Councilmember 5/6/25-12/31/27
Vishal Bhargava, an Amazon executive and Planning Commission member, was appointed to the City Council, taking the seat vacated by John Stokes in May 2025. He was elected to the seat in November 2025.
Bhargava, who began serving on the Planning Commission in 2018, resigned his seat to join the council. He is now council liaison to the commission. He has more than a decade of experience in urban planning, technology leadership and community service. In 2021, he cofounded the Beautiful Minds Foundation, a mental health advocacy organization.
Vishal’s priorities include affordable housing and sustainable growth, enhancing public safety with expanded mental health resources, and promoting economic development through innovation and workforce investment. He aims to foster an inclusive, resilient Bellevue, balancing growth with quality of life for all community members.
Bhargava has been with Amazon for more than a decade, including working as a director of product management from 2020 to 2026.
Vishal represents the council on the Puget Sound Regional Council Growth Management Policy Board and the Cascade Finance and Management Committee and other committees. Bhargava is serving through Stokes’ original term ending Dec. 31, 2027.
Vishal has an MBA in strategy and operations from the UCLA Anderson School of Management and a master’s in urban planning from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He earned a certification in disruptive innovation from the Harvard Business School.
Council Assignments and Appointments
- Planning Commission Liaison
- Sound Cities Association King County Regional Transit Committee
- Cascade Resource Management Committee
- Puget Sound Regional Council Growth Management Policy Board
- ARCH Council of Elected Officials
- Cascade Finance and Management Committee
- Cascade Water Alliance Board Alternate
Past Council Assignments
- Puget Sound Regional Council Policy Board
- Puget Sound Regional Council Executive Board Alternate
Community Service
- Planning Commission
- Beautiful Minds Foundation, cofounder
Employment
- Amazon, director of product management, 2020-present
- Amazon, other positions, 2012-2020
Education
- Harvard Business School, certification in disruptive innovation
- UCLA Anderson School of Management, MBA
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, master's in urban planning
- School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi, bachelor's in architecture