By Mayor Tim Busse
The Bloomington City Council voted to appoint Chao Moua to the vacant at-large city council seat at its meeting on January 23. The vacancy was a result of Nathan Coulter’s resignation from his position after being elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in November 2022. Moua was officially sworn in at the February 6 City Council meeting.
Moua has a strong base of knowledge about City operations and finances from his involvement in a variety of programs. He’s an alum of the Bloomington Leadership Program. He served on the Community Budget Advisory Committee in 2020, which provided the City Council with budget and financial recommendations when the pandemic was significantly impacting City finances. Most recently, Moua was a member of the core planning team for Bloomington. Tomorrow. Together., the long-range strategic planning effort that will guide the City’s work in the coming years.
Professionally, Moua has years of experience in manufacturing and business management. He has a master’s degree in business administration from the University of St. Thomas and a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse. Moua and his family have lived in Bloomington since 2015.
Moua shared his perspective on the appointment: “I feel extremely honored to have been selected to serve on the Bloomington City Council. When I saw the candidate list of names, I was immediately inspired by the number of people who were ready to help their community. I now have the privilege to carry on building this remarkable community and serving incredible residents. I am determined to ensure that the voice of Bloomington is heard, and I look forward to meeting the needs of my neighbors.”
The City Council interviewed 18 applicants for the at-large seat and brought five finalists back for second interviews. Moua was chosen from a field of remarkable candidates with a wide array of experience and community involvement. It was difficult to narrow the group down to five and then to pick one. It shows the quality and depth of leadership in the residents of this city.
Moua will fill the at-large council seat until the regularly scheduled City elections on November 7. The winner of that election will determine who will fill the remainder of Nathan Coulter’s term, which expires January 5, 2026.
