Month: April 2023

OK, so I didn’t find an actual fountain, like the explorer Ponce De Leon (some researchers believe he never even actually searched for the Fountain of Youth), but I do know one way to help keep me young. Henry Ford once said, “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young,” and I have found that to be true in my personal and work life. I make it a priority to encourage our colleagues to learn professionally and personally as well. Just this week, I welcomed employees to two “Government to Government: Tribal Relations” classes and celebrated with the most recent graduates of our leadership certification programs! And today, I am heading to Everett to learn more about our ferry, the Steilacoom II,…

Tacoma has two popular slogans, one of which is "The City of Destiny," which originated from being chosen as the western terminus for the Northern Pacific Railroad's transcontinental railroad in 1873. The other slogan, "You'll Like Tacoma," was introduced at the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition in 1909 as a publicity tool and is still popular today despite it no longer standing. It’s a great reminder that Tacoma and Pierce County have a lot to offer.   I was reminded of that fact last Friday when I stopped by Sprinker Recreation Center for our countywide career fair. This year the career fair represented over 25 departments/divisions, and featured on-site interviews, a family-friendly facility, and translation services in Spanish, Ukrainian, Russian, Korean, Samoan, and Vietnamese. I was proud to see so many of our employees…

Every year we honor the amazing people who freely give of their time and talent to benefit our residents.  In fact, this Saturday we are honoring nearly 50 people who give back to our youth, teach us gardening, care for our environment, are prepared for emergencies, and much more.  The annual Volunteer Recognition Brunch is one of my favorite events because it reminds me of what really makes our community so special - the people. One of the people we are honoring may be familiar to those of you who have lived in the region for quite a while.  I was in awe of the incredible achievements of the young boxers from the Tacoma Boys Club. Leo Randolph grew up in Tacoma and attended Wilson (now Silas) High School in…

April weather in Pierce County can be wild!  It clearly lives up to the old adage, “if you don’t like the weather, wait 10 minutes and it will change.”  Last Saturday, we saw blustery winds, hail, drenching rain, sunshine, and cold temperatures alternating throughout the day!  I was in Wilkeson, but my thoughts were with those participating in the Daffodil Parade! Why was I up in Wilkeson?  I was invited to speak at an event hosted by the Pierce Conservation District, the Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR), our Department of Emergency Management (DEM), the Buckley Fire Department, East Pierce Fire & Rescue, Orting Fire & Rescue, the US Forest Service, the US Geological Survey (USGS), the WSU Master Gardeners, the Friends of the Carbon River Canyon, and the Tacoma-Pierce…