New city councilmember Vong Mouanoutoua leans on strong foundation

Vong Mouanoutoua was elected to the Clovis City Council on a full four-year term. He was sworn in on Mar. 27, 2017. (Photo courtesy of City of Clovis)

As an immigrant who came from Laos at the age of 5, Vong Mouanoutoua is grateful for the opportunity he found in America.

As one of 10 children, raised by hard working parents, Mouanoutoua is grateful for the guidance he leaned on growing up.

Today, sitting in his new position as a councilmember for the City of Clovis, Mouanoutoua looks to move forward with the same virtues he learned growing up.

“Isn’t America great?” Mouanoutoua said as he was being sworn in to the Clovis City Council on Monday, March 27. “I have to praise our nation for allowing people to come here and take advantage of the opportunities that America gives.”

Mouanoutoua also thanked his parents for the faith they instilled in him as a child. He said his parents wake up every morning and pray for every person in the family.

“My parents get up at three or four and pray for every child by name, every grandchild,” Mouanoutoua said. “My parents showed me how to be a servant.”

Mouanoutoua, who ran unopposed in the election on March 7, was elected to a full four-year term. In 2012, Mouanoutoua ran for the state assembly, but did not win.

“Thank God for allowing us to come to America, for providing the pathway that led to today,” he said. “I look at the smooth election growth that I went through as something that God provided.”

Mouanoutoua’s resume also includes 10 years on the Clovis Planning Commission. In all his time serving in Clovis, Mouanoutoua said he has seen the city grow constantly.

“I have to give kudos to our city,” he said. “It has grown responsibly, grown well and grown smartly. We have a staff that listens to its citizens. And to the men and women that serve in city hall, out on the streets and in uniform, I thank you for making our city great, making us look good.”

Mouanoutoua ran the election with the focus of public safety and continuing the growth of education. He said he doesn’t have to change much about Clovis, but he wants to keep its legacy intact as a city where people of all backgrounds can work together and grow.

Mouanoutoua obtained his Juris Doctorate degree from the San Joaquin College of Law. He is also active in his family’s Foundation and is the Sunday School Director for his church.

“I look forward to keeping Clovis as the safest city, keeping Clovis as the best planned city,”  Mouanoutoua said. “Clovis is a city where families live hand-in-hand together.”

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