A Culture You Can See: Milgard School Tours Pierce Transit's Campus

As soon as you step through the doors at Pierce Transit, the energy is unmistakable. Smiles greet you from every corner, laughter echoes down the hallways, and it seems everyone, from bus operators to executives, knows CEO Michael Griffus by name. This isn’t just a workplace; it’s a thriving community, and the Milgard School of Business team recently got a front-row seat to see how it all comes together. This trip has opened the door to exciting new collaborations in executive education, analytics projects, and student engagement related to careers at Pierce Transit.

The Milgard team’s tour coincided with Pierce Transit’s annual employee appreciation day, with a focus on the agency’s 45th anniversary - a day filled with color, camaraderie, and a palpable sense of pride. Employees donned special 45th Anniversary Hawaiian shirts, the lobby showcased retro uniforms and trivia, each department hosted unique game challenges, and staff enjoyed meals with their colleagues, including a hot breakfast prepared and served by the agency’s Executive Team. The festivities were more than just fun; they were a testament to the agency’s deep-rooted culture of appreciation and togetherness.

We first visited the IT Department, where Christian Handsaker introduced the digital backbone of systems inside a bus. It included over a dozen live cameras, specialized communication and GPS routes, safety systems, service diagnostics, and a wealth of analytics that improve the operations. With the growing organization, the need for more qualified employees continues. Dean Merchant, from the Milgard School, expressed his desire to expand the bridge between Pierce Transit and the University of Washington Tacoma and include other schools that can fill these talent needs. These range from practical analytics projects to classroom partnerships.

Next, we went down to Pierce Transit’s Workforce Development Center, where Tiffany Williams highlighted their career readiness programs and partnerships that prepare employees for advancement. This department offers job shadow assistance, career development, cover letter and resume building, tuition assistance, interview practice, and advanced skills training for every level of employee.  It’s no surprise that they manage stellar employee retention with their ability to bring hard-working folks from entry-level to senior management positions. They fill similar needs as the Milgard Success Center and other Centers of Excellence, where career readiness support is offered to students. With the upcoming collaborations, this can act as a two-way street for students and lasting careers.

Traveling through the campus, the Milgard team passed an elaborate Candy Land Arch set up as part of the day’s activities, and down a hallway that led to their HR and Recruitment department. Randal Shultz shared his favorite success stories as a recruiter before he led the Recruitment department. His stories mentioned countless employees who didn’t know what they wanted to do as a career and how, by focusing on their strengths, pairing them with the Workforce Development Center, and advancing through a web of different opportunities, the individuals become model leaders of transformation. This is where Pierce Transit opened up with their desire to engage on campus and send ambassadors, not just for career fairs, but to share their insights in Lunch & Learns, sponsor business events that develop potential candidates into capable ones, and otherwise create a lasting connection that deepens the value for employer and employee alike.

Expanding on the safety protocols, Chief Roberts, in the Public Safety department, outlined the robust measures they take to de-escalate and partner with local law enforcement to keep the community safe. His team shared stories ranging from serving community basic needs to preventing human trafficking.

After that, we traveled to the beating heart, connecting all the departments. The Communication Center, where Milgard Alumni Earl Fowlkes demonstrated the real-time coordination efforts that take place, whether a maintenance challenge, reroute, or safety situation. Discovering Milgard alumni in the professional world isn’t a rare occurrence, but this was a great opportunity to bring these industry leaders back into the fold to engage with students. We look forward to seeing Earl on campus in the future!

Our final stop brought us outside to Maintenance, where Adam Davis showed off the impressive sustainability efforts and preventative care that keep the Pierce Transit fleet running. We rode the bus through its wash and refuel stations, and walked the behind-the-scenes grounds of their maintenance bays while discussing avenues of further strategic partnerships. Every person had an exciting story to share that got the gears turning. How can our Supply Chain Management program prepare students for upcoming business challenges that events like the 2026 World Cup will bring? Pierce Transit services more than just its fleet; through an agreement with Sound Transit, it services Sound Transit buses, which contributes to the growing need for on-time parts shipping and preventative maintenance. Our students will have to be prepared to address these challenges.

From there, we walked out to the ultimate destination- the food truck assembly and impressive car show where passionate employees, including the CEO himself, showed off their cars, both renovated and new. The Milgard team was blown away by the community involvement. CEO Michael Griffus’s leadership style is at the heart of Pierce Transit’s culture. Embracing servant leadership, Griffus is a visible, approachable presence- riding routes, attending pre-shift meetings, and sending personal notes to employees. His weekly “Minute with Mike” messages and quarterly all-employee meetings ensure transparency and foster a sense of belonging (Not to mention he personalizes birthday notes for employees and crafts hand-written notes for every operator that receives a customer compliment!).

Pierce Transit’s commitment to its people is evident in its innovative internal communications. They foster it with several research-based measures like the Blink employee app, which connects even those on the front lines. Employee engagement is measured and improved through annual Gallup Q-12 surveys, with managers collaborating on action plans to address feedback. Wellness is another cornerstone, with on-site gyms, healthy meal events, and wellness days rewarding participation in health programs. In 2024, these efforts earned Pierce Transit the Gold Apple Award from the Association of Washington Cities.

We met employees with two or more generations of their family currently working or retiring with Pierce Transit-
a tell-tale sign that these strategic initiatives are working.

With the World Cup on the horizon, Pierce Transit is preparing to play a vital role in moving fans and visitors across the region. The agency’s forward-thinking approach and strong community ties position it to meet the challenges (and opportunities) of the future. The Milgard School’s visit revealed a simple truth: vibrant culture doesn’t happen by accident. It’s built, day by day, through intentional leadership, open communication, and a genuine investment in people. Pierce Transit, under Michael Griffus’s leadership, stands as a model for organizations everywhere, showing what’s possible when a company puts community first. Together with the Milgard School of Business, new collaborations will pave the way for lucrative careers and strategic partnerships.