Month: July 2021

  Last Saturday morning I arrived at the new Stan & Joan Cross Park in Frederickson well before the ribbon cutting was scheduled. That was when I was reminded just how special this place is. I bumped into Ben Heeb, who I have known for over 20 years but had not recently seen.  He was wearing a “Friends of Stan & Joan Cross Park” (“The Friends”) green t-shirt.  Sadly, Ben shared that his wife had recently passed away and showed me a bench just outside the walking path near the playground that was named in her honor.  Ben told me she wanted her memory to be tied to the park and what it has become for the community. I have talked about “the Pierce County Way” before - that WHAT we…

As most of you already know, I love reading.  A good story can take me back in time and educate me.  A great story can also broaden my understanding and change my perspective.  Bestselling author Daniel James Brown is a gifted storyteller who can bring people of the past to life – sharing their experiences, challenges, and reactions in incredible detail and complexity – yet keep you riveted throughout.  His book about the UW crew team that won the 1936 Olympic Gold Medal at the Berlin Games in Nazi Germany  was masterful. So, when Brown released “Facing the Mountain: A True Story of Japanese American Heroes in World War II,”  it became my summer vacation book to read! And it exceeded my expectations! Brown follows several young Japanese American men…

I’m right back where I started. Well, kinda. When many people think of working for local government, job security and good benefits come to mind. To be honest, that’s why I initially applied to Pierce County over 22 years ago. I first joined the Pierce County Executive’s Office in March 1999. I had little-to-no knowledge about local government (I learned the staff were motivated by the fact that I had experience with Microsoft Word as they were switching over from WordPerfect) but I quickly learned with the bird’s eye view working at the front desk as an office assistant. More than 22 years, two departments and six titles later, I’m back working in the Executive’s Office as an executive assistant.  And, my “why” has changed. I’m invested in my community.…

Since 2017 we’ve had a strategic plan that identified our mission, vision, values, and several key objectives designed to address the needs of our residents. Now that we’ve had the benefit of more than four years of seeing the plan in action, I’m pleased to share an updated version of that plan with you via this blog. For the last several weeks, we’ve had a team of leaders working on plan refinements that better reflect the current state of the county. The first thing you’ll notice in the updated plan is a revised vision statement: “A place people are proud to call home.” Not only is the updated vision statement quite a bit shorter, it also leaves room for people to interpret it in a way that speaks to them. …

While the COVID-19 virus has not been fully eradicated, we are seeing exciting milestones that signal we are on a brighter path. The governor officially “opened” the state this week, ending many of the restrictions that had been put in place.  On Wednesday I rescinded the emergency proclamation that I signed on March 6 last year. And we learned that Husky Stadium will be rocking this fall – Bow Down to Washington! Now it’s time for us to help our residents and their businesses recover from the devastating economic toll the pandemic took on their livelihoods. One area of particular importance is our agriculture community.  Our local farmers sustain us year-round, but I especially appreciate them in the summer when I can enjoy fresh corn, sweet berries (with ice cream,…