The City Council enacts all legislation and general policy decisions governing Lakewood. Lakewood City Council consists of seven part-time, nonpartisan members elected every two years. They then hold a four-year term.
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City Councilmembers
- Mayor, Position 7
- Took office: 2012
- Term expires: December 31, 2027
- City Hall: (253) 983-7705
- Email: PBocchi
To email City Council, add their email handle before @cityoflakewood.us
Bio:
Mayor Paul Bocchi is serving in his fourth term on the City Council in Position 7. He was appointed as the sixth Mayor of Lakewood by the Council in January 2026. In addition to his duties as Mayor, Bocchi represents the city on the Pierce Transit Board and on the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee.
Mayor Bocchi was born and raised in Bellingham, Washington. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics/Accounting from Western Washington University in 1985. He began working for the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency as a Bank Examiner in 1985. He worked in the banking industry until he was appointed to an open seat on the Pierce County Council in 2003. After leaving the County Council he returned to banking until 2006 when he accepted his current position as the Budget Legislative Analyst with the Pierce County Council.
Prior to serving on the Lakewood City Council, Bocchi served his community on several boards including Communities in Schools of Lakewood and the Lindquist Dental Clinic for Children. He is also actively involved in St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Lakewood.
Paul has been married to his wife Holly since 1992. They have three grown children.
- Councilmember, Position 5
- Took office: 2021
- Term expires: December 31, 2029
- City Hall: (253) 983-7705
- Email: PBelle
To email City Council, add their email handle before @cityoflakewood.us
Bio:
Deputy Mayor Patti Belle was appointed to the Lakewood City Council in 2021 and was selected by her colleagues to serve as Deputy Mayor in January 2026. She is a strong advocate for community engagement, cultural diversity, the arts, public safety, and sustainable economic growth, and is deeply committed to building an accessible, representative local government that reflects the people it serves.
Born and raised in Port Orchard, Deputy Mayor Belle has lived in Pierce County for more than two decades and has called Lakewood home since 2018. Her public service is rooted in connection, listening to residents, amplifying community voices, and ensuring local leadership is inclusive, transparent, and responsive.
With more than 20 years of experience in communications and marketing, Deputy Mayor Belle brings a professional lens that strengthens public trust and civic engagement. Her career includes more than eight years with The Tacoma News Tribune, followed by senior leadership roles in public-sector communications.
Deputy Mayor Belle serves on the Pierce College Board of Trustees and is an active member of several professional communications organizations. In Lakewood, she continues her long-standing support of arts and culture as the City Council liaison to the Lakewood Arts Commission, reflecting her belief that the arts are essential to community identity, belonging, and economic vitality.
She and her husband, Ron, have been married for 15 years and are the proud parents of their daughter. Outside of work, Deputy Mayor Belle values family time, community connection, and creating welcoming spaces where everyone feels heard and represented.
- Councilmember, Position 1
- Took office: 2026
- Term expires: December 31, 2029
- City Hall: (253) 983-7705
- Cell Phone: (253) 970-2296
- Email: ETalbo
To email City Council, add their email handle before @cityoflakewood.us
Bio:
Councilmember Ellen Talbo was elected to her first term on the Lakewood City Council in 2026. She was born and raised in Lakewood and is a Lakes High School alum. She graduated from the University of Washington in 2004 with a bachelor’s degree in Urban Studies and certificate in Geographic Information Systems, and later obtained a Master’s degree in Urban Planning from the State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo in 2006.
She began working for an engineering consultant firm in 2007 as an environmental and transportation planner for several major highway and transit projects in the Puget Sound region. In 2012 she moved to California and spent the following years in the public sector as a transit program manager in southern California and as a county transportation planner in the Silicon Valley Bay Area, returning to Lakewood in 2022.
Prior to being elected to the Lakewood City Council, Talbo served on the Lakewood Planning Commission as vice-chair. She is a member of the Lakewood Sister Cities Association and actively volunteers with local chapters of various engineering & planning related professional organizations and societies.
Ellen is an avid cycling enthusiast, enjoys razor clamming and shellfish hunting, and rooting for the Mariners with her family.
- Councilmember, Position 2
- Took office: 2010
- Term expires: December 31, 2029
- City Hall: (253) 983-7705
- Email: MBrandstetter
To email City Council, add their email handle before @cityoflakewood.us
Bio:
Councilmember Mike Brandstetter has served on the Lakewood City Council in Position 2 since January 2010. He currently represents the city on the South Sound Housing Affordability Partners Executive Board and the Pierce County Unified Approach to Homelessness Governing Committee. He previously represented the city on the South Sound 911 Board and the Tacoma Pierce County Convention Center Public Facilities District Board. He is the Council liaison to the Community Services Advisory Board. He is also a member of the Washington State Veterans Legislative Coalition.
Councilmember Brandstetter and his wife, Hae Yon, have resided in Lakewood since 1993. He retired from the U.S. Army in 1999 and joined Bates Technical College. At Bates he served as Dean of Academic Instruction and Adult Basic Education; Dean of Engineering, Computer Science and Advanced Technologies; and as a workforce education program manager. He serves as a director on the boards of the Lakewood Multicultural Coalition and the Lakewood Sister Cities Association.
Councilmember Brandstetter holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business and Management from the University of Maryland and a masters degree in Organizational Leadership from Chapman University. He has earned an Advanced Certificate in Municipal Leadership from the Association of Washington Cities.
- Councilmember, Position 3
- Took office: 2026
- Term expires: Dec. 31, 2029
- City Hall: (253) 983-7705
- Cell Phone: (253) 401-6825
- Email: PLindholm
To email City Council, add their email handle before @cityoflakewood.us
Bio:
Councilmember Philip Lindholm was elected to his first term on the Lakewood City Council in 2026.
