Contact: EPA Press Office (press@epa.gov)
WASHINGTON (Jan. 10, 2024) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the appointment of 16 new members to the Local Government Advisory Committee (LGAC), as well as the reappointments of 13 existing members. For the first time in the committee’s history, membership will be majority female, including all members of the committee’s leadership.
“The Biden-Harris Administration has made a commitment to advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility across the federal government,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Today’s announcement is the latest example of this commitment in action. In addition to a majority of female members, this important committee is comprised of individuals from across the country, representing the diversity of America, so we can reflect a range of input as we craft regulations impacting their communities.”
The 37-member LGAC will have 24 females and 13 males, including 13 people of color, and representation from 27 different states. The Administrator also appointed 5 new and 15 returning members to the LGAC’s Small Communities Advisory Subcommittee (SCAS). Read about the members and the communities they represent on EPA’s Local Government Advisory Committee Members website.
Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird of Lincoln, Nebraska will continue as the LGAC’s chair, with Mayor Lucy Vinis of Eugene, Oregon as vice chair. Administrator Regan also appointed Mayor Katie Rosenberg of Wausau, Wisconsin to join Ann Mallek, Supervisor of Albemarle County, Virginia, as co-chairs of the SCAS.
“I am grateful to Administrator Regan for reappointment as Chair of the Local Government Advisory Committee,” said Mayor Gaylor Baird of Lincoln, Nebraska. “Members of LGAC have an historic opportunity to shape the implementation of EPA policies so that they best serve the diverse interests and concerns of the residents we represent.”
"EPA's LGAC is an amazing opportunity for local officials to amplify their voices and be directly engaged in the policy development process at the federal level,” said Clarence Anthony, CEO and Executive Director of National League of Cities (NLC). "At NLC, we are thrilled that these remarkable new appointees will be able to provide critical insights and recommendations to help ensure that federal policies, rules, and regulations are effective and practical for communities of all sizes. The LGAC offers local leaders a necessary seat at the table that will help deliver better outcomes for all of the residents in America's communities."
In 2024, the Committee will provide input on the proposed Lead and Copper Rule Improvements, the draft Strategy for Reducing Plastic Pollution, EPA’s efforts to develop a cumulative impact framework, and to improve community-level communication and engagement on climate change issues.
Members were chosen from a pool of more than 60 highly qualified candidates. Selections for the one- and two-year terms were made based on the applicant pool and in accordance with the LGAC charter to achieve balance and diversity in terms of geographic location, gender, ethnicity, and stakeholder perspective.
The new, reappointed (denoted with *) and continuing (denoted with ^) LGAC members and their affiliations are:
The Honorable Ras Baraka, Mayor, Newark, NJ*
The Honorable Sharon Broome, Mayor, Baton Rouge, LA*
Gary Brown, Director of Water and Sewerage, Detroit, MI^
The Honorable Darcy Burke, Director, Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District, CA*
The Honorable Tricia Canonico, Councilmember, Ft. Collins, CO
The Honorable Wilmot Collins, Mayor, Helena, MT
The Honorable Becky Corran, Councilmember, Las Cruces, NM
The Honorable Jim Donchess, Mayor, Nashua, NH
The Honorable Allison Eckel, Commissioner, Mount Holly, NJ
Miki Esposito, Assistant Director of Public Works, Los Angeles, CA
The Honorable Dawn Euer, Senator, State of Rhode Island
Ms. Chandra Farley, Chief Sustainability Officer, Atlanta, GA
Ms. Jessyn Farrell, Sustainability Director, Seattle, WA
The Honorable Sarah Fox, Climate Program Manager, State of Washington Department of Commerce*
The Honorable Jacob Frey, Mayor, Minneapolis, MN*
The Honorable Leirion Gaylor Baird, Lincoln, NE*
The Honorable Evan Glass, Councilmember, Montgomery County, MD
The Honorable Evan Hansen, House Delegate, State of West Virginia*
The Honorable Deana Holiday Ingraham, Mayor, East Point, GA^
The Honorable Heather Kimball, Councilmember, Hawai’i County*
The Honorable Ruthzee Louijeune, City Council President, Boston, MA
The Honorable Ann Mallek, Supervisor, Albemarle County, VA^
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 Shawyn Patterson-Howard, Mayor, Mount Vernon, NY
The Honorable Mary Lou Pauly, Mayor, Issaquah, WA*
The Honorable Evan Pratt, Water Resources Commissioner, Washtenaw County, MI
Mr. Whitford Remer, Sustainability and Resilience Officer, Tampa, FL*
The Honorable Satya Rhodes-Conway, Mayor, Madison, WI^
The Honorable Katie Rosenberg, Mayor, Wausau, WI
The Honorable Danene Sorace, Mayor, Lancaster, PA
The Honorable Ashley Stolzmann, Commissioner, Boulder County, CO
The Honorable Lucy Vinis, Mayor, Eugene, OR*
Ms. La’Meshia Whittington, Water Treatment Facility Operator Certification Board, North Carolina
Mr. Jeff Witte, Secretary of Agriculture, State of New Mexico^
The new, reappointed (denoted with *) SCAS members and their affiliations are:
The Honorable Mila Besich, Mayor, Superior, AZ
The Honorable Becky Corran, Councilmember, Las Cruces, NM
The Honorable Vincent DeSantis, Mayor, Gloversville, NY*
Mr. Kevin Dumas, Town Manager, Mansfield, MA*
The Honorable Jonathan Godes, Councilmember, Glenwood Springs, CO*
The Honorable Velma Jenkins, Mayor, Shuqualak, MS*
Ms. Denise Koch, Deputy Director of Engineering and Public Works, City and Borough of Juneau, AK*
The Honorable Nicole LaChappelle, Mayor, Easthampton, MA
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, Commissioner, Mercer County, WV*
The Honorable Kimberly Rich, Mayor Pro Tem, Willow Springs, MO*
The Honorable Katie Rosenberg, Mayor, Wausau, WI
The Honorable Kyle Shipp, Mayor, Pittsboro, NC
Mr. Kevin Shropshire, Pretreatment Coordinator, Rockledge, FL*
The Honorable Sophie Swope, City Councilor, Bethel, AK*
The Honorable Michele Zolezi, Vice President, Manchester Township, NJ*
Background
Chartered in 1993 under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the Local Government Advisory Committee is comprised of elected and appointed officials at local, state, tribal and territorial governments within the U.S., who provide independent policy advice to the EPA Administrator on a broad range of issues affecting local governments. The Small Community Advisory Subcommittee was established by EPA in 1996 to advise the Administrator on environmental issues of concern to the residents of smaller communities. New members are recruited every fall.
For more information about the LGAC, visit EPA’s Local Government Advisory Committee (LGAC) website.
For more information about the SCAS, visit EPA’s Small Community Advisory Subcommittee (SCAS) website