With Girmay Zahilay’s Seattle-powered victory in November’s King County Executive race, the county council member’s District 2 seat representing a major swath of the city including portions of Capitol Hill and the Central District is open. In a process that has thrown open questions about how vacancies should be filled on the council, Zahilay has announced three nominees to fill his seat through next year’s election:

Cherryl Jackson-Williams is a seasoned community leader committed to building thriving, equitable communities-with a focus specifically towards Unincorporated Communities. With more than 30 years of experience spanning Behavioral Health, Social and Human Services, and Family and Community Engagement, she has dedicated her career to fostering authentic partnerships between youth and families, government agencies, nonprofits, and private-sector partners. Her work is rooted in the belief that when communities lead, systems can transform—and collective action becomes possible.

Cherryl holds a B.A. in Psychology and Sociology from the University of Tulsa and an M.A. in Counseling Psychology from the New College of California. Her lifelong devotion to youth and family development is personal as well as professional; having benefited from youth and family programs as a child, tween, and teen, she understands firsthand the power of supportive networks and responsive systems. These early experiences fuel her commitment to ensuring that today’s children and families have access to the same stabilizing, empowering opportunities.

Nimco Bulale is a champion of community power, equity, and systems change, grounded in lived experience and over 15 years of leadership across policy advocacy, community engagement, and coalition building. Born in Mogadishu, Somalia, and raised in Seattle and South King County, Nimco’s journey reflects resilience, deep public service, and a lifelong commitment to strengthening communities most impacted by systemic inequities.

In 2025, Nimco joined Seattle Foundation as the Senior Program Officer for Community Programs and the Neighbor to Neighbor (N2N) Grant Program, where she supports grassroots community organizing and capacity-building efforts across South Seattle and South King County. Through N2N, she invests in BIPOC-led, immigrant and refugee-led, and youth-led initiatives advancing racial equity, community power-building, and systems-change strategies.

Prior to joining Seattle Foundation, Nimco founded and led South Sound Strategies, a consulting firm dedicated to supporting grassroots organizations through grant writing, technical assistance, and equity-centered capacity building. She has been a consultant for the City of Seattle’s Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs, and worked at OneAmerica and East African Community Services.

Nimco holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies from the University of Washington and a Master of Public Administration from Seattle University, with a specialization in nonprofit leadership and local government administration.

Rhonda Lewis brings extensive local government knowledge and deep expertise in public service. Her career spans multiple leadership roles across city and county government, with a consistent focus on equity, community engagement, and operational excellence.

Rhonda served as City Administrator of Tukwila, where she directed operations for a city serving a daytime population of over 100,000 people. During her tenure she established the city’s Office of Human Services, significantly expanding services for children, families, and seniors.

At King County, Rhonda served as Chief of Operations for King County Executive Dow Constantine, overseeing nine departments with approximately 12,000 employees. In this role, she directed the creation of King County’s first Zero Youth Detention Strategic Plan and led the development of the county’s inaugural Equity and Social Justice Strategic Plan. She subsequently served as Equity and Social Justice Director for Public Health Seattle-King County before serving as Chief of Staff to then-King County Councilmember Zahilay in his District 2 office.

Rhonda is an alumna of the University of Central Oklahoma, holding a Bachelor’s degree in Business Education and a Master of Business Administration. She is also a graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School’s Women in Power Intensive program.

All three nominees are Black women. Whichever of the three is appointed by the council will become the first ever Black woman to serve on the body in its history, the announcement notes. Whoever is chosen will also create the first ever majority-woman King County Council in its history.

“All three have long records of service to communities throughout District 2. They have worked in a variety of roles supporting families, young people, small businesses, and neighborhoods in the district,” the Zahilay announcement reads. “Their experience reflects the deep community roots that Executive Zahilay prioritized for this appointment.”

Zahilay says the three nominees have “vowed to serve as an interim member and will not run in the 2026 election.”

Unlike the Seattle City Council which has a process of open application followed by the council members agreeing on finalists and voting for the final nominee, the county structure allows Zahilay to nominate his own selections to fill the seat he won in 2020.

In November, Zahilay defeated Eastside county rep Claudia Balducci in the race to replace longtime executive Dow Constantine after the political veteran opted not to seek another term. in a victory powered by Seattle voters. The 38-year-old will be “the first millennial, immigrant, or refugee” to hold the executive seat.

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