Bellevue City Council Member Patsy Bonincontri will be honored Friday at a “Women of Color Empowered” luncheon honoring women of color in government.

“This is a wonderful way to recognize women of color in public service”, says Bonincontri, who has served on the Bellevue City Council since April 2008. Appointed to replace Connie Marshall, Bonincontri was one of several dozen to apply for the position, and earned the appointment through a series of public interviews with the council members. She is on the ballot this November to be elected to retain her seat.

“It’s important to recognize how much women, and particularly women of color, make a difference in our communities when they serve the public,” said Bonincontri.

Bonincontri is a project manager at Puget Sound Energy, and served as the chair of the Bellevue Planning Commission from 1998-2007; the Sound Transit Citizens Oversight Panel from 2004-2008; and the Bellevue Construction Codes Advisory Committee from 2002-2003 before her appointment to the council.

Born in Hong Kong, she moved to the U.S. to attend college and lived on the East Coast and Japan before moving to Bellevue with her family 16 years ago.

The “Women of Color Empowered” luncheon will be held from 11:30-1:30 p.m., at the China Harbor Restaurant in Seattle. For more information on the luncheon, contact event co-sponsor NW Asian Weekly at rsvp@nwasianweekly.com.