Executive Leadership

Dan Grimm, Deputy Executive and Chief Operating Officer

Grimm has extensive management experience in both the private and public sectors. He represented the Puyallup, Wash. area in the state House of Representatives for twelve years from 1977 – 1989.  As chairman of the Ways & Means Committee, Grimm was the driving force behind state funding of the Union Station restoration, construction of the Washington State History Museum, the University of Washington Tacoma campus, the Puyallup campus of Pierce College and the state's role in the Puyallup tribal land claims settlement.

 Grimm was elected state Treasurer in 1988 and served two terms.  He led a successful effort to improve the state’s credit rating and reformed the management of state pension funds.

Brian Hardtke, Chief of Staff

Hardtke grew up in Pierce County, living in Bonney Lake, Puyallup, and Orting. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Washington, a master's degree in management and leadership from Western Governors University, and a juris doctor degree from Gonzaga University School of Law, where he graduated first in his class. 

Prior to accepting a position with Pierce County, Hardtke worked in state government. Among other positions, he served as a policy analyst for the State Legislature and Washington State Department of Licensing.

Don Anderson, Executive Counsel

Prior to joining Pierce County, Anderson was an attorney with Eisenhower & Carlson, PLLC since 1981, where he has served as managing partner and chair.  Before that, he served overseas as a U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General officer.

Anderson has served as a Lakewood City councilmember since Jan. 2008 and as mayor since Jan. 2013. Anderson represents Lakewood as a member of the board of Pierce Transit and co-chairs the South Sound Military and Communities Partnership. Anderson received his bachelor’s degree in business administration and his juris doctor degree from the University of Puget Sound.

Steve O'Ban, Senior Counsel

O'Ban has been a trial lawyer since 1987 and serve as the managing partner of the Seattle law firm Ellis, Li & McKinstry PLLC. In 2012, he was elected to the Washington State Legislature, and served in the Senate from 2013 until 2020 representing the 28th Legislative District. During his time in the Senate he served as Chair of the Human Services, Mental Health and Housing Committee, and served as the Ranking Member of the Health and Long Term Care Committee, and as a member of the Behavioral Health and Human Services Committees. His primary policy areas of concentration are mental health, foster care reform, and government accountability.

 O'Ban received his bachelor's degree in history from the University of Washington, and his juris doctor degree from Seattle University.

Sarah Colleen Sotomish, Senior Counsel Tribal Relations

As one of the first tribal liaisons in the state of Washington, Sarah Colleen has thirty years’ experience in the state-tribal/tribal-state arenas. Throughout her career she has worked to bridge the gap between the tribal communities and state and federal governments. From 1990 to 2010 she managed the statewide tribal child support and TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) programs. She eventually began working for the Tulalip Tribes as a reservation attorney, focusing primarily on child support. In 2018, she joined Pierce County to work with our tribal partners to develop and enhance a strong county-tribal relationship.

Sarah Colleen is a citizen of the Quinault Nation, a direct descendent of treaty signers and belongs to one of the hereditary Chief’s families. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Washington.

Catherine Rudolph, Strategic Advisor - Community and Regional Affairs

Catherine Rudolph was the Government Affairs Director for the Tacoma-Pierce County Association of Realtors. In that capacity she worked on land use, transportation, education, and environmental policy development. She served as the Executive Director of the Australia New Zealand American Society in Seattle, and arranged trade and cultural exchanges. Rudolph worked in Marketing and Public Relations for technology companies including Wall Data, Genelex, CD-COM, and NAMSI. 

Rudolph is a graduate of St. Martin’s University and holds a certificate in Executive Leadership from Cornell University.

Alice McDaniel, Legislative Affairs Advisor

McDaniel grew up in Central Texas and has called Pierce County home for almost two decades. She served over six years as Council Assistant to the Pierce County Council Chair. She joined Executive Dammeier as his Executive Assistant in 2018 and now serves the Executive as his Legislative Affairs Advisor. Prior to joining Pierce County, McDaniel worked for Northrop Grumman Technical Services. 

 McDaniel received her bachelor's degree from Franciscan University of Steubenville with a focus in Political Science and History. 

Chris Cooley, Strategic Advisor

Chris Cooley is an alumnus of the University of Washington Foster School of Business and the University of Chicago Law School. His prior local and state government experience includes working with the City of Chicago and the Washington State Legislature. He has called Pierce County home for more than two decades.

Lillian Scott, Executive Assistant to Bruce Dammeier

Lillian Scott is a long-time County employee with over 20 years of service and has called Pierce County home for three decades. She most recently served as a Public Information Specialist with the Office of Communications before joining Executive Dammeier as his Executive Assistant in January 2021. Scott previously worked in the Executive’s Office with Executives Sutherland, Ladenburg and McCarthy. 

Scott received her bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Washington-Tacoma.

Briana Fagan, Executive Administrative Services Manager
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Haley Lytle, Executive Office Assistant
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Mandelyn Tu'ufuli, Executive Office Assistant
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