Month: December 2023

I have seen many amazing community leaders in Pierce County over the years.  However, one stood out earlier this month when she was honored with the naming of a new 77-unit affordable housing project in the Lincoln District. I first met Patsy Surh O’Connell about 20 years ago when we were both in the local American Leadership Forum’s (ALF) Class IX.  The purpose of ALF is to bring local leaders together in a one-year curriculum to both develop their leadership skills and establish a strong network of community leaders.  The class curriculum included “buddying up” classmates, so you could get to know others and be known.  Patsy was my “buddy” for the class - and remains so to this day. As I got to know Patsy, I learned of her…

Today our community learned the verdict in the trial of three Tacoma Police officers accused in the death of Manny Ellis.  It has been more than three years since that fateful night when Mr. Ellis died in police custody.  Today’s verdict will elicit a wide variety of emotions from our community and co-workers.  I trust we will be there for each other as all of us process the trial’s result. While our system of justice may be imperfect, it is foundational to our democracy and who we are as Americans.  The presumption of innocence and a trial by a jury of your peers are critical safeguards in our society. I would like to express my deep appreciation to the jurors.  These “ordinary citizens” accepted the responsibility of hearing the evidence,…

December brings many celebrations and remembrances for all or us.  One that I look forward to but is also the most challenging is our annual Year in Review video.  It is intended to share the key highlights of our work in the last year with our residents - so they can be reminded of our work on their behalf. Despite the outstanding support of Libby Catalinich, our Director of Communications, and the Emmy-winning PCTV Team (Megan Hutton, David Kellman, Jeremy Acree, Peter Gudmunson and Bryant Hankins), it is a difficult endeavor! Knowing the time limitations of our audience, the trick is choosing what content to highlight from a year’s worth of efforts.  How do you decide what makes the final cut and what ends up on the cutting room floor?…

We have over 3,000 employees with a wide range of critically important responsibilities serving our community.  So, effective two-way communication with our colleagues is crucial!  I work hard to share our values, priorities, and success stories of our work.  Equally important, I appreciate listening to your concerns, perspectives, and ideas about how to make things better.  There are several ways I regularly share with you and your Pierce County colleagues - including this weekly blog.  But the best way to really communicate is through regular, direct and face-to-face meetings - and I had three of those meetings this past week! Monday mornings nearly always start with New Employee Orientation (NEO) at 9 a.m., and this week was no exception!  Getting to know our newest colleagues is a great way to…

In the classic holiday movie, Christmas Vacation, Clark Griswold goes through one calamity after another to create an over-the-top holiday light display at this home. All of us who go through this holiday ritual can relate a bit to Clark and his frustrations. And the movie is also a holiday tradition with our family! If you like slapstick humor, it’s a must watch! Thankfully, our team from Parks doesn’t go through quite as much pain and suffering to put up the beloved annual display, Fantasy Lights!  Fantasy Lights has been delighting residents for 29 years, becoming part of many family traditions!  To learn more about what it takes to create the show, I went behind the scenes in this latest episode of “Inside Pierce County.” As you’ll see, they didn’t…