1 VALLEY CLEAN ENERGY ALLIANCE
Staff Report – Item 14
TO: Board of Directors
FROM: Mitch Sears, Executive Director
Edward Burnham, Director of Finance and Operations
Alisa Lembke, VCE Board Clerk/Administrative Analyst
SUBJECT: Community Advisory Committee (At-Large Members) Selection Update DATE: April 14, 2021
RECOMMENDATION
1. Direct the Board Chair and Vice Chair to review and provide recommendations to the full Board for appointments to the two vacant Community Advisory Committee At-Large seats.
BACKGROUND
Based on Board Item 20 on September 9, 2021, the Board adopted a revised Community Advisory Committee (CAC) structure with eleven total members: eight jurisdictional members (two per jurisdiction) and three additional seats for At-large members intended to fill specific subject matter expertise/experience areas. As part of the newly adopted CAC structure, the Board adopted Item 15 on October 14, 2021, which included nonbinding recruitment/selection guidlines for recruiting and considering CAC applicants for At-Large seats. The guidelines, as previously presented in October, are as follows:
Recruitment/Selection Guidelines – Adopted October 2021 Ideal candidates for At-Large CAC seats possess subject matter expertise/experience related to the goals contained in the VCE Strategic Plan, including:
• Energy Sector (e.g., procurement)
• Community engagement
• Environmental justice
• Agricultural Sector
• Grid reliability and sustainability
• Decarbonization
Candidates representing historically underrepresented communities in VCE’s service territory and/or underrepresented in the Energy Sector professions are encouraged to apply for the CAC in general and specifically the At-Large CAC seats.
2 Professional Sectors that tend to intersect with VCE activities include but are not limited to those listed below. Ideal candidates for At-Large CAC seats possess professional experience in one or more of the following sectors:
• Legal (specialties in energy sector/regulatory)
• Financial (banking, accounting, auditing)
• Energy (procurement, regulatory, planning, engineering) • Agricultural
• Community Engagement/Outreach/Customer Service (community organizing, legislative, public relations, marketing)
• Research (energy sector, decarbonization)
Selection Process for At-Large CAC Seats
Following the recruitment process, a subcommittee of Board members considers eligible candidate(s) based on professional and subject matter/experience selection guidelines above. Though no specific weight will be given to a particular professional or experience factor, with the appointment of At-Large CAC members, the Board should seek a reasonable balance to allow the CAC to assess policy options and provide informed recommendations.
ANALYSIS
VCE has been actively recruiting additional members for the CAC At-Large seat following the Board meeting on October 14, 2021. VCE has received a total of four applications for the two vacancies. Staff recommends that VCE proceed with the selection process as follows:
Proposed At-Large Selection Schedule
Estimated Date Scheduled Activity
4/14/2022 Board Meeting - Approval of Selection Schedule 4/28/2022 Completion of Application Review and Candidate Discussions 5/12/2022 Board Meeting - Appointment of vacant CAC At-Large seats At its regular Monthly agenda review meeting on April 6th, the Board Subcommittee directed the Board Chair and Vice Chair to review the candidate applications and provide a recommendation to the full Board at the May meeting.
CONCLUSION
As described above, Staff recommends closing the recruitment and proceeding with the selection process leading to consideration of appointments at the May 12, 2022, Board meeting.