While a State Trooper, Eric was elected to represent the 31st District in 1994. He served on the Transportation, Judiciary, Agriculture & Ecology, and Rules committees and was a champion for government accountability, reform, and lower taxes. In 2002, President George W. Bush appointed him to be the United States Marshal for Western Washington. During his tenure, he was responsible for security at the federal courthouses in downtown Seattle and Tacoma, and the law enforcement teams bringing fugitives from justice and sex offenders to justice. Over 3,000 suspects from 36 states and eight foreign countries were arrested.
After serving as U.S. Marshal, Eric lead the formation of the first regional fire authority in the state as Administrator. He led the combining and streamlining of three communities fire and emergency medical services into one department — the Valley Regional Fire Authority (VRFA) — to serve Algona, Auburn, and Pacific. He was an active member, and chairman of the Legislative Committee, of the Washington Fire Chiefs Association, promoting statewide public policy for the regionalization of fire services and fire/EMS safety issues.
Throughout his life, Eric served our community – in law enforcement, in the legislature, and in various service organizations. He has been a member of the Auburn Noon Lions Club since 1994, serving as President in 2009, and receiving the Melvin Jones Fellow award in 2012 for his service to the community. He currently serves on its Board of Directors.