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Benming "Benny" Zhang is an associate attorney with Kaufman & Canoles, P.C.

Previously, Benny served on the Williamsburg City Council. He was elected on May 3, 2016, becoming the first Asian American and youngest member elected to the city council in Williamsburg, VA history. Benny is the second William & Mary student to win a seat. He completed his term on June 30, 2020.

Benny has been an active member of the Williamsburg community since entering the College as a Sharpe Community Scholar in the fall of 2012. He has been involved in various initiatives to better the lives for all residents of Williamsburg.

In 2013, Mayor Clyde Haulman appointed Benny to the Public Housing Advisory Committee (PHAC) for a four year term. Benny’s role with the PHAC requires him to advise the Williamsburg Redevelopment and Public Housing Commissioners on relevant HUD and Virginia Housing Development Authority guidelines. As a citizen advocate, he is responsible for addressing various public housing resident issues and grievances. Benny is currently a member of the Greater Williamsburg Chamber & Tourism Alliance, and sits on the Government Affairs Committee. Benny is also a member of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation Revolutionary Society, a group dedicated to attracting young professionals to become more involved with the historical Jamestown area and its wellbeing.

His passion for community service began in high school. As a student at Choate Rosemary Hall, Benny founded a program that formed relationships with schools in Cayambe, Ecuador. The program sent high school students to partner with the community to help renovate their schools. Benny entered William & Mary as a Sharpe Community Scholar, focusing on opportunity gaps in United States education. During his freshman year, Benny worked with a fellow Sharpe scholar to start a tutoring program at the local juvenile detention center, now known as Merrimac Mentors, an initiative that later turned into a full-fledged group mentoring program that serves the whole center. Benny is also involved with the Asian American Students Initiative. As a self-designed Asian-American Studies major, he wrote his senior honors thesis on Arthur Matsu, the first Asian-American to graduate from the College. He earned his Juris Doctor degree from Marshall-Wythe School of Law (William & Mary Law School) in May 2020.

Benny is the oldest son to Dr. Han Zhang and Ms. Jinlan Liu. He and his wife, Kelsey, are proud homeowners residing in the Burns Lane neighborhood. Benny worships at Bruton Parish Church, where he was baptized and confirmed. 

Benny is a member of the following organizations:

  • Chesapeake Bank; Peninsula Business Advisory Board

  • Literacy for Life (2017-present)

    • Executive Committee, President

    • Governance Committee

    • Development Committee

  • Williamsburg Community Foundation Board of Trustees (2020-present)

  • WHRO Public Media Governing Board of Directors (2020-present)

  • Youth Aeronautics Educational Foundation (2016-present)

  • Media Mentors Board of Directors (2020-present)

  • Bruton Parish Church Adult Formation Committee

  • James City County Satellite Rotary Club, Member

  • Olde Towne Medical & Dental Center Development & Finance Committees, Non-board member

Previously, Benny served on the following boards and commissions in either his personal or city council capacities:

  • Member, Williamsburg City Council (2016-2020)

  • I’Anson-Hoffman American Inn of Court (2018-2020)

  • Vice President, Virginia Transit Association (2018-2020)

  • Olde Towne Medical & Dental Center Board of Directors (2016-2020)

  • Greater Williamsburg Chamber & Tourism Alliance Board of Directors - Business Council (Council Liaison) (2018-2020)

  • Virginia First Cities Board of Directors

  • 2019 Commemoration First Representative Legislative Assembly Committee (2016-2019)

  • Virginia Municipal League Legislative Committee (2017-2018; Vice Chair, 2019)

  • Virginia Municipal League Annual Conference Planning Committee (2017)

  • Governor-elect Ralph Northam's Transition Policy Council on Local Government (2017)

  • Participant, Dancing with the Williamsburg Stars; first place for most fundraising ($20,000) & tied second place for best dance routine

  • Greater Peninsula Workforce Development Consortium (2016-2018)

  • Public Housing Advisory Committee (2012-2019)