Local leadership in Hull is stepping into a new chapter following the recent appointment of long-time resident Travis Kooima to the Hull City Council.
Kooima, who serves as a Co-Activities Director, Transportation Coordinator, and Head Football Coach at Western Christian, was chosen on Monday night to fill one of two open seats on the council. Another new appointee, Kevin, was unable to attend Monday’s meeting while traveling abroad, but both are expected to assume their responsibilities on the city’s leadership team.
For Kooima, stepping onto the city council is a natural evolution of his two-decade commitment to the area.
“When the opportunity came up to be able to join city council, it’s just something that, you know, I’ve lived in Hull now for almost twenty years now and it’s just something that I feel passionate about this town,” Kooima said. “With my wife and I, we have our four boys here, and we’re very heavily involved in a lot of different things in town here. I have a futuristic brain that likes to just think about how things could look and how things can get better.”
A central element of Kooima’s motivation stems from maintaining the town’s appeal to the next generation. Citing recent municipal investments in youth programs and local amenities, Kooima highlighted personal connections, including his brother Tyson recently building a home in Hull, as examples of why local development matters.
“I’m excited for how the city has kind of improved some of the stuff for our young people,” Kooima noted. “To be able to continue to give those opportunities to young couples and to young people for our little community to continue to grow and be a positive experience for the people that move into town. And then on the other side, how can we encourage more people to come try our town out and be a part of our community those things are just all part of being on the city council and all fun questions to think about.”
Rather than launching his tenure with a fixed personal agenda, Kooima plans to spend his initial months listening, learning the day-to-day operations of municipal governance, and evaluating how to support the city’s trajectory. Over the past decade, Hull has experienced steady momentum through residential developments, park upgrades, and infrastructure expansion.
“There’s no real goal or initial agenda I don’t think for me personally,” Kooima explained. “It’s more right now learn about city council and what they all do and what decisions they’re faced with. I think we’ve gotten going in a really good direction the last ten years with the growth and the city developments and the parks… if we can keep that flow and keep adding certain things, I think it’s going to be just a fun group to be a part of.”
Kooima says he looks forward to working alongside current council members and continuing to foster civic pride across the community.
