Huntington Beach hires Chau Vu as public works director

Even as a child who lived close by, Chau Vu always appreciated Huntington Beach.

“I grew up in Westminster, and Huntington Beach was the place to hang out at the beach, Main Street,” she said in a phone interview Friday.

Now she has been promoted to a major role in Surf City, having been named its new public works director.

Vu has held the role of deputy director of public works in Huntington Beach since 2021. She led the development and implementation of city projects like the Oak View Streetscape Project, the city’s Mobility Plan, Circuit Rideshare and the Technical Committee for the Infrastructure Report Card.

She takes over in the public works director position for Sean Crumby, who left for Irvine in March.

“It’s a dream come true,” Vu said. “I’m very proud.”

Vu has more than 20 years of experience in the public works industry and was previously the public works director in Bell Gardens for nine years before joining Huntington Beach. She has a bachelor’s degree in political science from UC Irvine and a master’s in public administration from Cal State Fullerton.

Now a Garden Grove resident, she spends her free time with her husband of 20 years and four children, and she enjoys fishing.

“We’re very much outdoor, water people,” she said.