West Plains, MO. – On Friday, January 13, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the appointment of 15 new and 7 returning members to the Local Government Advisory Committee (LGAC). The announcement came at a public meeting of the Committee, where members presented recommendations on implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
Among those appointed was Kimberly Rich, Alderman and Mayor Pro Tem of Willow Springs, Missouri. The city of Willow Springs released a statement on Rich’s appointment to LGAC:
“The City of Willow Springs is very fortunate to have Alderman and Mayor Pro Tem Kim Rich represent our small city on a national level with the Environmental Protection Agency. We value the relationship we have with EPA and know that Kim will represent our small community’s needs and, in addition, better equip our city with the understanding and knowledge of the future goals set forth by EPA. The City’s interests are always best expressed by the involvement of our city officials with all regulatory agencies, and we congratulate and thank Kim for doing just that.”
The 34-member LGAC will have an even split of female and male members, including 14 people of color, and representation from 29 different states and U.S. territories. EPA Administrator Michael Regan also appointed 13 new and 5 returning members to the LGAC’s Small Communities Advisory Subcommittee.
Recommendations focused on the Climate Pollution Reduction Grants and included providing funding directly to local and tribal governments, prioritizing the decarbonization of buildings, supporting meaningful engagement with disadvantaged communities in climate planning, and coordinating IRA implementation across the federal family. Regarding the IRA Heavy-Duty Vehicles program the LGAC recommended that EPA support the decarbonization of government fleets and streamline applications. The recommendations will be finalized and sent to Administrator Regan later this month.
Members were chosen from a pool of more than 80 highly qualified candidates. Selections for the one- and two-year terms were made in accordance with the LGAC charter to achieve balance and diversity in terms of geographic location, gender, ethnicity, and stakeholder perspective.
The new and returning (denoted with *) LGAC members and their affiliations are:
• The Honorable Ras Baraka, Mayor, Newark, NJ*
• The Honorable Luke Bronin, Mayor, Hartford, CT
• The Honorable Sharon Broome, Mayor, Baton Rouge, LA
• Mr. Gary Brown, Director of Water and Sewerage Department, Detroit, MI*
• The Honorable Kimberly duBuclet, Water Reclamation District Commissioner, Cook County, IL
• Ms. Miki Esposito, Associate Director of Public Works, Los Angeles County
• The Honorable Sarah Fox, Councilmember, Vancouver, WA
• The Honorable Jacob Frey, Mayor, Minneapolis, MN
• The Honorable Jonathan Grieder, Councilmember, City of Waterloo, IA
• The Honorable Brenda Howerton, County Commissioner, Durham County, NC
• The Honorable Deana Holiday Ingraham, Mayor, East Point, GA*
• The Honorable Heather Kimball, Councilmember, Hawai’i County
• The Honorable Ann Mallek, Supervisor, Albemarle County, VA
• The Honorable Rachel May, State Senator, Syracuse, NY*
• The Honorable Christian Menefee, County Attorney, Harris County, TX
• The Honorable Douglas Nicholls, Mayor, Yuma, AZ*
• The Honorable Ron Nirenberg, Mayor, San Antonio, TX*
• The Honorable David Painter, County Commissioner, Clermont County, OH
• The Honorable Mary Lou Pauly, Mayor, Issaquah, WA
• Mr. Whitford Remer, Sustainability and Resilience Officer, Tampa, FL
• The Honorable Satya Rhodes-Conway, Mayor, Madison, WI*
The new and returning (denoted with *) SCAS members and their affiliations are:
• The Honorable Vincent DeSantis, Mayor, Gloversville, NY *
• Mr. Kevin Dumas, Town Manager, Mansfield, MA
• Mr. Dave Glatt, Director, Environmental Quality, ND*
• The Honorable Jonathan Godes, Mayor, Glenwood Springs, CO
• The Honorable Daniel Guzman, Tribal Councilman, Oneida Nation, WI*
• The Honorable Velma Jenkins, Mayor, Shuqualak, MS
• Ms. Meleesa Johnson, Director-Solid Waste Department, Wausau, WI
• Ms. Denis Koch, Deputy Director of Public Works and Engineering, Juneau, AK
• The Honorable Rey Leon, Mayor, Huron, CA
• The Honorable Ann Mallek, Commissioner, Albemarle County, VA*
• Mr. Tyler Palmer, Deputy City Supervisor, Moscow, ID
• The Honorable James Perkins, Mayor, Selma, AL
• The Honorable Hattie Portis-Jones, Mayor Pro Tem, Fairburn, GA*
• The Honorable Greg Puckett, County Commissioner, Mercer County, VA
• The Honorable Kimberly Rich, Alderman and Mayor Pro Tem, Willow Springs, MO
• Mr. Kevin Shropshire, Department Director, Rockledge, FL
• The Honorable Sophie Swope, City Council Member, Bethel, AK
• Ms. Michele Zolezi, Town Vice President, Manchester Township, NJ
