John William Ladenburg Sr. is an American attorney and politician. Ladenburg was appointed to the Tacoma City Council in 1982 and elected to a full term in 1984. He was elected Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney in 1986, defeating incumbent Bill Griffies. Ladenburg served as Pierce County prosecutor for three and one half terms and was elected county executive in 2000. He was re-elected county executive in 2004 and left office in 2009 after reaching the term limit for the office. One of Ladenburg's principal accomplishments in office was spearheading the development of Chambers Bay Golf Course in University Place, a municipal facility that hosted the 2010 United States Amateur and 2015 U.S. Open golf championships. The US Open at Chambers Bay had an economic impact of $134 million for the regional economy. Ladenburg insisted on a course that could host a U.S. Open golf championship, although most believed it could not happen.