Federal Way City Councilmember and Deputy Mayor Susan Honda has been elected to serve as the 2023 Vice President of the Asian Pacific American Municipal Officials (APAMO), a subgroup of the National League of Cities.

The National League of Cities represents nearly 3,000 U.S. cities, towns and villages and advocates on their behalf to affect federal policy and develop solutions for challenges the cities face.

Established in 1985, the APAMO “serves as a forum for communication and networking” within the League of Cities as well as policy development and programming for Asian/Pacific American municipal leaders, according to a city press release. Honda was elected in November at the organization’s conference in Kansas City, Missouri.

Honda is not the only local member of the group’s leadership. This year’s group will be led by President Peter Kwon, who is a city councilmember for the city of SeaTac, according to a city press release.

Based on U.S. Census estimates from 2021, Federal Way’s population is 14.3% Asian, 2.2% Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander, and 12% people who are of two or more races. That’s well above the national average of 6.1% Asian, 0.3% Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander and 2.9% people of two or more races.