King County Honors Budget Director for Distinguished Service

Dwight Dively recognized with MLK Medal of Distinguished Service for over 15 years of leadership

Jan. 27, 2026 at 11:15am

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The King County Council has awarded former county Budget Director Dwight Dively the MLK Medal of Distinguished Service, the council's highest recognition, for his more than 15 years of service and leadership. Dively was praised for his work managing the county's budget through a period of tremendous growth and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Why it matters

Dively's recognition highlights the importance of skilled public finance leadership in large local governments like King County, which has a $20 billion biennial budget. His departure also marks a transition in the county's budget office as it navigates the post-pandemic recovery.

The details

Dively was appointed director of the Office of Performance Strategy and Budget in 2010 and has also served as a distinguished practitioner at the University of Washington's Evans School of Public Policy and Governance. He is credited with improving the relationship between the county executive and legislative branches, and will be moving to a new role as finance director for the city of Seattle.

  • Dively was appointed budget director in 2010.
  • Dively was recognized by the King County Council on January 13, 2026.

The players

Dwight Dively

The former King County Budget Director who was awarded the MLK Medal of Distinguished Service for his over 15 years of service and leadership.

Rod Dembowski

A King County Councilmember who led the proclamation recognizing Dively's service.

Aaron Rubardt

The new chief budget officer appointed by King County Executive Girmay Zahilay to replace Dively.

Reagan Dunn

A King County Councilmember who served on the council when Dively first started.

Pete von Reichbauer

A King County Councilmember who knew Dively before his current job through Dively's wife.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“We are grateful for your management through a tremendous period of growth for the county, where we now have a biennial budget of some $20 billion, one of the very largest local governments in the country, and frankly, probably larger than many states. You managed us through a national pandemic where billions of federal dollars came into this government on a very short timeframe and we had to figure out how to put it to use in the most effective way. You were instrumental in that.”

— Rod Dembowski, King County Councilmember (kirklandreporter.com)

“Public service is what brings us all to this work, and it's been my privilege for essentially my entire career to be in public service.”

— Dwight Dively (kirklandreporter.com)

“You've been a fabulous steward of King County's dollars. There is a secret place that nobody knows about. It's the King County Employees Hall of Fame, and in that place, there is now a bust of Dwight Dively with the light shining down on it.”

— Reagan Dunn, King County Councilmember (kirklandreporter.com)

“In meeting Dwight, I already had a predisposition to trust him. Everything that we've dealt with over the years has validated that trust that your roommate put in you and I put in you because of your roommate.”

— Pete von Reichbauer, King County Councilmember (kirklandreporter.com)

What’s next

Aaron Rubardt will take over as King County's new chief budget officer following Dively's departure.

The takeaway

Dively's recognition highlights the importance of skilled public finance leadership in large local governments like King County, and his departure marks a transition as the county navigates the post-pandemic recovery.