constantine appointed her as the department director in 2010.
Resources
Quotes
Since I appointed her Director in 2010, Christie has consistently reinforced King County’s reputation as a leading and trusted environmental steward. Her integrity and leadership have helped King County make good on our steadfast commitment to protect and restore this place we love. I am grateful for the impact she has made throughout her 39 years of outstanding service with the department.
It is an extraordinary privilege to spend an entire career advancing a mission you believe in and working alongside people you trust. I am grateful for the opportunity Executive Constantine provided me to lead such a talented team of dedicated professionals who work hard each day to protect the spectacular natural environment that defines our region.
Contact
Chad Lewis, Department of Natural Resources and Parks, 206-263-1250