JJ Olson has spent more than a decade working inside the Thurston County Assessor’s Office building a career grounded in public service, technical expertise, and firsthand understanding of how the Assessor’s Office impacts real people.

Originally from Minnesota, JJ moved to Olympia to attend Saint Martin’s University. There he served as team captain of the Saint Martin’s soccer team, and was also President of Circle K, the college-level Kiwanis service organization. He earned his bachelor’s degree in business, with a focus on finance and management.

Before having even graduated, JJ began working at the Thurston County Assessor’s Office. The start of a career that would give him experience in nearly every part of the department. He has served as a senior appraiser, appraisal analyst, and now as the Business Applications Administrator, overseeing the appraisal and tax software systems that power the office’s day-to-day work.

JJ has been involved in every stage of the assessment process: from data entry and fieldwork to setting values and defending those values before the Board of Equalization. For the past three years, he has been responsible for setting levies, a role that requires precision, accountability, and a deep understanding of how assessment decisions ripple across local governments and taxpayers alike.

Outside of work, JJ is a husband and a father of four young children. He remains deeply connected to the local soccer community, having played for and coached with FC Olympia, and still plays whenever he can.