Olympia City Council to appoint 11 new Youth Council members 

The Olympia City Council is set to approve the appointment of 11 new members to the Olympia Youth Council on Tuesday, Sept. 9. 

The recommended appointees are Addy Pitman, Alaina Wettstein, Amelia Eslinger, Amelia Lehman, Anika Prabakar, Donovan Jojola, Elizabeth Mendoza, Gian Paman, Gretchen Hillier, Pamela Palmerson and Zian Zhao. They will serve terms from September 2025 through September 2026.  

The selection process began in May, with applications open from May 1 to May 31, and included a recruitment event held at City Hall on May 17.  

Of the 16 applications received, 11 candidates were interviewed by a committee consisting of Mayor Pro Tem Yen Huynh, Youth Council Chair Nolan O’Connell, and Youth Council member Shruthi Lingam-Nattamai on Aug. 7-8.  

The Youth Council serves as a voice for young people in Olympia, offering perspectives on community issues and local decision-making.  

“One of the main goals of the Youth Council is to engage and lift up voices and perspectives of people who are often excluded from decision making and lack access to power,” according to the city staff report prepared by Assiant to the City Manager Susan Grisham.  

Data from the Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction show that 40% of Olympia’s public school students are from minority backgrounds, and approximately 20% of students are economically disadvantaged. 

Once approved, the new Youth Council members are going to participate in an onboarding session at the Youth Council meeting on Sept 17. Members receive a stipend of $25 per meeting attended; members qualifying as low-income are eligible for an additional $50 per meeting.  

The city council meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Tuesday, with Youth Council appointments included in the consent calendar.