Meet Doug Sutherland...
An Eastern Washington native, smokejumper, small businessman and elected official with a reputation for bipartisanship, Doug Sutherland was elected as Washington's Commissioner of Public Lands in 2000 after finishing two terms as Pierce County's Executive. Doug and his wife Grace have six grown children and five grandchildren. Currently, they live in Lacey.
A native of the Pacific Northwest and a graduate of Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Doug knows the value that people in Washington place on the environment and the natural resources that are such an important part of our way of life.
During his twenty-four years in government, Doug successfully tackled tough environmental issues by bringing involved parties together to create solutions which protect the environment while avoiding lengthy and needless lawsuits and partisan bickering.
- As Tacoma's Mayor, he worked to clean Tacoma’s air, bringing it up to meet federal standards.
- When Commencement Bay in Tacoma was named as a Superfund cleanup site, Doug brought all parties together to craft a solution which avoided lengthy and costly lawsuits and began the cleanup process quickly.
- He also undertook the nation’s first community environmental assessment to determine the quality of the environment in Tacoma and the impact of arsenic on the community.
- As Pierce County Executive, Doug was co-Chair of the Tri-County Endangered Species Task Force, and worked with Republicans and Democrats to bring back salmon runs in Puget Sound while meeting the needs of a growing economy and the people of the region.
Born in Montana, Doug moved to Spokane as a young boy. As a student at Central Washington University, Doug spent his summers fighting wildfires in the forests of Northern California and Oregon as a smokejumper.
After graduating from Central Washington University with a B.A. in History, he spent eleven years with the Boeing Company.
In 1971, Doug purchased the Tacoma Tent and Awning Company and built it from four employees to 34 during the next two decades. Having seen the impact government can have on small businesses and families, Doug became involved in local politics.
Doug was first elected to the Tacoma City Council in 1980. Two years later he was elected to his first term as Mayor of Tacoma where he oversaw a budget of $450 million and more than 2,200 employees. While there he worked to clean Tacoma’s air and bring it up to meet federal standards.
From 1989 to 1992, Sutherland served as the first City Manager for the city of SeaTac. He was responsible for the creation, staffing and development of municipal services for the newly formed city. He helped lead SeaTac through pre-incorporation operation to its establishment as a fully functioning city in February, 1990.
In 1992, Doug was elected as Pierce County Executive. As the county’s chief executive officer, he administered the day to day functions of 17 executive branch departments and was responsible for a $626 million budget.
A lifetime resident of our region, Doug has used his experience to work with people from all points of view to find balanced solutions which meet the needs of the people of Washington State and protect the natural beauty our state offers.