King County Metro Community Liaisons connect to all our riders

Metro is proud to introduce our new Community Liaison pilot program. The program features the voices and perspectives of staff who work to strengthen our relationships with our varied communities through their unique voices and perspectives. Spanish speaking riders? We’ve got you. Swahili? Yes indeed—there’s a liaison for you!

The team helps ensure that the people most in need of transit can weigh in our plans, policies and decisions. That’s important, because ensuring Metro’s services are welcoming and accessible to all is how we succeed.

Centering community voices and building trust

These five community experts build and strengthen meaningful connections with historically underrepresented communities. Our liaisons serve as listeners and advocates within and on behalf of Metro, and they consistently demonstrate understanding and empathy. Fluent in seven languages and dialects, they bridge cultural divides, foster familiarity with Metro and build trust with our communities. You can reach them at community.relations@kingcounty.gov.

Meet several of Metro’s Community Liaisons!

Metro hired Gloria Gonzalez-Zapata, Rahel Ambachew, Wencong Huang and Wanjiku Kahacho in 2023.

Gloria Gonzalez-Zapata

Gloria is a first-generation Latina whose parents immigrated to Seattle from Mexico and Panama. She has a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Washington. Gloria is fluent in Spanish and has more than a decade of experience in grassroots and community organizing. “As a community liaison I hope to elevate the voices of community members to influence change,” she said. She is focusing on connecting with people in Burien, Kent, South Park and White Center.

Rahel Ambachew

Rahel was born in Ethiopia and moved to the United States at 12. She’s an author! Rahel wrote a children’s book called “Nechisar National Park,” set in the amazing ecosystems that fill the Nech Sar (White Grass) National Park in Ethiopia, featuring the diverse birds, reptiles and mammals that live there. The book is in English and five East African languages. She graduated with a degree in biology from Pacific Lutheran University and has been involved in community organizing since she was in high school. Rahel is fluent in Amharic and focuses on connecting with youth and young adults as well as people in communities in south King County, including Des Moines, Federal Way, Kent, SeaTac, South Seattle and Tukwila.

Wanjiku Kahacho

Wanjiku was born and raised in Kenya and has lived on three different continents. “Cooking for people is how I express love and helping people in any capacity is where I shine,” she said. Wanjiku stays busy both as a mother and nurturing her spirituality. She speaks Swahili fluently and is focused on connecting with people in South Seattle and South King County, including Auburn, Federal Way, Renton Skyway and Tukwila.

Liaisons make Metro’s service better  

• Connections to Duwamish Longhouse: In July, Metro brought Metro Flex on-demand service to the Delridge and South Park communities. With Metro Flex, riders can request a ride through an app or with a phone call to ride anywhere within a defined service area, all for the price of a bus trip. Our liaisons connected Metro to key community groups, including the Duwamish Longhouse, helping ensure diverse community voices were incorporated into the planning of the new service area.
• Better community participation in bus/Link surveys: Metro’s South Link Connections project recently finished the first of three phases of engagement, learning about rider and community mobility needs to help planners create a bus network that will connect communities to new light rail service in south King County. The liaisons have been vital to this effort by identifying key community organizations to interview, speaking in language to communities at outreach events, and developing innovative outreach tools. Thanks to their local and creative efforts, we were able gather input from an additional 200 community members through mini-surveys at events.
• Perspectives on safety: Ensuring riders feel safe while using Metro’s services is a top priority and the liaisons have been an important conduit on Metro’s safety and security initiatives. They have helped engage riders and community members to understand their perceptions of safety, security and cleanliness through in-person and virtual engagement. The liaisons have leveraged their existing connections and followed up with organizations that Metro had previously engaged to help Metro be responsive in incorporating community feedback into how we address safety and share back with community members the results of their input.
• Voices of riders, communities along RapidRide lines: The future RapidRide I Line will serve Auburn, Kent and Renton, home to many linguistically diverse residents, immigrants and refugees, and communities of color. Metro’s goal is to build lasting connections in areas where Metro is increasing its presence, including building new RapidRide stations, transit-only lanes and other infrastructure for fast, frequent, and reliable transit service.

The Community Liaison pilot program embodies Metro’s commitment to equity and inclusion. They uplift voices that are often marginalized, serves as a catalyst for change, and empower communities to improve transit in their neighborhoods and regionwide.