Mayor Vinis named vice chair of EPA advisory committee

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the appointment of Eugene Mayor Lucy Vinis as vice chair of the Local Government Advisory Committee.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to bring the concerns and insights of local government to inform the EPA’s implementation of historic levels of investment in our communities,” said Mayor Vinis.

The announcement came Jan. 13, 2023 at a public meeting of the committee in Washington, D.C.

“Our partnerships with local governments are critical to EPA’s efforts to tackle the climate crisis and ensure that investments from President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act reach the communities that need them most,” said EPA Administrator Michael Regan. “The recommendations provided by the LGAC today demonstrate the pride we take in prioritizing local voices, and I look forward to working with the new membership over the coming year.”

Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird of Lincoln, Neb. will continue as the LGAC’s chair.

“I look forward to continued service on the EPA’s Local Government Advisory Committee and remain committed to the important work of advancing climate security, infrastructure development, economic opportunity, environmental justice, and quality of life for people here in Lincoln and across our country,” said Mayor Baird.

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.

The Administrator also appointed 12 new and 5 returning members to the LGAC’s Small Communities Advisory Subcommittee. Ann Mallek, supervisor of Albemarle County, Va., was appointed co-chair of the SCAS, joining Commissioner Christine Lowery of Cibola County, N.M., who has held the position for the past year.

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.

The LGAC also recommended that EPA support the decarbonization of government fleets and streamline applications for the IRA Heavy-Duty Vehicles program. The recommendations will be finalized and sent to Administrator Regan 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.

In addition to Chair Baird and Vice Chair Vinis, the advisory committee includes the following members (returning members are denoted with an asterisk):

• The Honorable Ras Baraka, Mayor, Newark, N.J.*
• The Honorable Luke Bronin, Mayor, Hartford, Conn.
• The Honorable Sharon Broome, Mayor, Baton Rouge, La.
• Mr. Gary Brown, Director of Water and Sewerage Department, Detroit, Mich.*
• The Honorable Kimberly duBuclet, Water Reclamation District Commissioner, Cook County, Ill.
• Ms. Miki Esposito, Associate Director of Public Works, Los Angeles County
• The Honorable Sarah Fox, Councilmember, Vancouver, Wash.
• The Honorable Jacob Frey, Mayor, Minneapolis, Minn.
• The Honorable Jonathan Grieder, Councilmember, City of Waterloo, Iowa
• The Honorable Brenda Howerton, County Commissioner, Durham County, N.C.
• 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, N.Y.*
• The Honorable Christian Menefee, County Attorney, Harris County, Texas
• The Honorable Douglas Nicholls, Mayor, Yuma, Ariz.*
• The Honorable Ron Nirenberg, Mayor, San Antonio, Texas*
• The Honorable David Painter, County Commissioner, Clermont County, Ohio
• The Honorable Mary Lou Pauly, Mayor, Issaquah, Wash.
• Mr. Whitford Remer, Sustainability and Resilience Officer, Tampa, Fla.
• The Honorable Satya Rhodes-Conway, Mayor, Madison, Wisc.*

Other members of the Small Communities committee include:

• The Honorable Vincent DeSantis, Mayor, Gloversville, N.Y. *
• Mr. Kevin Dumas, Town Manager, Mansfield, Mass.
• Mr. Dave Glatt, Director, Environmental Quality, N.D.*
• The Honorable Jonathan Godes, Mayor, Glenwood Springs, Colo.
• The Honorable Daniel Guzman, Tribal Councilman, Oneida Nation, Wisc.*
• The Honorable Velma Jenkins, Mayor, Shuqualak, Miss.
• Ms. Meleesa Johnson, Director-Solid Waste Department, Wausau, Wisc.
• Ms. Denis Koch, Deputy Director of Public Works and Engineering, Juneau, Alaska
• The Honorable Rey Leon, Mayor, Huron, Calif.
• The Honorable Ann Mallek, Commissioner, Albemarle County, Va.*
• Mr. Tyler Palmer, Deputy City Supervisor, Moscow, Idaho
• The Honorable James Perkins, Mayor, Selma, Ala.
• The Honorable Hattie Portis-Jones, Mayor Pro Tem, Fairburn, Ga.*
• The Honorable Greg Puckett, County Commissioner, Mercer County, W.Va.
• The Honorable Kimberly Rich, Alderman and Mayor Pro Tem, Willow Springs, Mo.
• Mr. Kevin Shropshire, Pretreatment Coordinator, Rockledge, Fla.
• The Honorable Sophie Swope, City Council Member, Bethel, Alaska
• Ms. Michele Zolezi, Town Vice President, Manchester Township, N.J.

Chartered in 1993 under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the Local Government Advisory Committee provides 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 EPA administrator on environmental issues of concern to the residents of smaller communities.