As a Pierce County native and Puyallup resident, I love our community celebrations that make our region distinct. Whether it’s the Buckley Log Show, Maritime Gig Festival, Daffodil parade or outdoor concerts at the Curran Apple Farm in UP, we have many great community traditions. But, for me, the granddaddy of them all is the Washington State Fair. Fall is all about school starting, football and the Fair! So of course I agreed to celebrate the opening of the new Farm at SillyVille. It is a great, new free hands-on opportunity for kids to connect to our farming heritage – and where our food comes from too. What child wouldn’t want to be a “farmer for a day” and feed chickens? Think of it as the counter-balance to Sue’s Tech Kitchen…

The culmination of thousands of hours of work and a depressing amount of paper is ending as I finalize the 2019 budget I will submit to the Council in September. Creating the budget every year may be a bit daunting but it’s a critical exercise in aligning the funds taxpayers provide with our priorities and our residents’ needs and expectations. It probably would not surprise you to learn that we received many millions more in requests than the funds we will have available to invest and spend. As a result, a work group from Finance and the Executive team has been spending much of our last two months in a windowless conference room on the 7th Floor.  We have been evaluating department plans and budget requests, assessing where our scarce…

No one wants to think about a shooter in one of our schools in Pierce County.  But, if we are going to do our best to keep our young people safe, we must not only think about such a horrific possibility but we must plan for it. That’s why I was so heartened to learn about the leadership our Sheriff’s Department demonstrated when they planned and hosted a recent school safety training session with area school districts. Chief Jim Heishman and his colleagues created the Pierce County Regional School Safety Summit to bring together educators, school administrators, law enforcement and fire personnel in a partnership to build and teach the curriculum.  Their goal was to bring a consistent approach to safety across all the schools and all the first responders…

Summer is upon us and that means it is a great grilling barbeque season.  And while barbecuing may be perceived as 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration – especially with the hot weather we’ve had lately -  the secret to success is always in the sauces you use and who you invite to share the great results with. Some of my favorite family and friend memories revolve around food.   As a new addition to the County family, I have been soaking up all the terrific outdoor opportunities and food options we have in Pierce County. And wow, Pierce County is cooking up a ton of good stuff!  Like a tech-filled wonderland for the mouth and the mind.  Yes, Tacoma is one of 10 cities on a national tour for Sue’s Tech…

When meeting with employees from our Facilities Department last week, I drew the following question from the hardhat (which contained all the questions they submitted): “Professionally, what are you most proud of?”  That is a very thoughtful question, and while I answered it with them, based on what immediately came to mind, I have continued to reflect on both the question and my answer. For the group, I broke up my answer into segments of my varied work life: During my service in the Navy, one of the highest compliments I ever received was from Construction Mechanic Second Class Faulkner while I was leading a 125-man detachment of Seabees working in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.  Petty Office Faulkner was a great front-line leader, so it meant a lot to me when…

Large handmade cedar bark canoes are on the move.  Some have been on the water and even in the ocean over the last month. Paddle to Puyallup will kick off tomorrow morning and run through Saturday, August 4th as more than 100 cedar bark canoes will ask permission to land and come ashore at the former Ole & Charlie’s Marina at the mouth of the Hylebos Waterway.  Canoes are coming - one from the east coast, as far south as Southern Oregon and as far north as Alaska. Canoe Journey has been going on since it’s rebirth in 1989 when the Paddle to Seattle was organized to commemorate the state of Washington’s statehood Centennial   Starting in 1993 and nearly every year thereafter, a Tribe or Nation has hosted Canoe Journey. This year,…

Late last week I learned that Lowell Porter, our director of the Department of Emergency Management (DEM), is retiring from Pierce County.  While I appreciate his decision, it’s always hard to say goodbye to a trusted and talented colleague. Those of you who know Lowell know that he has been a dedicated and respected public servant for nearly 40 years. That includes his role as the director of Washington State Patrol and several years here at Pierce County heading up DEM. It’s a tribute to Lowell’s fantastic management of the team that we will be able to move ahead in a fairly seamless way while we conduct a search for our next director. That is especially important when you consider that his team has accountability for ensuring smart, effective preparation…

I wrote this blog from BWI Airport (Baltimore-Washington International) waiting for my 7:20 p.m. flight back to SeaTac.  The last two days have been non-stop, including traveling on nearly every kind of transportation: bus from the airport to/from the train station; train to/from DC; cab to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers HQ; and on foot walking around the Capitol Campus. It was as hot and miserable as I remember from my days at the Naval Academy. Today’s suit, which I am also flying home in, will need to go directly to the cleaners tomorrow! However, the issues that caused Councilmember and Flood Control Zone District Chair Rick Talbert and me to make the quick trip were critically important and required face-to-face discussions. First, I learned back in April, that…

I hope you had a fun and relaxing Fourth of July celebration with your family and friends this week! My celebration was colored by two people I met this past week.  In last week’s blog, I highlighted meeting an amazing 98-year-old WWII nurse who served in the South Pacific at the Betsy Ross Open House.  Sunday, I met a 99-year-old Army Air Corps colonel who flew 50 combat missions in a B-24 over Europe. These two amazing Americans reminded me of the tremendous sacrifices that have been made to keep our nation free AND that we have nearly lost the generation that served in World War II. With that as background, I wanted to pass along a book recommendation for your summer reading list.  I am a big fan of…

