Pierce County confirms new communications director after committee review

The Pierce County Council unanimously adopted Resolution R2026‑110 on March 3, confirming the county executive’s appointment of the director of the Department of Communications.

Council staff summarized the legal process and code sections that require council confirmation for executive appointments. County Executive Ryan Mello introduced the nominee and described a competitive recruitment that drew 111 applications; he highlighted the nominee’s experience leading communications at the state level and her approach to building trust across diverse communities.

The nominee addressed the council, described nearly five years leading communications for the Washington State Department of Health and cited experience managing communications through a pandemic and other crises. She said she plans a 30‑day listening tour to gather qualitative feedback and to work on strategic improvements including language access and cross‑departmental coordination.

Council members praised the nominee’s background and commitment to improving outreach and language access; no public opposition was registered at the podium or online on this item. The clerk called the roll for confirmation and the council recorded seven ayes and zero nays.

Notes on the record: the transcript contains inconsistent first‑name spellings for the nominee; the clerk read a form of the name as presented in materials while speakers introduced the nominee with different given names. The council confirmation and the nominee’s stated priorities remain clear in the public record.