Councilmember Kim-Khánh Văn appointed to REAL Council by NLC
Published on April 28, 2025
RENTON, WA (APRIL 28, 2025) – Renton City Councilmember Kim-Khánh Văn has been appointed to the National League of Cities (NLC) 2025 Race Equity and Leadership (REAL) Council.
Councilmember Văn was elected to a one-year term to develop and guide programs among local elected officials from similar communities. NLC President Steve Patterson, Mayor of Athens, Ohio, announced the appointment. NLC’s REAL Council is comprised of a diverse group of local leaders encouraging collaboration, networking and the development of resources and programs beneficial to communities that share demographics, size or location that could be replicated in cities across the country. Of the REAL Council, NLC President Steve Patterson remarked, “It is crucial that we bring together local leaders that are representative of all communities to share solutions, and challenges from their hometowns, which are used to develop NLC policies and programs. Renton City Councilmember Văn’s experience in serving as a member of NLC’s REAL Council this year goes a long way to ensuring every city, town, and village has the resources they need to lift up their communities and improve the lives of their residents.”
This year’s council leadership will consist of Chair Andrea Barefield, Councilmember, Waco, TX; Vice Chair Diana Perez, Councilmember, Vancouver, WA; and Vice Chair Timothy Lonergan, Vice Mayor, Oakland Park, FL.
Councilmember Văn is serving her second term on the Renton City Council and was first elected in 2020. Current roles within regional boards and commissions include serving on the Cedar River Council, as part of the Eastside Transportation Partnership, an alternate on the Local Hazardous Waste Management Program Management Coordination Committee, a member of the South County Area Transportation Board, and the WRIA 9 – Habitat Recovery & Management Committee.
She has also been an active member of Renton Rotary, Washington State Association for Justice, President of Kiwanis Club of Renton, and supports honor guard work as a JAG for the United States Volunteer Services - Joint Services Command, and pro bono attorney work with Northwest Immigrants Rights Project. Councilmember Văn is a member of South County Area Transportation Board and an alternate for Local Hazardous Waste Management Program Management Coordination Committee. She has obtained two Bachelor of Arts from the University of Washington, Seattle and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Dayton School of Law in Dayton, OH.
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About City of Renton
The City of Renton, Washington, with a population of 108,800 (2024), is located on the southeast shore of Lake Washington, just south of Seattle. Renton's strong economic base, diverse marketplace, and favorable business climate have attracted nationally recognized companies wishing to provide employees and their families with an outstanding quality of life. Renton is the home of Boeing, PACCAR, IKEA, Super Bowl Champion (2014) Seattle Seahawks, two-time (2016 & 2019) MLS champion and CONCACAF Champion (2022) Seattle Sounders FC (in 2024), and the eternal resting place of rock icon Jimi Hendrix. You can find more information on our website, news releases, Facebook, Twitter, and Nextdoor pages.
About National League of Cities (NLC)
For more information on NLC’s Member Councils, visit: https://www.nlc.org/current-initiatives/member-councils-2/.