Month: October 2023

It’s that time of year when scary stories and horror movies aim to give you nightmares and steal your sleep! At Pierce County we have a fun and not-so-spooky way for kids and adults to enjoy a few chills and thrills together.  Our annual Haunted Headlights drive through display at Frontier Park in Graham continues through Sunday and Jenn Sergent in Parks gave me a behind-the-scenes look! https://youtu.be/pCSClat3bX0 I think the scariest part of that video may have been my spirited sport coat – don’t you?  (It might “come back to life” on Halloween at the County-City Building!). But remember, this video was an up close and personal look from behind the scenes.  Our guests will be viewing from the safety of their cars! The Parks team spends about three…

Milestones in your personal and professional life are important.  They mark significant events that give you a chance to pause and reflect – and, in many cases, celebrate! 1983 was a big year in my life!  I graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and began my active-duty service in the Navy.  But far more significantly, I married then Lauren Anderson.  On October 1st, we committed to face life together, before God, our family, and friends - through all its ups and downs.  And the 40 years since have been one adventure after another - not nearly the life we expected. So, when thinking about how we should celebrate our 40th anniversary, it seemed only appropriate to have another adventure. So, we chose a bike trip on the coast of Maine! …

To start with, this blog is not being written by Chat GPT or any artificial intelligence (AI) - and it took me considerably longer to write than last week’s blog by Brian Hardtke! And I am not even writing it from Pierce County.  I am in Austin, Texas as part of the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber of Commerce’s ASPIRE trip.  Twenty-four local leaders and I are spending two days looking at many innovative programs in the Austin area – we are seeking new ideas that we can bring back or could be coming to our community. Our first stop has some connection to last week’s blog regarding how AI is changing our lives.  Austin is the second major test market for Cruise - the General Motors Autonomous Vehicle initiative.  They currently…

In recent years, we have witnessed a technological revolution that is reshaping the way we work, communicate, and serve our community. At the forefront of this transformation is Artificial Intelligence (AI) and large language models like ChatGPT. These advancements are not just changing the private sector; they are also poised to revolutionize county government in ways we couldn't have imagined before. In this blog post, we will explore the potential of AI and large language models in county government and discuss how we can embrace this future for the benefit of our community. Enhancing Citizen Services One of the most significant impacts of AI and large language models is their potential to enhance citizen services. With AI-powered chatbots like ChatGPT, we can provide 24/7 support to our citizens, answering their…