The King County Department of Local Services earned a prestigious recognition for its efforts to reach and engage community members who speak languages other than English in the unincorporated areas. 

The department recently won a Blue Pencil & Gold Screen Award from the National Association of Government Communicators in the Multicultural Communications Program category for its comprehensive effort, also known as “Local Services Wants to Speak Your Language.” 

The approach consisted of three main elements: 

  • A “Local Services Wants to Speak Your Language” event for local language and culturally based media outlets that serve the unincorporated areas and are trusted sources of information for many residents. The purpose was to build relationships, provide an overview of our services, and generate discussion about what is important to their audiences. The department welcomed representatives from 11 outlets representing Spanish-, Vietnamese-, Somali-, Russian- and English-speaking audiences last year. 
  • ​Contracting with Converge Media—a local Emmy Award-winning production company—to produce a series of videos that introduce residents who speak a language other than English to their local government and the services it provides. ​The videos were produced in Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Somali, Khmer, and French. 
  • A series of multi-language advertising campaigns in local media outlet for several issues that affect peoples’ daily lives: a new minimum wage rate, winter weather safety, permits and jobs. 

Judges wrote that the department’s efforts demonstrated a commitment to engaging with King County’s diverse communities. 

“The multi-pronged approach, from building relationships with cultural and language-specific media outlets to producing videos in multiple languages, showcases thoughtful planning and strategic outreach,” one judge wrote. “The sweeping multi-language campaign effectively addresses critical issues that impact residents’ everyday lives, further emphasizing inclusivity and accessibility. Overall, I had a hard time finding anything wrong with the project—it was thorough, impactful, and demonstrated great attention to the community’s needs.”

The Department of Local Services congratulates everyone on its team – including folks from its Road Services and Permitting Divisions, as well as its Director’s Office – as well as the community partners it worked with, for contributing to this recognition.

Local Spanish-language online media outlet Se Habla Entrevistas/Se Habla News hosted a series of Facebook Live interviews with the Department of Local Services. Pictured above is an English/Spanish-language interview between Diana Oliveros and Communications Manager Chrissy Russillo that covered the new minimum wage rate in unincorporated King County.

About the Blue Pencil & Gold Screen Awards

The Blue Pencil and Gold Screen international awards program recognizes superior government communication products and those who produce them. This year, peer judges reviewed 282 projects from all levels of government, including federal, state, county, local, military and tribal agencies. A full list of 2025 award recipients is available at https://nagc.com/page/2025-award-winners.