The 300

Pierce County Executive, Bruce Dammeier announcement.

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 residents and proudly highlighted you and your colleagues’ many accomplishments.

Today’s blog represents my 300th post!  When this blog was first started, I didn’t fully anticipate it would ultimately lead to more than 400 messages!

I want to thank each person who has emailed me in response to a blog post – especially those who have had concerns. I appreciate your feedback and candor – many have shared your personal experiences. I also hear about the blog when I’m out and about visiting departments across the County – and occasionally while out in the community.  While this blog is written for our County team – some people who don’t work for the County have asked to receive it, too.  My wife, Lauren, is a faithful reader!

While never the goal, this weekly blog also has created a compilation of the work of the County over the last six years.  Together, we have told the story of our community during some remarkable times, with the global pandemic at the center of it.

In each blog I’ve tried to reflect our values and reinforce our culture of teamwork and collaboration, and I hope that resonated with you.  And I would like to especially thank the team that helps me publish the blog each week – Lillian Scott, Libby Catalinich and Kyle Schmidtke.  While the words are mine, they add the pictures, graphics, videos and post it. I literally could not do it without them!

Does any blog stand out in your memory of the last six years?  I would love to hear about it!

Thanks for reading 300 blogs, and here’s to the next 100!