Philip is honored to serve as a Lakewood City Councilmember. Philip was a Rhodes Scholar finalist who earned his doctorate from Oxford University after completing three master’s degrees. He went on to produce documentaries with the BBC and ITV, and lecture at Oxford and the University of Washington, before serving as a Captain in the United States Air Force.
Philip transitioned out of the Air Force and into the corporate world, becoming CEO of a real estate brokerage and consulting firm, while also serving on the Lakewood Planning Commission. He is now the owner of small-business Concord Counsel where he works as Chief Mediator and member of the Puyallup Tribal bar, and he proudly volunteers with Lakewood Rotary after eight years as a grief-group facilitator at Mary Bridge Hospital.
Philip delivered a TEDx talk titled “The Secret to a Meaningful Life” and hosts The Informed Citizen Podcast, which explores real-world solutions to the challenges facing our world.
- Position 4
- Took office: 2024
- Term expires: Dec. 31, 2027
- City Hall: (253) 983-7705
- Email: RPearson
To email City Council, add their email handle before @cityoflakewood.us
Bio:
Councilmember Ryan Pearson was born and raised in Prescott, Arizona and attended Northern Arizona University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering in 2012.
Pearson is a licensed professional engineer with over a decade of experience in both the private and public sectors. He began his career as a civil engineering consultant in 2012 and joined Pierce County in 2018. In his role with the County, he has worked extensively on commercial, industrial, and residential subdivision projects, giving him hands-on experience with infrastructure planning, development regulations, and growth management.
Prior to his election to the Lakewood City Council, Pearson served on the Lakewood Planning Commission, where he focused on thoughtful land use decisions and balancing development with community character.
On the City Council, Ryan brings a practical, engineering-based approach to decision-making, with a focus on infrastructure, responsible growth, and protecting the natural environment that makes Lakewood unique.
Ryan is married to Alyssa, a proud lifelong Lakewood resident, and together they are raising their two children in the community they are proud to call home..
- Councilmember, Position 6
- Took office: 2023
- Term expires: December 31, 2027
- City Hall: (253) 983-7705
- Email: TLauricella
To email City Council, add their email handle before @cityoflakewood.us
Bio:
Councilmember Trestin Lauricella was appointed to serve the City in 2023. He was born and raised in Lakewood and is proud to call our city home. A graduate of Clover Park High School, he attended Saint Martin’s University where he earned his Bachelor’s in Engineering, followed by an MBA from Seattle University. Since graduating, he has spent nearly two decades in the private sector as a cross-functional program manager – balancing business strategy and employee engagement needs for maximum performance.
Lauricella is also proud to serve our community through a 501(c)(3) non-profit, raising and directing funds to Pediatric Cancer Research and local Patient Support. He and his wife Kelly were married in 2011 and enjoy spending time with their large extended family and pets.
City Council Vision Statement and Goals
On Aug. 19, 2024, the Lakewood City Council officially adopted goals for the 2025-2026 biennium. The main purpose of the adopted goals is to direct the community toward positive change. They serve as a policy direction for city government and the development of the City’s biennial budget. Goals guide the use of resources to assure that the community is always moving towards positive change.
Click the image to view a pdf of the adopted 2025-2026 City Council Goals.
Lakewood is a thriving, urban, South Puget Sound City, possessing the core values of family, community, education, economic prosperity, and the equitable delivery of municipal services. We will advance these values by recognizing our past, taking action in the present, and pursuing a dynamic future.
The City Council’s vision for Lakewood at its 30 Year Anniversary is a community:
- Inspired by its own sense of history and progress;
- Known for its safe and attractive neighborhoods, vibrant downtown, active arts and cultural communities;
- Sustained by robust economic growth and job creation;
- Recognized for the excellence of its public and private schools, and its community and technical colleges;
- Characterized by the beauty of its lakes, parks and natural environment;
- Acknowledged for excellence in the delivery of municipal services;
- That actively cultivates, embraces, and continually strives to create a more inclusive community with the equitable delivery of City services; and
- Supportive of Joint Base Lewis McChord (JBLM), Camp Murray, service members and their families.
– Lakewood City Council, Adopted June 21, 2021
About Lakewood Government
The City of Lakewood is a code city with a Council-Manager form of government. The City Council consists of seven part-time, nonpartisan members elected every two years. They then hold a four-year term. The council elects one of its members as Mayor.
The City Council enacts all legislation and general policy decisions governing Lakewood. The council appoints a City Manager to oversee the administrative functions of the City. The City manager also implements the policies and goals of the City Council. This includes leading City departments to provide efficient, quality service to Lakewood residents.
Council follows adopted Rules and Procedures and its adopted code of ethics and protocols.
The council also appoints members of the City’s advisory boards and committees.
Watch City Council Meetings
Regular Meetings of the City Council are held on the first and third Monday’s of every month. Study Sessions are held on the second and third Monday’s of every month. Regular Meetings and Study Sessions will begin at 7:00 p.m. on the first and second Monday of the month and the Regular Meeting on the third Monday of the month will begin at 6:00 p.m. and the Study Session shall follow.
View the full meeting calendar here.
There are three ways to watch a City Council Meeting:
In-Person
Lakewood City Hall
Council Chambers
6000 Main Street SW
Lakewood, WA 98499
Virtual
Meetings may be watched live from the City of Lakewood YouTube channel.
Meetings may also be joined via Zoom, meeting ID: 868 7263 2373.
Telephone
Dial +1 (253) 215- 8782 and enter meeting ID: 868 7263 2373.