Established in 2019, the Lacey Youth Council is an advisory body to the Lacey City Council. The Lacey Youth Council provides a youth voice in our community. The Youth Council is comprised of sophomores, juniors, and seniors from North Thurston Public Schools, Pope John Paul II High School, and home school student bodies. The council elects a youth Mayor, Deputy Mayor, and Clerk. Four councilmembers also serve as youth representatives on the following advisory boards: the Parks, Culture, and Recreation Board, the Commission on Equity, the Historical Commission, and the Library Board.
Members of the Lacey Youth Council meet twice monthly during the school year. At these meetings they learn about how their local government operates and current projects at the City. Youth councilmembers report to the Lacey City Council once a month, providing updates from their schools and their Youth Council sessions.
Each year the Youth Council works on projects and participates in events such as:
• A joint work session with the Lacey City Council
• A joint session with the Commission on Equity
• The Lacey Spring Fun Fair
• Hosting the Lacey Youth Summit
2025-2026 Lacey Youth Council
| Councilmember | Council Role | High School |
| Dior Trinh | Mayor | Senior – River Ridge High School |
| Isabella Valerio | Deputy Mayor | Junior – River Ridge High School |
| Makayla Pennington | Clerk | Senior – River Ridge High School |
| Matthew Mandig | Social Media Coordinator | Senior – Timberline High School |
| Aryan Kumar | Representative to the Parks, Culture, & Recreation Board | Senior – Timberline High School |
| Avani Kumar | Representative to the Historical Commission | Senior – Timberline High School |
| Luka Froehlich | Representative to the Library Board | Junior – Home School |
| Michelle Ewig | Representative to the Commission on Equity | Junior – North Thurston High School |
| Jennifer Zheng | Representative to the Human Services Commission | Junior – North Thurston High School |
| Joel Whipple | Councilmember | Senior – North Thurston High School |
| Caleb Kim | Councilmember | Senior – River Ridge High School |
| Makayla Lesane | Councilmember | Junior – River Ridge High School |
| Shalom Mutua | Councilmember | Junior – Timberline High School |
| Harmony Johnson | Councilmember | Sophomore – River Ridge High School |
| Heeyoung Kim | Councilmember | Sophomore- River Ridge High School |
2025-2026 Cohort Accomplishments
On December 17, 2025, the Lacey Youth Council attended a joint meeting with Olympia youth representatives, where members presented to their peers about their personal favorite aspects of being part of the Lacey community. Check out their presentation below.
Who is eligible to serve?
Students who will be a sophomore, junior, or senior during their terms and are students enrolled in North Thurston Public High Schools, Northwest Christian High School, Pope John Paul II High School, or home school organizations in Lacey.
How many students serve on the Youth Council?
The Lacey Youth Council has 15 seats.
How long is a term?
Lacey Youth Council terms are one (1) year, from August to June.
How many terms can I serve?
Lacey Youth Council members can serve up to three (3) terms.
