Pat Johnson, who has served in Buckley city government for 26 years, was recently elected president of the Association of Washington Cities.

She was tabbed for the one-year AWC leadership post during the organization’s annual business meeting. The June 22 session took place in Vancouver.

“It is a privilege and an honor to serve as AWC president,” Johnson said. “Regardless of the size or location of our cities and towns, we all have issues in common and we must continue to work together to address our challenges at home in Olympia and in the other Washington. We have more strength working together than trying to work solo.”

Johnson has been Buckley mayor for 12 years and, before that, spent 14 years on the Buckley City Council.

She has served on the AWC board of directors for five years. She was initially elected to the board to represent District 6, which includes 27 cities and towns in Thurston and Pierce counties.

Founded in 1933, the Association of Washington Cities is a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan corporation that represents Washington’s cities and towns before the state legislature, the state executive branch and with regulatory agencies. Membership is voluntary, but the AWC consistently maintains 100 percent participation from Washington’s 281 cities and towns.