Natali Fani-González, a Wheaton resident and Democrat who represents Montgomery County’s District 6, was unanimously elected on Dec. 2 as the county council’s newest president.
She will serve through December 2026, alongside Vice President Marilyn Balcombe (D-Dist. 2) of Germantown.
Fani-González’s priorities for the year include making Montgomery County a safe and welcoming community for all, making strategic investments in early care and education, supporting infrastructure needs for police officers and schools, and strengthening economic growth, according to a press release.
She expressed her commitment to providing economic opportunities for all. “We owe it to our more than one million residents to ensure their livelihoods, protect their security and plan for the future,” Fani-González said in the press release.
She added that one of her first actions as council president will be to introduce legislation to proactively shield residents from the federal immigration system and ensure that everyone receives due process regardless of their immigration status, known as the Montgomery County Trust Act.
The council president drew upon her personal experience as an immigrant from Venezuela.
“I will lead this Council with determination and compassion, particularly focused on the most vulnerable in Montgomery County,” Fani-González said in her remarks.
She also said she plans to lead the redevelopment of the county police department’s District 4 station in Glenmont.
Prior to her role on the county council, Fani-González served on the Montgomery County Planning Board from 2014 to 2021, ultimately becoming vice chair. During her seven years on the planning board, she focused on supporting small, local and immigrant-owned businesses. Fani-González helped with the county’s growth and infrastructure policy, various sector plans and the Bicycle Master Plan.
She also started her own business — a policy and communications firm — and worked for the regional immigrant rights group CASA.
The election of Fani-González and Balcombe marks the first time the council has had an all-female leadership team in nearly three decades.
