Amy Gillespie has more than 15 years of experience in emergency management. She has led several programs including alert and warning, emergency operation centers, planning, training and exercises, and recovery. Before joining Pierce County, Amy worked at King County Office of Emergency Management, Pierce County Department of Emergency Management (PCDEM) and Washington State Emergency Management Division. She has lead programs that earned national recognition including Child Abduction Response Teams, Emergency Management Accreditation, and Complex Coordinated Terrorist Attack prevention. Amy earned a FEMA professional certificate from the Emergency Management Advanced Academy.

Amy became Deputy Director of PCDEM in 2019. During her tenure she has led an emergency management team that has responded to COVID-19, wildfires, civil unrest, 2 high profile trials, and severe weather. Amy advised county leadership on these emergencies and helped direct PCDEM staff as they supported the community.

Amy earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Central Washington University and a master’s degree from the Naval Post Graduate School’s Center for Homeland Defense and Security. She is an International Association of Emergency Managers Certified Emergency Manager.

Court Administrator Chris Gaddis has been with the Superior Court of Washington for Pierce County since 2016.  Prior to working for the court, he worked for over 20 years in law enforcement with the last four years as Chief of Police.  Mr. Gaddis is the immediate Past-President of the Association of Washington Superior Court Administrators and recipient of the 2021 Court Manager of the Year Award.  He is a past member of the Washington State Jury Diversity Task Force and the Washington State Board for Judicial Administration’s Public Trust and Confidence Committee.