Thursday, October 1, 2026
A City of Lacey employee was honored by a local real estate group for her work with the industry last year.
Equity and Inclusion Program Manager Veronica Hand was named Partner of the Year by the Thurston County REALTORS Association.
City Manager Rick Walk announced the recognition on Thursday, Jan. 23.
The association presents the award to individuals whose collaboration and support have advanced its mission.
Hand played a key role in organizing the inaugural Thurston County Homebuying Expo last fall. The free event, held on Nov. 8, 2025, at the Lacey Community Center, connected aspiring homebuyers with housing experts, lenders, realtors, nonprofits and community advocates.
Attendees also participated in a free workshop titled, “Pathways to Homeownership.”
The expo, co-presented by the city and the association, covered topics, including fair housing laws, down payment assistance programs, and barriers to homeownership for low-income and historically excluded populations.
"Her ability to bring people together helped turn an important vision into a truly collaborative, countywide event that supported both current and future homeowners," Walk said.
Hand has also championed access for multilingual residents. She developed Lacey's Language Access Plan and expanded interpretation services to make city services more accessible to residents with limited English proficiency.
Her contributions support the city's 2024-30 Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Strategic Plan. The Lacey City Council adopted the plan in September 2024 following a three-year community input process led by the Commission on Equity.
"We are grateful for Veronica's leadership and congratulate her on this well-deserved recognition," Walk said.
2 comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here
Arete
Happy to see equity and inclusion still alive in our area. Thank you!
Wednesday, January 28 Report this
JKRector
This is a wonderful article.
Wednesday, January 28 Report this