After moving to Friday Harbor from California, Teresa Zueger discovered that she would be saving quite a bit on transportation.
“I’ve noticed I haven’t driven my car more than once to go to the grocery store,” Zueger commented. “And coming from California, I don’t think there could be a more fabulous bit.”
Teresa Zueger started her new job as San Juan County Prosecuting Attorney’s new senior criminal deputy prosecuting attorney on April 4. While Zueger may be new to the islands, she made it clear that she isn’t new to the job. She first cut her teeth as a prosecutor in Cowlitz County Washington nine years ago. After a few years she moved to California and worked for the Cupertino City Attorney’s office. She went on to pass the California Bar exam and become a traffic safety prosecutor for the Cupertino District Attorney’s Association.
“My experience in Cowlitz County as well as my time as a traffic safety prosecutor in California – all of that combined – really gave me what I need to do well at this job,” says Zueger. “It’s really where my passion is, in the criminal arena. I think that it’s such an important job and one that’s done by people who really care about the results.”
Working in the San Juan Islands has its own unique challenges. Zueger is familiar with working in smaller cities and organizations. However, there are very few communities like the San Juans, and Zueger is looking forward to conquering her new responsibilities.
“Because there is a small staff you have to be a generalist in everything. It’s quite typical in a prosecution office you are going to have people that specialize in different types of crimes,” Zueger points out. “Whereas here, I will need to cover every type of felony case. That’s a challenge, but it makes the job a little more interesting too because you get to work on a variety of things.”
Zueger says the small, close nature of the islands makes face time and community interaction very important. This excites her, and she is looking forward to having a more personal relationship with the citizens she is serving.
“It really enables you to be more one-on-one with the people you are working with, which is definitely what I like,” says Zueger. “What’s great about this office and this community is that you get to know everyone on a real personal level, and you understand the dynamics behind the cases, and they’re not just cases but it’s more people-oriented.”
Zueger had previously spent a bit of time in the San Juans boating and visiting. Yet, it wasn’t the beautiful setting, nor the calm atmosphere that drew her to the job. It was the reputation of prosecutor Randall Gaylord’s office.
“I did some checking on the office with some friends and relatives in the area, and I learned that the office has a very good reputation, and everyone encouraged me to apply,” Zueger mentioned.
Zueger intends for this position with the San Juan County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office to be her last job.
“I really see myself finishing my career here; that was my goal when I came here and that’s why I was so selective in deciding where I was going to move to,” Zueger says. “I wanted to find a place where I could finish out my career.”
