Pierce County Council confirms Ryan executive's pick, Aurelle Soli, as emergency management director

Pierce County Executive Ryan Mellow introduced Aurelle Soli to the Pierce County Council on May 6, and the council voted 4-0 to confirm her as director of the Department of Emergency Management.

The appointment attracted committee review and public council discussion before the vote. “I am quite thrilled to present to you Aurelle Soli for confirmation,” Executive Ryan Mellow said, describing a multi-step recruitment that produced 22 qualified applicants and included interviews with internal staff, fire and law enforcement chiefs, labor partners and first responders.

Soli has been serving in an acting capacity since mid-April and has nearly 20 years with the Washington State Patrol, where she held roles including Homeland Security Commander and senior policy advisor for Homeland Security and Emergency Management, the executive said. The executive said Soli has already started building relationships with partners including South Sound 911 and local police and fire chiefs.

Council members who spoke during the hearing praised Soli’s early engagement with stakeholders. “She absolutely had a depth of subject area expertise,” Councilmember Denson said after recounting a Public Safety Committee session where fire chiefs expressed strong support. Councilmember Yombe asked what Soli hoped to tackle first; Soli said she was focused on engaging the department staff and bringing stakeholders together to “do the basics well” before scaling up.

The council clerk recorded the roll-call vote as Denson: aye; Ayala: aye; Yombe: aye; Hitchens: aye. The resolution confirming Aurelle Soli (R2025-143) passed 4-0. The council note indicates the appointment had received a “do pass” recommendation from the Public Safety Committee on April 28.

The county code and charter provisions cited during the briefing outline the appointment process: Section 3.3 of the Pierce County Charter places appointment authority with the executive and requires council confirmation of chief officers; the Department of Emergency Management’s duties are codified in the county code and the qualifications and confirmation procedures are specified in code sections reviewed in the staff packet.

With council confirmation completed, Soli will continue leading the department’s ongoing work on emergency communications, urban search and rescue, EMS standards and coordination with human services on inclement-weather response. Councilmembers said they expect continued stakeholder engagement as Soli transitions from acting director to confirmed director.