Earlier this week I read a story in the News Tribune about a teenager who broke into a woman's home in the early hours of Saturday morning.  Her husband was gone on travel, so she was home alone when awakened by her dogs to alert her to a 16-year-old breaking into the house.  The woman grabbed her handgun and shouted a warning down the hallway.  The teen burglar ignored that warning and came down the hall toward her. That’s when she fired a warning shot. I have never had a warning shot fired in my vicinity in a darkened hallway, but it has to be terrifying.  Any remotely rational person would immediately flee to avoid getting shot. But, not this teenage burglar. I was stunned to learn that the first shot…

Can you imagine traveling seventy miles on the water under your own power – no motor or sail? Me, neither! But, earlier this week about 120 teams of intrepid – and maybe a bit crazy – people took on that challenge for the first time in the South Sound. They paddled, pedaled and rowed in all kinds of vessels from the Thea Foss Waterway to the public dock in Pt. Townsend. Called Seventy48, the race was modeled on the popular annual “R2AK” race from Pt. Townsend to Alaska. That race is 750 miles! Our race is “only” 70 miles but you have to complete it in 48 hours. Back in Tacoma, individual stand-up paddlers competed with 4-person sculls and tandem kayaks.  The contestants were outfitted with lights, GPS and every…

Community. You take a collection of people in a geographic area and call that a community. But being a community is a continuous endeavor. It’s that feeling of belonging, that members matter to one another, and everyone is committed to the greater group. It takes everyone, fulfilling small and large roles, to make a place where folks want to live, work, and raise their families. As the new Constituent Services Director, I’ve spent the last few weeks taking tours, meeting employees, and learning about the in-and-outs of various departments. I can say without reservation the Pierce County team is dedicated to building community in big ways! The fervor is widespread! But as we diligently strive day-to-day for a better community, we also need friends, family, and neighbors to guide us.…

We owe the residents of Pierce County as much insight into how their government operates as possible.  That’s why a team of County employees have spent the better part of the last few months designing and developing a suite of online platforms for reporting about Pierce County operations and performance. Under an initiative called “Open Pierce County,” we have made important strides in “opening up” the County to our residents. For example, earlier this year we launched the new portals for requesting public records and reporting nuisance properties. These sites have made interacting with the County and fulfilling requests much easier. Today, we are launching the next phase of Open Pierce County. There are three main components: Open Performance provides employees and the public with data-driven dashboards on strategic measures…

Messages matter.  And, the message we were sending last Tuesday during a press conference was that we want more family-wage jobs for our residents and good businesses are an important part of a vibrant Pierce County! Standing shoulder-to-shoulder with nine mayors from some of our largest cities in the county -- as well as representatives from labor and business -- we declared we want Pierce County to be a place where people can work near where they live.  We want them to have the option to be home in time to coach Little League, attend a school recital, plant a garden, or ride the expanded Foothills Trail. Every day, tens of thousands of our neighbors commute out of the county for their work, spending countless hours on congested roads. What…

Did you know that in 2016, Pierce County had the highest number of children entering foster care in Washington State? Of the 1,700 children currently in foster care in the county, nearly half of them are under the age of 5. While we have many wonderful foster parents, the prospects for some children in the foster care system are bleak.  They are far less likely to graduate high school and far more likely to becoming victims of crime.  Tragically, they have dramatically higher rates of drug use, with many ending up on the streets and being trafficked for sex. I think about this frequently, and ask myself and others how we can ensure our children are raised in stable, healthy families? That’s why I love “Baby Court!” (more…)

As you might suspect, I am frequently asked to give greetings/welcome/opening comments to groups that meet throughout our County. They can range from the Pierce County Prayer Breakfast, to the South Sound Military Community Partnership Elected Officials Council, to the upcoming Agriculture Transportation Coalition (the first time the Coalition has met outside California!).   Yesterday, my remarks were part of our Economic Development Office’s Education Forum. The Economic Development Department focuses on the “work” part of our vision for “a vibrant Pierce County where people choose to live, work, and raise a family.”  Part of our strategy for keeping (and hopefully growing) good employers in Pierce County is to provide opportunities to learn about important issues that might affect their operations. Hans Kueck heads this effort up and yesterday he brought…

Hearing our customers – that is, the residents of Pierce County – gives us the opportunity every day to adapt and improve our work. Their feedback helps us see were we can improve, what investments we need to make, and how we can work together more effectively.  How we respond to that feedback is one of the ways we demonstrate our commitment to accountability and transparency. When I first arrived, I created the Director of Constituent Services position in my Executive Team with nearly 1 million people in mind. Sarah Thomas filled that role until she chose to be home full-time with her infant son. I couldn’t compete with Jackson but I still think he’s a more demanding boss than I am! The director role has several responsibilities, including managing…

Pierce County has come to a crossroads, with two potential routes ahead of us. One path leads us to being a bedroom community for King County. In fact, that is already a reality for about 33% of our citizens who live in Pierce County but work up north. The other path leads to more local jobs right here in the County. It would be better for the many new families moving to our area if they could spend more time together and less time stuck in traffic. The long commute, in a car or on transit, steals time from dinner together, softball games, helping with homework or planting a garden. On one hand, I am thrilled with all the new folks making our neighborhoods more lively and diverse. On the…

It’s never easy saying good-bye to someone you care about, even in the workplace.  It’s even harder when it’s someone you spend much of your day with and who is key to your own success. After 30 years serving the residents of Pierce County – and three County Executives - Connie Perry, Executive Assistant Extraordinaire, is leaving us to enjoy a much-deserved retirement. I think it’s not an exaggeration to state that anyone who has met Connie has been captivated by her warmth and kindness, and amazed at the unabashed joy of her frequent laughter! She is organized, professional, articulate and gracious. But, above these attributes, Connie is genuine and compassionate. Despite the stresses of her work – and, trust me, working in our office is no picnic – Connie…