As a former high school teacher, the end of April and beginning of May always feels like the real start of the sprint toward summer. The days are getting longer, the weather is warming up (slowly but surely), and there is a renewed energy across our city. For my family and me, this past month has been full—from wrapping up soccer season to cheering on the Rainiers (which we have been doing for years!) and staying busy with community events across Tacoma. It’s been a blur in the best way, and I’m excited to share some highlights with you in this newsletter. 

Before diving into those updates, I want to take a moment to welcome our Interim City Manager, Hyun Kim. On April 29, the City Council voted to nominate Hyun to step into the role this summer following the planned retirement of Elizabeth Pauli, who has served our city with steady and thoughtful leadership. Hyun brings a strong track record from his previous work in Fife and Gillette, where he focused on improving services, building public trust, and leading with practical, effective solutions. I’m looking forward to working alongside him as we take on some of the most pressing challenges facing Tacoma today and look for new ways to meet them head-on.

I am also excited to share that we have launched our new redesigned website at tacoma.gov. This new domain and site reflect our ongoing commitment to improving accessibility, usability, and digital security for all users. I hope you'll take a look! 

Continuing the Work: Elevating Senior Voices in Tacoma 

Supporting seniors in Tacoma continues to be one of my top priorities. Earlier this month, I visited the Point Defiance-Ruston Senior Center to connect with residents and talk about how they can stay involved and help shape our city’s future. We had great conversations about representation, access to services, and the importance of staying connected as our community ages. 

Later in the month, I also attended the Senior Resource Fair at the STAR Center—a great event full of information, resources, and community organizations working to support older adults.

I had the chance to walk through the fair with my mother-in-law and connect with staff from Parks Tacoma, which now oversees programming for seniors through our new partnership. It was encouraging to see what’s available—and hear directly from community members about the gaps we still need to address. 

I also presented to the Joint Municipal Action Committee (JMAC) this month, where we looked at updated senior population trends and discussed what it means to serve a county with a growing older population. These conversations are key to shaping policies that support aging in place, safer neighborhoods, and meaningful opportunities for seniors to stay engaged. 

I’m proud to keep leading on this work—whether it’s expanding senior representation on City committees, guiding the Age-Friendly Action Plan, or simply showing up to listen and learn. Together, we can make Tacoma a city where people of all ages are valued and included. Check out opportunities to get involved with our Committees, Boards, and Commissions: Apply for Committees, Boards and Commissions | City of Tacoma.

Housing, Homelessness, and the Work Ahead 

Helping more people find stable, affordable housing—and addressing homelessness—continues to be one of my top priorities. This month, I was honored to speak at the Master Builders of Pierce County Housing Summit alongside Lt. Governor Denny Heck and Representative Michelle Caldier. I shared Tacoma’s work on housing, including Home in Tacoma, the ADU Accelerator Program, and updates to the Multi-Family Housing Tax Exemption. These tools help create more housing options for people across our city. I also talked about how important it is to work with our residents as we build, making sure everyone has a voice in how our neighborhoods grow. 

I also joined Council Member Sarah Rumbaugh at the Downtown Tacoma Homelessness Summit, which was hosted in partnership with the Ruckelshaus Center. It brought together people from all parts of the community—business owners, service providers, neighbors, and people with lived experience—to talk about what’s happening in downtown Tacoma and how we can move forward together. As someone who has helped shape Tacoma’s Homelessness Strategy, I know how important it is to keep listening, learning, and taking action. We need a response that is rooted in respect, equity, and real solutions that improve people’s lives. 

To me, housing and homelessness are part of the same issue. You can’t solve one without working on the other. That’s why I’m focused on both short-term and long-term solutions. As one of the executive co-sponsors of the Pierce County Opioid Task Force, I also understand how deeply connected housing is to other challenges like addiction and mental health. These are complicated problems, but we must take action. I remain committed to a real, hands-on approach—one that expands access to shelter, builds more affordable housing, and connects people to the services they need. This is how we create a safer, more supportive Tacoma for everyone. 

Caring for Tacoma’s Animals: Strengthening Our Approach to Animal Welfare 

As part of my work to address animal overpopulation in our city, I recently had the opportunity to speak at a ribbon-cutting for the launch of the Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County's new mobile veterinary unit, S.P.O.T. This is a big step forward in local animal care that will bring spay, wellness, and outreach care directly into Tacoma neighborhoods. As someone who adopted my dog Atlas through the Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County, this work is personal. I’m proud of the strong partnership we’ve built and of the ongoing efforts by staff and volunteers who work every day to care for the animals in our community. 

Litter Free 253 

This past month, my kids and I rolled up our sleeves, grabbed our gloves and trash bags, and got to work picking up litter around Tacoma. First, we joined the Stadium District Community Clean-Up, where it was great to talk with neighbors while making the area shine. Then, we took part in Litter Free 253—one of my all-time favorite community events. There’s something pretty special about coming together to take care of the city we love, even if it means getting your hands a little dirty! 

As one of the folks leading Tidy-Up Tacoma, I’ve been excited to help support more volunteers across the city who are doing this important work. Whether it’s cleaning up a park, tackling a forgotten alley, or just picking up a few pieces of trash on your daily walk—it all adds up. Tacoma looks better when we all pitch in, and it feels better, too. 

If you’re looking for a way to get outside, make a difference, and maybe find a few mystery objects along the way (spoiler alert: it’s always a sock), I hope you’ll join us this summer and take on the trash in Tacoma! 

The Junior Daffodil Parade 

This April, I had the joy of marching once again in the Junior Daffodil Parade—a tradition I always look forward to! I joined Council Member Sarah Rumbaugh in the Proctor District to wave, smile, and pass out candy to hundreds of families and kids lined up along the route. It’s the largest children's parade in Washington State, and it’s one of the best examples of what makes our Tacoma neighborhoods so special. 

Seeing the excitement on kids' faces, the energy of the bands, and the creativity of the parade groups was such a great reminder of how strong and fun our community really is. Thanks to everyone who came out and cheered us on—I’m already looking forward to next year! 

Cutting the Ribbon on Crunch Fitness 

As someone who played college football and ran the Boston Marathon in 2011, it’s no secret that I love a good workout. I was especially excited to help cut the ribbon at the new Crunch Fitness in Tacoma’s West End—just a short drive from my house! While I’m proudly a YMCA guy, I’m always happy to see more spaces in our city where people can come together, stay active, and take care of their health. 

Crunch is bringing new energy (and some serious gym equipment) to the neighborhood, and it was great to check out the space and welcome them to our community. Whether you're lifting, stretching, or just starting out, I hope you find what works for you. The more options we have here, the stronger and healthier Tacoma becomes!