Pierce County fired human services director after less than a year. Here’s why
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- Pierce County fired Human Services director Gary Gant effective May 1, 2026.
- Public records show Deputy Executive Scott Nicholson cited gaps in briefing materials.
- County said Gant held an exempt at‑will position and needed to improve performance.
Pierce County Human Services director Gary Gant was fired in April after less than a year on the job. Public records recently obtained by The News Tribune show more of the story.
Messages sent to Gant in March from deputy executive Scott Nicholson indicate officials were unsatisfied with Gant’s job performance, according to the records.
Gant managed and administered the county’s homelessness services and affordable-housing programs and made $217,913.73 annually, as previously reported by The News Tribune. Executive counsel Julie Murray took over as interim Human Services Director on April 14.
Gant could not be reached for comment. Pierce County executive office press secretary Kari Plog told The News Tribune on Thursday that Gant was in an exempt, at-will position and the county anticipated extending an offer to a new director by late fall.
Incomplete briefings cited in performance evaluations
Public records indicate Gant fell behind on leadership’s expectations of him.
In a memorandum of expectations sent March 16, Nicholson told Gant he was concerned Gant was not meeting his role as the senior leader of the Human Services Department, particularly by “ensuring that information and analysis provided to the Executive’s Office is accurate, complete and decision-ready.”
In November, Nicholson said, he “became aware of issues regarding oversight and management of certain Human Services contracts,” including that work had proceeded with a vendor despite the absence of a finalized contract and additional planning and oversight work regarding invoicing and payment deadlines.
In Gant’s annual 2025 performance evaluation, Nicholson said he encouraged Gant “to continue developing a clear, outcome-driven approach to funding and services, particularly as the County navigates changes and reductions in federal funding.”
“This included an emphasis on identifying what programs and services should be prioritized, what may need to be discontinued, and the continued use of data to inform decisions, evaluate service effectiveness and guide funding priorities,” Nicholson said in the memorandum.
In January and February 2026, briefing materials and responses prepared by the Human Services department reviewed by the Executive’s Office “did not fully address the analytical questions necessary to inform policy or funding decisions,” Nicolson said.
Briefing materials related to the Homeless Housing Program funding decisions in particular “contained formatting errors, lacked clear articulation of options and recommendations, and did not adequately explain the rationale for funding decisions, timelines or next steps,” he said.
Despite further direction, “recent materials provided to the Executive’s Office in late February 2026 and early March 2026 continue to reflect gaps in analytical completeness and leadership review,” Nicholson wrote. Inadequate data and analysis, and the omission of key information in street outreach and shelter spending briefings were also cited in his message.
“Leadership briefings should help reduce uncertainty for decision-makers and should present a clear analytical understanding of the issue, rather than requiring multiple rounds of follow-up to obtain fundamental information,” Nicholson said. “When this information is not clearly and accurately presented in briefing materials, it delays leadership’s ability to make timely funding and operational decisions. Such delays can have significant consequences, including disruption or loss of services to vulnerable residents of Pierce County, uncertainty for service providers relying on County funding, and the potential need for contract amendments or other administrative actions that place strain on procurement process compliance and financial oversight.”
Moving forward, Nicholson said he needed “to see significant improvement” in Gant’s performance. In particular, Nicholson cited areas of improvement in the review of and quality of executive briefings, monitoring and management of contracted programs, and staff guidance and accountability.
“Gary, you are a valued member of the County’s leadership team, and I appreciate the work you and your staff are doing on complex issues affecting our community,” Nicholson said. “If you have questions about this Memorandum or about these expectations, please seek clarification. As I evaluate your performance moving forward, your continued employment is contingent upon meeting the standards outlined in this Memorandum and demonstrating sustained improvement. Failure to do so may result in further action, up to and including separation from employment.”
A month after Nicholson sent that message, Gant was fired.
In an “at-will separation” letter sent to Gant from Executive Ryan Mello on April 13, Mello informed Gant he would be “released from your employment” “in good standing” effective May 1, per public records.
