Vini Elizabeth Samuel now serves as a Grays Harbor County Superior Court Judge after being appointed to the position by Gov. Jay Inslee.

She started her career in Grays Harbor in 1997 and opened a solo practice in 2004. She practiced primarily in Grays Harbor and Pacific County and also in Thurston, Lewis, Mason and Quinault Tribal Courts.

In 2015, Vini became the first female mayor of Montesano and the first Indian-American woman to be elected mayor in the United States.

She was unopposed for mayor in 2019 and served as the only second-term mayor for the city of Montesano since the 1970s.

Vini Elizabeth Samuel was born in Kerala, India and immigrated to Juneau, Alaska at the age of six. She resided there until graduation from high school.

She received her bachelor’s degree from Western Washington University in 1994 and her law degree from Seattle University in 1997 after serving as the National Vice-Chair of the American Bar Association/Law Student Division.

Community service and experience includes:

• Columnist for The Daily World
• Elder at the Montesano Church of God
• Foundation and Alumni Board for Western Washington University
• Executive Board for the Council of Governments
• Advisory Committee for Grays Harbor College’s Inaugural Paramedic Program
• Member of Aberdeen Rotary
• Margaret Downey Community Service Award (2019)
• Grays Harbor Communications E-911 Board of Directors
• Association of Washington Cities, Legislative Priorities Committee
• Montesano Friends of the Library lifetime member
• Friends of Schafer and Lake Sylvia State Parks, founding member
• Timberland Opportunities, Board of Directors