At NEOGOV, we are thrilled to shine our Community Spotlight on King County, an agency that embodies what it means to serve with purpose, inclusivity, and excellence. With nearly 18,000 employees across 21 departments, King County is not only one of the largest local government organizations in the country, but also one of the most values-driven.
“At King County, our work is guided by our True North and Values. Our True North is what we aspire to: Making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive.”
This guiding principle is the heartbeat of King County’s work. Their eight core values — We are one team. We are racially just. We solve problems. We respect all people. We focus on the customer. We lead the way. We drive for results. We are responsible stewards. — aren’t just words on a page. They inform every decision, action, and service the county provides, from high-level leadership to frontline impact.
We had the pleasure of speaking with Sarah Buelow, dedicated to supporting the NEOGOV platform at King County. Sarah’s role is central in ensuring that the platform runs smoothly and supports the county’s diverse departments through recruitment, onboarding, training, and continued platform enhancements.
🚀 Scaling NEOGOV to Serve Thousands
Sarah shared that King County initially implemented NEOGOV’s Insight module in 2008 within a single department. Due to its success, the platform was soon scaled enterprise-wide. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, Sarah’s team moved swiftly to roll out Learn and Onboard countywide in just a matter of weeks — enabling virtual onboarding, secure document exchange, and remote I-9 verification to keep employees connected, safe, and supported.
💡 A Values-Driven Approach to Technology
Sarah illustrated how King County’s values shape even the most technical decisions — from employee privacy protections to the way training is rolled out. King County truly leads with purpose, innovation and impact. These values, which also include being "one team," inform all decisions from the highest council levels down to individual employees, exemplified by a recent council decision to protect employee private data.
“Making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive.”
Their work is guided by eight core values — from racial justice and respect for all people, to driving results and leading the way. These values are more than statements — they shape every decision, from policy to platform enhancements.
📊 Innovation in Learning: External Learners Feature
One of King County’s proudest NEOGOV successes? The implementation of the “external learners” feature in the Learn module.
For years, providing required training to contractors, judges, and volunteers was a challenge. These individuals were given temporary employee profiles as a workaround. Thanks to a collaboration between King County and NEOGOV’s product team — the external learners feature was launched last fall. This allows departments to independently manage training for non-employees, drastically reducing administrative strain and empowering each department to take ownership of their learning needs.
📈 Looking Ahead: Dreaming of Seamless Data
While the success stories are many, Sarah also shared a vision for the future: stronger, embedded data analytics and visualization capabilities within NEOGOV. Currently, King County exports raw data to an external analytics platform — a process that can be time-consuming and requires specialized expertise.
Working closely with NEOGOV team members, Sarah and her colleagues are advocating for integrated analytics that would enable faster insights, smarter decision-making, and more value from their data.
💬 A Final Word of Appreciation
We are so grateful to King County for sharing their story — especially to Sarah Buelow, whose leadership, insight, and passion for service are evident in every word. Her commitment to innovation and her community is a shining example of how the NEOGOV platform can be used to not just run operations, but to elevate purpose.
King County reminds us all that when technology and values align, we create something powerful — a community where every person can thrive.
🤍 To the King County team — your dedication, innovation, and heart-centered service are why we at NEOGOV do what we do. You are the reason we show up every day, committed to helping those who serve the people.
From the bottom of our hearts — thank you. We are eternally grateful!
🎉Stay tuned for more spotlights that inspire, inform, and keep you in the loop!