On September 25, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., the new Tacoma Pierce County Health Department Director, Chantell Harmon Reed, will be at the Parkland Spanaway Library for a meet and greet event. Remember to register to attend. And FYI, the Board of Health meets the first and third Wednesdays of the month at 3p.m.

Here is the info from their website on the meet & greet:

Part of moving to a new place is getting to know the community. Who lives there. What we all have in common. What concerns we share. And, in my case, how we can work together to protect and improve everyone’s health. 

That’s the goal of my Community Meet and Greets. 

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been to University Place, Gig Harbor, Fife, and Key Peninsula. In September, I will visit Graham, South Hill, Bonney Lake, Tacoma, and the Parkland/Spanaway area.

It’s been great to get out in the community and hear from people directly. 

At each of these events, I present for about 20 minutes about who I am, who we are at the Health Department, and how I’d like to see us work together. I take questions from the group and then we mingle, so I get a chance to hear from people individually. 

I hope you’ll register to attend so I can meet you, too.

Your voice guides us.

At the Health Department, we know all the proper steps to keep food safe. We don’t know all the complications of owning and operating each restaurant.

We know how often a septic tank must be inspected to ensure it is safely protecting surrounding water from pollutants. We don’t know what barriers you face to make that happen.

We know public health. We don’t always know what you are dealing every day. For us to work together, we need to hear from you. What’s working? What’s not? Where can we come together to protect everyone in our community?

Hearing from the community.

About 15 people joined us in University Place, and all of them were fans of our work. It was great to hear about the successes many people have seen already and learn more about services and ways to partner they’d like to see in the future.

In Gig Harbor, we had a few more direct questions, including some concerns. Chuck asked about streamlining our permitting process and how we are learning from our response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Miriam wanted to know what new services we may be able to bring to that side of the bridge.

All fair questions! I am working to follow up with staff. 

In Fife, we had a smaller crowd but one of purpose. The Mayor was there, as were the Assistant Chief of Police and the Executive Director of Pierce County Libraries. Along with a few other residents, they all wanted to connect so we can work together.

Key Peninsula brought some questions about septic systems and a great conversation about how we can continue to provide helpful services to the remote, rural community. 

With 5 more scheduled, I look forward to hearing from a whole lot more people!

This input helps inform the work we do. We can hear your concerns and help build a response into our next strategic plan. It’s great to hear from local folks about successes. It also helps to hear from critics and investigate what we may be able to improve. 

Let’s meet, greet, and get the ball rolling.

I don’t expect to solve every issue facing our community overnight. Most issues will take time, patience and likely several rounds of collaboration. These Meet and Greets are just the beginning.

But most good things start with a connection. I want to get to know you, and I hope you feel the same about me. I am not only the Director of Public Health, I’m also a member of this community. As such, I will continue to show up and listen.

Getting out and about and hearing from folks around the county is already helping me get to know the community. Who lives here. What we all have in common. What concerns we share. And how we can work together to achieve success. 

I hope to see you at an upcoming meeting soon!

And while you’re here, follow our social media accounts and sign up for the Your Reliable Source blog for regular updates on important public health topics.