Author: lcatali

For the first time in several years, our family’s Thanksgiving gathering will be larger! We’ve been looking forward to returning to something that resembles a typical holiday. With some wise precautions, this is the year. My sister and brother-in-law will be flying in from the East Coast.  They’re the parents of the cross-country Olympic skiers I wrote about last winter. My brother is quite the foodie and always prepares an amazing meal!  As for me, my talents shine after dinner, as the “dishwasher in chief.”  It will be wonderful to be with my siblings, and many of our children and grandchildren! For me, the holiday is not just about a great feast with those I love.  There are many other things that make this time of year special. We just…

Recently, I joined a group of County employees at the Environmental Services Building to welcome them to a very important training session.  This was my third time welcoming folks to this particular class this Fall and we hosted the class several times before COVID. The class is called “Government to Government” and the goal is to teach our colleagues about Indian Tribes and how to effectively interact with the leaders, members, and employees of our local tribal partners.  We are very fortunate to have Pam and Gordon James lead the class.  Gordon was a former tribal leader with the Skokomish tribe and Pam is a member of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation.  They do a great job presenting the information and engaging the students! When I welcome the…

This is an early edition of the blog since tomorrow is Veterans Day. I had the honor of speaking at the Puyallup American Legion’s annual Veterans Day event last weekend and I’d like to share a portion of my remarks that day with you. Back on September 2nd, I attended the opening ceremonies of the 43rd Annual Puyallup Tribe of Indians Pow Wow.  The Pow Wow is an amazing celebration of Native culture.  Nearly 100 dance groups and drummers from tribes across the country assembled to preserve and elevate their heritage. The Pow Wow begins with a processional to welcome every dance group.  As they enter the huge event tent, they dance in a circle, coiling like a snake, until everyone is dancing together.  However, leading the procession was a…

It was quite a celebration on Wednesday night at the McGavick Center!  A room full of our Pierce County colleagues and some family members gathered to recognize long-time employees with anniversary milestones and cheer the winners of this year’s Standing Ovation Awards.  Enthusiastic smiles, hugs and handshakes abounded at the first in-person banquet we’ve held in several years. As the group settled in for dinner and dessert, the stars of the evening began to shine. In a profile that touched the heart of every animal lover in the room, we learned about how Josh Drye in the Prosecutor’s Office is an advocate for animals – including those who have been abandoned by the very people who were supposed to protect and take care of them.  Thank you, Josh, for supporting…

Hope is powerful.  Without it, despair sets in.  But with hope, nearly anything is possible.  This week I witnessed that power in our community - not once but twice! As you may have seen in the recent news release, this week we presented to the Council a bold and smart plan to create a new community for chronically homeless people in the county.  A place where people trapped on the streets, many with untreated addiction and mental illness, can be restored and recover. Modeled after the successful community outside Austin, Texas, this village of microhomes with supportive services, gathering spaces, healthcare, and microenterprises would bring dignity, hope and a home for about 270 people who have been without a stable home for years. You can read more about the plans…

There’s an old nautical expression you don’t hear much anymore.  When a ship is ready or prepared for action, she is described as “yar.” (Not to be confused with the better-known pirate saying “Arr!”) Last Sunday, Pierce County welcomed a new teaching vessel, and she is yar, indeed. The MV (motor vessel) Doolin-Rogers arrived at her new home on the Foss Waterway, escorted by the Pierce County Sheriff’s boat, the Mundell (named for Deputy Kent Mundell), as well as the Tacoma Police and Fire boats.  She was greeted by boats from the Tacoma Yacht Club lining the waterway.  The afternoon was gorgeous and the Doolin-Rogers and many of her greeters were “dressed” for the occasion - nautical for displaying their signal flags in a decorative fashion. The new vessel, owned…

We are in the middle of Hispanic Heritage Month, where we recognize and celebrate the incredible contributions of the Hispanic culture and community to our nation.  In Pierce County, two people who exemplify those contributions are Councilmember (CM) Paul Herrera and Deputy Ernest Cedillo. I’m thankful for both their service and leadership at Pierce County, and for inspiring young people - especially Latino kids - to aim for a career in public service. They got together recently to talk about their shared Mexican heritage and what it means to them, both personally and on the job. Take a look: [embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZojT3mx3zI[/embedyt] As he mentioned in the video, CM Herrera is the first Hispanic member of the Council.  He is also the only veteran among the seven councilmembers. In fact, his…

With apologies to Gerard Butler and his gladiators, a different kind of 300 has created a bit of history here in Pierce County. Almost six years ago, I was newly elected as the Pierce County Executive - coming from my work in the State Legislature.  I knew it would take some time for us to get to know each other, and that many of you were both curious and potentially nervous about the new Executive.  That was the catalyst for this blog! My goal was to give you a window into the many facets of the County that I see each week. Along the way, I wanted to be transparent and candid. The tone and content often reflect what I experienced. I’ve shared my emotions when we lost colleagues or…

