About Yolanda
Yolanda Trout has been a dedicated member of the Auburn City Council since 2014, where she has made a significant impact through her leadership and advocacy work. Currently, she serves as the Chair of the Wellness Committee and holds several leadership roles, including positions with the Sound Cities Association (SCA) and the King County Domestic Violence Initiative Regional Task Force. She is also an active member of the SCA Children and Youth Advisory Board, the KC Regional Law, Safety & Justice Committee, and the KC Regional Water Quality Committee. Additionally, Yolanda represents her community on the National League of Cities (NLC) Human Development Committee, the NLC Advocacy, and as President of the Hispanic Elected Officials (HELO), as well as the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO).
Her public service goes beyond local leadership, having previously served on Governor Locke's Grassroots Early Learning Commission and the Washington State Department of Transportation Safety Committee. Her leadership on the Auburn Planning Commission from 2010 to 2013 and her membership in several local service organizations, such as the Auburn Noon Lions Club (where she held the position of King Lion from 2015-2016), the Auburn Morning Kiwanis Club, Auburn Rotary and the Auburn Sons of Italy Lodge, exemplify her deep commitment to community service.
Awards and Recognitions: Yolanda has been recognized with numerous awards, including the 2015 Outstanding Award from the Auburn Domestic Violence Task Force, and the Outstanding Citizen Activist Award for Excellence in Traffic Safety from the Washington Traffic Safety Commissioners. Her advocacy efforts on traffic safety were particularly personal, following the tragic death of her brother in a drunk driving incident. She has also received a Special Achievement Award from the Multiple District Lions Club for her impactful speech on humanity and the President’s Award from the Auburn Noon Lions.
In 2025, Yolanda was honored with the Women of the Year Award for Women of Excellence by the National Foundation for Women Legislators, making her the only woman from Washington State to receive this prestigious recognition.
Personal Interest and Values: Born in Corpus Christi, Texas, as one of 18 children to migrant farm workers, Yolanda’s roots have always been grounded in hard work and community. She moved to the Walla Walla area at the age of three, where she later graduated from Walla Walla High School and Walla Walla Community College with a degree in early learning. Yolanda ran a bilingual child care center for 13 years before moving to Auburn, where she quickly embraced the community. Yolanda is a proud wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She and her husband, Ronald Manuel have two dogs (Queen and Princess), they enjoy golfing, participating in tournaments, and spending quality time with their four children, 11 grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. Whether enjoying date days with her husband, movie nights with her grandkids, playing with her dogs, or shopping with her girlfriends, Yolanda values family and relationships above all else.