Meet Tammy Himes, Health and Environmental Investigator
Life started out for Tammy Himes on the eastern end of Montana, in a small town called Glendive. She jokes that the far-flung hamlet where she grew up isn’t quite at the end of the world, “but you can see it from there.”
Fate pulled Himes away from the outer edges when her mother’s employer transferred her to Seattle. That turned out to be a lucky turn of events – both for her and for King County, where she has devoted four decades of her career in public service.
That includes the last 11 years with the Hazardous Waste Management Program. Himes is a Health and Environmental Investigator for the Program’s Business Services team, and she epitomizes the team’s equity-centered approach to outreach. With her zeal for environmental education and a knack for relationship-building, Himes seeks out small business owners and workers any way she can – cold-calling over the phone, making in-person visits, attending public meetings and conventions – and she connects them with the Haz Waste Program’s wide array of beneficial resources.
“I’m very passionate about the environment and my job,” she says, “and I honestly believe that one person can make a difference.”
Himes started her career in 1983, getting her foot in the door as a janitor at West Point Wastewater Treatment Plant in Seattle. Later she moved to Renton and started working at the nearby South Treatment Plant, but she was quickly transferred to the wastewater facility in West Seattle’s Alki neighborhood. While she wasn’t crazy about her new commute, the transfer “turned out to be the best thing that happened to me.” Right away, Himes was promoted to an operator role and ended up with over a decade of valuable laboratory experience.
After a dozen years working in wastewater treatment, Himes took a temporary assignment that turned into a long stint as an industrial waste compliance specialist for the County. For 18 years, she held the region’s biggest companies accountable with regulatory enforcement.
That’s in contrast to her current work at the Haz Waste Program, where she works exclusively with small businesses.
“I really like Hazardous Waste because I'm helping businesses,” she says. “I tell them that I'm not a cop, I do not write tickets, you're not going to get in trouble. If I see that you're doing something wrong, we're going to change that and then move forward.”
It’s that tone of helpfulness and collaboration that makes Himes such an effective outreach specialist. In her every interaction with small businesses, she takes an approach that one might describe as a small-town Montana charm offensive: She’s warm, understanding, and fully perceptive of the apprehensions people from different backgrounds might have about being approached by a government worker.
“I get to know them,” Himes says. “If they're leery about me, I'll just pop in and say, ‘Hey, how you doing? I just want to stop in and say hi, see how things are doing, if you need any help.’”
On top of that, she brings businesses the Program’s impressive suite of assistance. She provides a free spill kit, expert education and information about how to keep workplaces safe, and she runs through the possibilities with the Program’s $599 vouchers for small businesses. The vouchers can be used for expenses like safety equipment, spill containment supplies, efficient lighting, ventilation, and other items that improve the environment or public health.
“It's really rewarding. Once I gain their trust and I work with them, they get to know me, and they're referring me to their friends and their family. It's a huge compliment,” she says.
Himes says she loves Montana, but she couldn’t imagine what her life would’ve been like had she never moved away from Glendive. She’s grateful that she landed here in in the Pacific Northwest – and so are we.
“I love the diversity of Seattle, and all the different kinds of foods and different things to do. It’s just beautiful here.”
After 40 years of service at King County, it’s safe to say that Tammy Himes has made a difference here.
And she’s not done yet! If you’re a small business owner or worker, reach out to the Haz Waste Program’s Business Services for more information about education, financial assistance, and free consultations, call 206-296-4692 or email haz.waste@kingcounty.gov.
Fate pulled Himes away from the outer edges when her mother’s employer transferred her to Seattle. That turned out to be a lucky turn of events – both for her and for King County, where she has devoted four decades of her career in public service.
That includes the last 11 years with the Hazardous Waste Management Program. Himes is a Health and Environmental Investigator for the Program’s Business Services team, and she epitomizes the team’s equity-centered approach to outreach. With her zeal for environmental education and a knack for relationship-building, Himes seeks out small business owners and workers any way she can – cold-calling over the phone, making in-person visits, attending public meetings and conventions – and she connects them with the Haz Waste Program’s wide array of beneficial resources.
“I’m very passionate about the environment and my job,” she says, “and I honestly believe that one person can make a difference.”
Himes started her career in 1983, getting her foot in the door as a janitor at West Point Wastewater Treatment Plant in Seattle. Later she moved to Renton and started working at the nearby South Treatment Plant, but she was quickly transferred to the wastewater facility in West Seattle’s Alki neighborhood. While she wasn’t crazy about her new commute, the transfer “turned out to be the best thing that happened to me.” Right away, Himes was promoted to an operator role and ended up with over a decade of valuable laboratory experience.
After a dozen years working in wastewater treatment, Himes took a temporary assignment that turned into a long stint as an industrial waste compliance specialist for the County. For 18 years, she held the region’s biggest companies accountable with regulatory enforcement.
That’s in contrast to her current work at the Haz Waste Program, where she works exclusively with small businesses.
“I really like Hazardous Waste because I'm helping businesses,” she says. “I tell them that I'm not a cop, I do not write tickets, you're not going to get in trouble. If I see that you're doing something wrong, we're going to change that and then move forward.”
It’s that tone of helpfulness and collaboration that makes Himes such an effective outreach specialist. In her every interaction with small businesses, she takes an approach that one might describe as a small-town Montana charm offensive: She’s warm, understanding, and fully perceptive of the apprehensions people from different backgrounds might have about being approached by a government worker.
“I get to know them,” Himes says. “If they're leery about me, I'll just pop in and say, ‘Hey, how you doing? I just want to stop in and say hi, see how things are doing, if you need any help.’”
On top of that, she brings businesses the Program’s impressive suite of assistance. She provides a free spill kit, expert education and information about how to keep workplaces safe, and she runs through the possibilities with the Program’s $599 vouchers for small businesses. The vouchers can be used for expenses like safety equipment, spill containment supplies, efficient lighting, ventilation, and other items that improve the environment or public health.
“It's really rewarding. Once I gain their trust and I work with them, they get to know me, and they're referring me to their friends and their family. It's a huge compliment,” she says.
Himes says she loves Montana, but she couldn’t imagine what her life would’ve been like had she never moved away from Glendive. She’s grateful that she landed here in in the Pacific Northwest – and so are we.
“I love the diversity of Seattle, and all the different kinds of foods and different things to do. It’s just beautiful here.”
After 40 years of service at King County, it’s safe to say that Tammy Himes has made a difference here.
And she’s not done yet! If you’re a small business owner or worker, reach out to the Haz Waste Program’s Business Services for more information about education, financial assistance, and free consultations, call 206-296-4692 or email haz.waste@kingcounty.gov.