Mboka Mwilambwe facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mboka Mwilambwe
Mboka Mwilambwe in 2023
Mayor of Bloomington, Illinois
In office May 1, 2021 – May 1, 2025
Preceded by	Tari Renner
Succeeded by	Dan Brady
Bloomington City Council
In office 2011–2021
Personal details
Born	1970/1971 (age 54–55) Kinshasa, Zaire
Spouse	Stacey Mwilambwe
Education	Illinois State University (BS, MS)

Mboka Mwilambwe (born in 1970) is an American politician. He made history in 2021 when he became the first African American mayor of Bloomington, Illinois. He served as mayor until May 2025.

About Mboka Mwilambwe

Mboka Mwilambwe was born in Kinshasa, Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo). He was one of seven children. His father worked for Unicef, which meant Mboka lived in many different countries as a child. He spent time in places like Senegal, Ivory Coast, and the Republic of the Congo.

In 1990, he moved to central Illinois in the United States. He attended Illinois State University. There, he earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics in 1994. He then earned a master's degree in education in 1996. After finishing school, he started working at Illinois State University. He became an American citizen in 2008.

His Time on the City Council

In 2011, Mboka Mwilambwe began his career in local government. He was appointed to fill an open spot on the Bloomington City Council. The City Council is a group of people who help make decisions for the city. He was re-elected to the City Council in 2013 and again in 2017. From 2019, he also served as mayor pro tem. This means he could act as mayor if the main mayor was not available.

Becoming Mayor of Bloomington

In 2021, Mboka Mwilambwe decided to run for mayor of Bloomington. He won the election on April 6, 2021, by a very small number of votes. He took office on May 1, 2021. This made him the first African American mayor in Bloomington's history, which dates back to 1830.

When he became mayor, he focused on several important areas. These included improving the city's roads and buildings (infrastructure). He also worked on making the city's finances more efficient. Another goal was to help people in the community discuss ideas in a respectful way.

Key Projects as Mayor

During his time as mayor, Mboka Mwilambwe helped bring new projects to Bloomington.

• In 2021, he helped an Italian candy company, Ferrero SpA, open a large manufacturing plant. This project was worth $214 million and created 200 new jobs.
• He also supported a $20 million expansion of the Bloomington Public Library.
• New stores and facilities were built, including an Aldi grocery store and a new YMCA.
• He worked to speed up sewer improvements after heavy rains.

In October 2022, he helped combine the management of two city venues. These were the Grossinger Motors Arena and the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts. This was done to help reduce ongoing financial losses. In April 2023, he spoke to state lawmakers. He asked them to increase the money the state shares with local cities. In May 2023, Governor J. B. Pritzker chose him to serve on the Illinois Workforce Innovation Board.

In April 2024, Mboka Mwilambwe announced he would run for re-election as mayor. However, he lost the election to Dan Brady and Cody Hendricks. His term as mayor ended on May 1, 2025.

Family Life

Mboka Mwilambwe is married to Stacey Mwilambwe. She also graduated from Illinois State University. She works as the director of University Housing Services. Mboka Mwilambwe speaks several languages. These include French, English, Swahili, and Lingala. He and Stacey have four children: Maya, Mariama, Amélie, and Jonah.

Electoral history

See also

• List of mayors of Bloomington, Illinois