The annual Hometown Hero award is given to an individual who dedicates an outstanding service to Federal Way and its community.

Every month for the past year, the Mirror has shared stories of remarkable people, each with their own tie to, or purpose found in, Federal Way.

As the rest of the 2025 Best of Federal Way category winners were voted on by the community, the Hometown Hero award is selected by Mirror staff members.

Our Hometown Hero of the year is Lamont Styles who has created a platform for positive change through a barber school. His legacy of advocacy and public service in Federal Way has blossomed into a tool to mentor those new to the career and give back to the community through his free cuts.

In October 2024, we wrote about the opening of Life’s Styles barber school in 2020 and about his vision of Federal Way’s future. Styles moved to the city in 2002 and has been an active community member throughout those two decades.

His vision of the city’s possibility includes the benefit of the rich diversity within Federal Way and what that can create when many unique perspectives can come together to solve problems.

“We could really be the leaders in the nation of what it truly means to be multicultural and working together…You have a chance to work with your neighbor to make things better,” Styles said of Federal Way.

Before opening the school in 2020, Styles was active in civic engagement on multiple fronts.

In 2019 Styles ran for City Council highlighting just these issues including the need to make civic participation accessible and engaging for the community. He also focused on small business incubation and trade industry education, as well tackling homelessness through its’ root causes.

He has also used haircuts as a way to give back for many years, including at a Father’s Day dinner back in 2009 and many back to school haircut events over the years. Through his barber school he is now teaching his students these same values of giving back as they develop their skills with clippers in the chair.

We also celebrate our other Hometown Heroes for the past year:

2024 Hometown Heroes List

January: CJ Rivera

Rivera is a nursing student at the University of Washington who is developing tools to support crisis response for individuals with dementia, providing alternatives to the emergency room for escalated incidents. This work won her an international award for her idea, titled Mobile Dementia Care.

February: Amanda Miller

Miller is the Executive Director of the Federal Way Tool Library where she oversees free access to tools for the Federal Way community. She also has leadership roles in many local organizations, including the Wildwood Elementary PTA, the Soroptimist International of Federal Way and on a parent advisory group for superintendant of Federal way.

March: Juan L. Juarez Ramos

Juarez Ramos was chosen as a Hometown Hero while still in high school for his contributions to civic engagement and his passion for providing access for others to do the same, for his example as a youth leader in the community and for his dedication to breaking barriers to increase representation of Latino leadership.

April: Sania Leuelu

Leuelu worked with dedicated community memberrs and volunteers to start free rugby practices to form the Warriors rugby teams several years ago. His leadership and collaboration have been key ingredients in building a connected adn thriving community around rugby in Federal Way, creating space to celebrate the sport and Pacific Islander culture, culminating each year in the Island Bowl.

May: Frank Fields

Frank Fields has held many roles over the years but one consistent role has been a continuous advocate for those who need it. His advocacy led to the creation of the Senior Commission in Federal Way, brought needed resources to local seniors and even stretches back to his time speaking out for more bus routes when he was a driver in the 1980s.

June: Jeremy Winzer

Winzer is a youth specialist at Progress Pushers, an organization dedicated to guiding, educating and empowering youth who are most affected by societal systems.

July: Suman Kamath

Kamath began a nonprofit after going through the challenging experience of navigating her pet’s cancer diagnosis and the expenses and stress of that inspired her to create Toby’s Hope for Canine Cancer Care.

August: Sarah Ann Hamilton

Hamilton channels her lived experience into creating support systems for survivors of sex trafficking through the organization she helped start, the More We Love.

September: Ashley Pfaff

As a peer support, Pfaff provides understanding, guidance and resources to people involved in the court due to drug and alcohol related issues. She does this work through the Federal Way Municipal Court’s partnership with the organization Peer Kent.

October: Lamont Styles

Styles is our Hometown Hero for the year and has a positive impact on the community through his barber school called Life’s Styles.

November: Katherine Festa

Festa works as a housing coordinator for the King County Department of Community and Human Services, but in her free time is part of FUSION’s board, Chief’s Call for the Federal Way Police Department, a Valley Independent non-law enforcement community representative and a precinct coordinator for the 30th District Democrats. She also takes in Basset Hounds whenever needed.

December: Catherine North

Alongside ensuring Federal Way kids in need receive Christmas gifts, Catherine North serves on the Federal Way Senior Commission — and one of her main goals is seeing the institution of a new Federal Way Senior Center before she dies.

Lamont Styles records guest speaker MJ Burgos, who shares some professional advice from his many years of experience as a barber. Photo by Keelin Everly-Lang / the Mirror Photo by Keelin Everly-Lang / the Mirror Lamont Styles records guest speaker MJ Burgos, who shares some professional advice from his many years of experience as a barber.

Lamont Styles gives barber student Samual Walker ‘Bino’ some pro tips while he works on a customer’s haircut. He is almost done with the barber program and will soon test for his license. Photo by Keelin Everly-Lang / the Mirror. Lamont Styles gives barber student Samual Walker ‘Bino’ some pro tips while he works on a customer’s haircut. He is almost done with the barber program and will soon test for his license. Photo by Keelin Everly-Lang / the Mirror.