April 29, 2026

Tiberius Mocanu

Dubuque City Manager Mike Van Milligen has named Tiberius Mocanu of Dubuque as the City’s new human rights director. Mocanu will begin his employment with the City on Monday, May 4. 

As human rights director, Mocanu will be responsible for enforcement of Dubuque’s human rights ordinances, policies, and programs, in accordance with state and federal civil rights laws. He will also serve as a key advisor to City leadership, oversee complaint intakes, develop community education initiatives, and collaborate with stakeholders with the goal of prevention and elimination of unlawful discrimination in housing, employment, public accommodation, credit, and education. The City of Dubuque Human Rights Department is also staffed by a human rights specialist and supports the volunteer Dubuque Human Rights Commission.

“Tiberius brings a wealth of relevant experience in the protection of a variety of civil rights,” said Van Milligen. “He is passionate about continued development of initiatives that create a sense of belonging in both our community and our organization.” 

Mocanu is a public-sector civil rights and governance leader with more than 15 years of experience advising governmental bodies, overseeing discrimination investigations, drafting policies, and guiding public institutions through complex compliance and community accountability matters.  

“I am grateful for the opportunity to serve the city of Dubuque as human rights director,” said Mocanu. “This work requires fairness, careful listening, and a commitment to making sure people understand their rights and can trust the process. I am excited to begin that work in a community my family and I are proud to call home.” 

To join the City of Dubuque organization, he is leaving a position as partner with the Law Office of Steven J. Nutting, based in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). In that role, he has represented clients in civil litigation including housing, discrimination, and employment matters, as well as real estate, corporate, and commercial transactions, since 2016. Mocanu has also served as lead legal counsel to the CNMI Commonwealth State Board of Education, the state’s educational agency and public school system, since 2014. In that role, he advised an elected board of education on civil rights compliance, Open Government Act requirements, governance obligations, and constitutional mandates. Previously, he was a prosecutor in the civil division of the CNMI Office of the Attorney General.  

Mocanu holds a juris doctorate from the University of Iowa College of Law and a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the University of Dubuque. He is licensed to practice law in Iowa and California.  

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