Not only in a career as a financial advisor, but also, investing time and energy into the growth and development of Artesia.

While studying at New Mexico State University, Moreau suffered a terrible injury that boomeranged the trajectory of his life. Forced to return home and heal from a broken back, Moreau reevaluated his plan of making his way away from Artesia. Determined to carve out a path for a successful future here, Moreau Asset Management was founded. Not only did Moreau commit to Artesia by staking his livelihood on it, but he also dedicated his time to volunteering on various boards and clubs in the community.

Moreau has served as the President of Trailblazers, has been involved in Rotary Club, and has served on the Library Board as well as on the Hospital Board.

After stepping back from volunteering and focusing on family for a while, an opportunity presented as an open seat on Artesia’s city council. Although hesitant, Moreau decided to go for it. “As citizens, we always wonder and complain about what’s going on, but hardly anyone jumps in to help and do anything. So, then I thought, how can I gripe about it, without trying to jump in and make it better?”

Little did he know that he was in for a wild ride. Never had local government made more of an impact on the daily lives of the community they governed than in the spring of 2020, the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Moreau quickly became fluent in Zoom meetings and conference calls; city council could not meet in person. It was truly learning by “the seat of his pants” in spite of cancelled municipal league training sessions. The knowledge of more experienced councilors, city clerks, and managers from different departments helped Moreau understand and fill his role as councilor.

Navigating COVID-19 as a novice council member held many unique challenges, but also inspired Moreau to dig in and really think about what it means to be a representative of the people. Instead of only considering his personal reactions to mandates or local edicts, Moreau learned to consider the whole community. What is good for one, may not be good for all. “As a Councilor, I try very hard not to be partisan. Just because it’s something I want; it may not be best for my next-door neighbor.”

Moreau was instrumental in the reopening of the Artesia Public Library to the public during the pandemic. Community members, the library, and the mayor and city council were having difficulties coming to a compromise that would best serve the needs of most. Having a special interest for the beloved institution, Moreau went out of his way to collaborate with local government, the public, and the library to find a satisfactory solution for reopening.

One striking note is that in his time as a city councilor, (close to two years now) he’s “received less than ten phone calls” from citizens of Artesia to discuss civic matters.

It has been a hot minute since most of us have been in civics class, so here is a refresher course on the role of city council. As written by the City of Albuquerque: “The City Council is the legislative authority of the city. It has the power to adopt all ordinances, resolutions, or other legislation conducive to the welfare of the people of the city.” So basically, councilors act as a policy-making body of a city. The council assesses the city’s goals, major projects, and improvements. The council is also there to act as the employer of all city employees (making the City of Artesia one of the largest employers in Artesia) manage budgets, and represent the interests of their constituents.

City council members are the talking heads for the citizens of Artesia. They cannot accurately represent the concerns of the people if they do not hear from the people. They have access to policymaking that we do not. It is not that Artesians are mere mortals and our elected officials are unreachable. Quite the opposite in fact. You can easily find your councilor’s contact information with a quick search on artesianm.gov. Citizens are invited to City Council meetings and minutes are recorded and posted.

Councilman Moreau is particularly interested in addressing the concerns of the citizens of District 2: “If there is something that you don’t understand, or that you want changed, please, call your councilor. If you don’t voice your opinion, you don’t have one.” He welcomes citizens to call with an issue, concern, or just for clarification.

Jarrod Moreau is an Artesian through and through. This land is in his blood. He is willing to put his time where his mouth is, and he has a keen eye for seeing and filling a need. He is approachable and warm, and it is clear that his investments in the city of Artesia will have us all seeing a great return.