I’ve mentioned before in this blog that I love history.  I find it fascinating and instructive to learn from noteworthy people from all facets of our world. Much of the way I enjoy those lessons is through reading. I typically have 2 or 3 books that I’m reading at any given time. You can imagine my excitement when I recently had the opportunity to learn about history in-person from the actual people who made it! It was a gift to be able to hear first-hand about the groundbreaking Centennial Accord that formalized the relationship between the 26 federally recognized Indigenous tribes and the state of Washington. The Accord was entered into on August 4, 1989, and was timed to coincide with the centennial celebration of Washington statehood in June of…

It’s here! My favorite time of year. I love everything about fall. The weather cools off and the risk of wildfires diminishes. The chilly nights and crisp mornings just dare you not to get cozy with a warm mug of something tasty, a dog and a good book. Some of my favorite sports teams I follow play in the fall.  There is nothing like Friday night lights at Sparks Stadium, cheering for Navy, and watching the Huskies (I will be in the stands this Saturday against Michigan State!).  Then there’s the Seahawks - I am still relishing the win over Denver!  And how about those Mariners?  I am following each game.  They are an exciting young team - reminiscent of the 1995 roster - and look to make the playoffs!…

While it’s a rather indelicate topic, properly disposing of human waste while on a boat is no laughing matter.  Okay, you can giggle a little bit. Back when I was a boy on our sailboat, the marine toilet discharged directly overboard – gross and bad for the Sound!  Today, we are much smarter and better at protecting our marine environment.  All of Puget Sound is now a “no discharge zone,” so marine toilets flush their “black water” into an onboard holding tank. But when the tank is full, how do you empty it?  Many big urban marinas have “pumpout” facilities on a dock that suck the contents of the blackwater tank and pump it into the local sewer system.  Other large marinas have small pumpout boats that come directly to…

When we talk about diversifying our workforce, promoting equity, and including all voices in our work (DEI), people might assume it is just about increasing the numbers of people of color, or the percentage of women in leadership positions, or respectfully reflecting a person’s gender.  Those are important elements of our work to strengthen our team and better serve our community. However, there’s another aspect to diversity you may not always associate with our DEI work – our employees with prior military service. With Joint Base Lewis-McChord in our backyard, and naval bases throughout Puget Sound, we also strive to benefit from the ready supply of skilled veterans.  These veterans are leaders who have worked in teams to accomplish their mission and are committed to public service. Additionally, they frequently…

All, I found a cryptic note in Bruce’s office. I think he has been hiding clues in his blog posts this whole time. Can you help me crack this code before he returns? Here’s what I’ve figured out so far: This goes all the way back to the beginning. Start by opening Bruce’s first blog post from January 13, 2017. Apply Clue #1 to that blog post to find a year, month, and date of another blog post. I repeat: you are looking for a year, a month, and a date. You then navigate to the next post by typing in this web address: https://blog.piercecountywa.gov/executive/yyyy/mm/dd with the correct year, month, and date substituted in. For example, if the clue leads you to January 13, 2017, you will enter https://blog.piercecountywa.gov/executive/2017/01/13 into…

Former New York mayor Ed Koch was famous for his impromptu walking tours of the city. He asked everyone he came across the same question: “How am I doin’?” Our version of “How am I doin’?” is an Internal Services Survey, an opportunity for employees to evaluate the performance of departments we all rely on: Communications; Facilities; Finance; and Human Resources. Of about 3100 employees, 566 responded -- about 18%. Complete results will be available in the next week or so. Most of the ratings are positive or very positive, but the survey raises questions similar to what I hear at meetings and in conversations. They deserve answers. Predictably, they’re all related to wanting faster service. FACILITIES. Despite high ratings for the quality of their work, I’m occasionally asked about…

By the end of this summer, I will have attended 5 weddings. But the one I’m attending this weekend has a twist – I’m the officiant! My niece and her fiancé asked me to officiate at their outdoor wedding on Saturday.  It will be the fourth wedding I’ve conducted.  I’ve also served at four funerals, but that’s another story (and not a movie!) The first wedding I did was for my sister 30 years ago. She’s still married so I think I did a pretty good job! The other weddings were also for family members so I’m kind of a “niche” service provider. Serving at a wedding is sort of like speaking at a graduation – which I’ve also done. You have a spotlight, but no one really comes to…

This past Tuesday our Executive Team had a farewell luncheon for Patty Harper who has served as the “first impression” for our office.  While we will miss her on the 7th Floor, we are excited for her new opportunity with the Finance Department! At the lunch, I asked a question of the group: “What is your favorite thing to do in Pierce County on a sunny 90-degree day?”  Not surprisingly, their answers involved getting outdoors!  They included: biking on the Foothills Trail (early or late in the day); hiking in the hills; picnicking in a park; floating on a lake; and my favorite - boating with a refreshing dunk in Puget Sound!  We also had a spirited debate between swimming in fresh or saltwater! There is no better time of…