City of Milpitas City Council Councilmember Hon Lien

Hon Lien is one of 11 children in a family that escaped South Vietnam in 1978 and resettled in the United States on Dec. 26, 1979. “That evening, having delivered my family to freedom, my father suffered a stroke and died shortly after,” she states on her campaign website. Lien is an entrepreneur who has started many businesses, including Sunnyvale Seafood Corp., which distributed seafood locally and around the country, and L&D Enterprise, a company based in Vietnam that exported food products to the European market.

In 2022 she ran a successful campaign for a seat on the Milpitas City Council. The move was a natural outgrowth of her public service, Lien told Milpitas Beat. “I retired after selling all my businesses and have plenty of time for public service. I have great people skills, connections with business owners, and I will reach out to city councils from cities surrounding us to work together for the betterment of our city,” she said.

First elected: Nov. 8, 2022

Other positions held: Milpitas Unified School District Board of Education (six years), Milpitas Rotary Club president (two terms), Planning Commission, Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Committee

Notable quote: “I’d like to see some action. I’d like to see results. I want to hold the Council accountable, the City accountable, for us, so that we have a city where we feel safe, and we’re happy that we made the right choice to live here.” (Source: Milpitas Beat)