Month: June 2022

After two long and frustrating years, wedding celebrations have returned! Despite the need to be thoughtful about how we gather, it is great to see families and friends coming together to cheer on newlyweds. I just got back from witnessing the marriage of a close family friend. It was a remarkable ceremony in a very special place, and I want to share some highlights with you. Granted, it’s not every day you are invited to a wedding half a world away but when the bride is from Zambia, of course I RSVP’d “yes!” The adventure began long before my wife, Lauren, and I got on the plane. It started with a trip to the “travel clinic” where we received immunizations, prescriptions for malaria pills and other “travelers’” medications. Three airline…

My name is Lyle Quasim. I have lived in Pierce County since 1967. I worked for Pierce County as the Chief of Staff for the Pierce County Executive from 2001-2009. I appreciate the opportunity to be this week’s guest blogger providing my comments about Juneteenth. On June 19, 1865, the enslavement of Black African Americans officially ended in Galveston, Texas, two years after President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. In recognition of the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation and the official end of slavery, Juneteenth became a holiday established by the Federal Government, the State of Washington and Pierce County in 2021. Juneteenth commemorates the end of the enslavement of  Black African Americans in the United States. Juneteenth is also referred to as Emancipation Day and Juneteenth Independence Day. The…

With the Executive out of town on an adventure I am sure we will all hear about, I have been asked to be this week’s guest blogger!  And if you know anything about me, I am my least favorite subject, but I am also a rule follower who drew the short straw. To my knowledge, I’m the only Pierce County employee to ever serve at the leadership level in the Legislative and Executive branches. I was former Chair Richardson’s Council Assistant for 7 years, Executive Dammeier’s Executive Assistant for 2 years and now sit on his team as the Legislative Affairs Advisor. In these roles, I’ve seen policy development, strategic planning, budgeting, and public engagement from an initial idea to implementation. What I get asked the most is, “how do…

One of the best parts of my job as County Executive is getting out and about to learn more about what you do in service to our residents. I’ve watched you and your colleagues chip-seal our roads, make Sound Gro, conduct autopsies, open new parks, operate ferries, repair vehicles, arrest bad guys and much more. Last month, I had an opportunity to spend time with another co-worker doing especially fascinating and critically important work on behalf of our residents. Cole Roberts is the County’s Deputy Fire Marshal, and his work takes him all over the region investigating and determining the causes of fires. It is highly technical work and draws upon his extensive training and years of experience. As we approached the scene of a recent fire, I was amazed…