Year: 2023

  There are so many “rites of spring” underway right now. March Madness is upon us. Did you see the amazing Sweet 16 Game last night where Gonzaga beat UCLA in a classic? The days are getting longer and a bit warmer. Trees and plants are sprouting new leaves and of course the daffodils are out - and not just the flowers! I look forward to meeting the Daffodil Court each year.  Spending time with these incredible young women, representing high schools from across the county, is encouraging and inspiring. You can’t talk with them - listening to their accomplishments, plans and dreams - and not be hopeful for our future.  They are leaders today and will be our leaders of tomorrow. I hope the sunny days this past week…

This last Wednesday I delivered my annual State of County Address at the Steilacoom Town Hall.  I was honored to be joined by Nisqually Tribal Chairman Willie Frank III, Bobby Whitener from the Squaxin Tribe, Judges Tim Ashcraft and Kevin McCann, Auditor Linda Farmer, Council Chair Ryan Mello, Councilmembers Dave Morell, Jani Hitchen, Amy Cruver, and Paul Herrera.  Beyond our host, Steilacoom Mayor Dick Muri, we were also joined by Mayor Victoria Woodards of Tacoma and Mayor Kathy Hayden of Sumner.  But I especially appreciate those of you who took time during your lunch to hear more about what we are focused on this year. During this speech, I spoke of the importance of hope, dignity, and purpose in the human experience. With all three, you are likely living a fulfilled…

This month is Women’s History Month, and this past Wednesday we recognized International Women’s Day. If you look at the history of Pierce County, you will be amazed at some of the women who blazed trails for the women leaders we have today. Authors Deb Freeman and Michael Ann Konek wrote a book titled “Leading Ladies: Twenty-one of Tacoma’s Women of Destiny.”  Three of them stood out to me.  Clara Antoinette McCarty Wilt (born in Steilacoom, lived as a child in Sumner, and as an adult in Tacoma) was the first graduate of the University of Washington (then called the Territorial University) and the first woman to hold public office (Superintendent of Pierce County Schools). Tacoma philanthropist Franke Tobey Jones was a key backer of what is now the University of Puget Sound…

I have a robe that I wear in the morning.  It keeps me warm on cold winter days when getting the coffee for my wife.  My robe is not symbolic of a foundational element of our society (although I still have a West Point bathrobe I won in a bet on the Army-Navy game more than 40 years ago!).  And even when “zooming” into a meeting, I would never think of wearing my robe to work!  But we have over 40 colleagues who do wear robes to work every day - and these robes represent their impartiality, objectivity, wisdom, and fairness. Many of us will never see the inside of a courtroom unless we are serving on a jury (and please answer that summons!).  However, what happens there is a…

In celebration of Black History Month, we asked Delmar Algee of Human Services to chat with our partners from the Tacoma Ministerial Alliance (TMA). The team at TMA is doing work today that will change the history of many people in our community. You will see in the video below a fantastic example of what can happen when people use their shared cultural experiences, knowledge, and respect to build bridges and develop trust. In many instances, it is only because of that common culture that a struggling person accepts an offer of help. Located in the Hilltop community in Tacoma, TMA works to prevent people in the African American community from sliding into homelessness.  Additionally, their staff reaches out to those without a home to give them the support and…

One of the best parts of this past week was meeting with the chairs of the four new employee resource groups (ERGs) that launch today! If you haven’t heard the term before, an ERG is an employee led, self-directed, voluntary group that offers employees an opportunity to network, develop their careers and help us attract new employees. ERGs offer people with similar interests or backgrounds the chance to meet on their own time to provide support, encouragement, allyship and some fun.  Currently, we have ERGs serving the LGBTQ+, Black/African-American, Hispanic/Latine, and Veteran employees. Along with Raul Leal-Trujillo of Human Resources, I met this week with the chairs of the four ERGs: Anika Moran (Human Services), Aaron Copado (PPW), Matt Milenkovic (Human Resources) and Eric Brown (PPW). They welcome everyone who…

  It was hard to watch.  A year ago, Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine. (Actually, the Russian efforts to subjugate Ukraine extends back to 2014 with the annexation of Crimea). Many of my generation and older can vividly recall Soviet tanks rolling into Czechoslovakia in 1968 to crush an independence movement - and before that in Hungary in 1958.  But this time was different.  The Ukrainian people stood up to what appeared to be the overwhelming Russian military.  They fought for their freedom - and I was inspired by their courage. But they could not stop the devastation wrought by the invading forces.  Cities, homes, schools, and hospitals were attacked, and many civilians had to flee their country which had become a war zone.  Millions of refugees fled - to…

This week we launched a critically important tool to make sure we serve everyone in Pierce County. The Equity Index website is now live and County employees are getting trained on how best to use this new way to consider the breadth and impact of our programs and initiatives. You can learn more about the Index here and I encourage you to check out the interactive maps that allow you to see how a proposed project can benefit those who need it most. [caption id="attachment_3866" align="aligncenter" width="1764"] A screenshot of the Equity Index across Pierce County[/caption] [caption id="attachment_3867" align="aligncenter" width="1679"] A screenshot of the map that shows access to a variety of services and support[/caption] I think it is fair to say that in the past, investments and policies were…

Last night (and this morning), I was out in the field as part of our annual Point in Time (PIT) count of chronically homeless residents.  Each year, our Human Services team leads a community effort to conduct this “Count” to meet a Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requirement.  It is a big effort. In the weeks leading up to the Count, teams are collecting food, Gatorade, clothing, hygiene kits and other items to distribute. In addition, they are bringing together counting teams made up of service providers, Human Services staff, community volunteers - and several County elected officials!  They also prepare maps of the County so we can fan out to count and interview many of the chronically homeless living unsheltered in our community. Other teams count…

The iconic naturalist John Muir once famously said, “The mountains are calling, and I must go.” Those of us blessed to live in this region can appreciate Muir’s sentiment.  We look at Mt. Rainier and the Cascades each day (when the clouds allow), and many of us answer the call to connect with the grandeur of our environment - hiking, backpacking, snow shoeing, and skiing.  Looking at nature from afar is great - but being in it is awesome! This week I reflected on connecting as part of the groundbreaking for a new pedestrian bridge being built across the White River.  This new bridge will extend our amazing Foothills Trail from Buckley to Enumclaw.  When finished, the bridge will connect two cities, two counties, two communities - and it took…

If you’re like me, when you were a kid you played the game, “Red light, green light.” It was no game, however, when I visited the STOP (Sewer and Traffic Operations) facility where our traffic lights are made, tested, repaired and managed. My thanks to Vern Page, a supervisor in Planning and Public Works, for his tour of their spaces.  It was fascinating to see into the guts of our traffic signal control cabinets! Did you know that our team takes care of about 250 signals throughout the County - and nearly 100 of them are in incorporated cities and towns? I also learned that today’s signal lights last longer, are more reliable, and use much less energy than those from years ago.  Despite what you see in the movies,…

  As a kid, I kind of liked power outages - it was an adventure where we used candles!  As an adult?  Not so much.  I need to make sure I am prepared, including updating my emergency kit.  Do I have fresh batteries for my flashlights?  Has the food expired?  Are my gas cans full? *If you don’t have a home emergency kit, checkout helpful tips here. And when the power goes out, it is, at its best, inconvenient – just resetting all the clocks and timers is a hassle! As the County Executive, I really don’t like power outages.  I know many in our community are ill-equipped to deal with a prolonged outage.  Most household budgets would be hit hard by throwing out a refrigerator or freezer full of…