Every department counts: How Polk County grew wellbeing engagement by 84% in just two years

Employee wellness for cities and counties: lessons from Polk County

Your employees keep the community running. How do you help them take care of themselves?

City and county wellness coordinators support employees with widely varying jobs, schedules, and wellbeing needs, from public works crews and detention officers to park rangers, administrative staff, and employees at community centers miles from the main office.

Reaching that workforce means understanding how each group receives information, what support matters to them, and how participation can fit into their day.

In this episode of the Navigate People First podcast, Polk County’s employee wellness and development coordinator, Andrew Mettille, joins Troy Vincent and Jeremy Knipper to discuss the county’s reported 84% increase in wellbeing engagement in just two years.

Hear the practical work behind that growth: meaningful choices, local wellness champions, communication beyond the inbox, and personal conversations that help employees find support.

You’ll also hear what Drew wants more leaders could see: how that support shows up in employees’ lives. From improved cholesterol to relief from back pain after physical therapy, he hears the personal stories behind the participation numbers and sees the everyday work that helps employees take action.

For city managers, county administrators, HR directors, and benefits leaders, his perspective raises a valuable question: What are employees experiencing because of our wellbeing investment, and what helps them get there? Drew suggests leaders invite their wellness coordinator to bring both the numbers and the employee perspective to the next program review.

Highlights from the episode include:

• The changes behind Polk County's 84% growth in wellbeing engagement
• How to reach employees beyond the administration building
• Why incentives get people started, and what helps them take the next step
• What the wellness coordinator sees that leadership should, too
• The simplest advice Drew gives fellow wellness coordinators: be seen

🎧 Watch or listen to the full episode above, or find it on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform.

Additional resources to help you activate health and wellbeing of your Public & Labor organization:

• Free wellbeing playbook for Public & Labor organizations

• Supporting health and wellbeing across diverse populations for Public & Labor organizations

• How HillsboroughCounty made wellbeing a strategic priority

• How Linn County saved $4M by transforming health for county workers

See how Navigate helps cities and counties activate employee health and wellbeing →