Letter of Appointment March 18, 2025 Dear President Pro Tempore Gallo and members of the City Council: Pursuant to City Charter Section 601, the Mayor has appointed the following persons as members
of
the
following
board
or
commission,
subject
to
City
Council
confirmation:
Budget Advisory Commission Ben Gould, to serve a three-year term as the At-Large representative on the Budget Advisory
Commission
beginning
October
1,
2022
and
ending
September
30,
2025,
filling
the
vacant
seat
previously
held
by
Caitlin
Prendiville.
Thank you for your assistance in this matter. Sincerely, Mayor Kevin Jenkins
Submit Date: Jan 19, 2025
First Name Last Name
Email Address
Street Address Suite or Apt
City State Postal Code
Primary Phone Alternate Phone
Employer Job Title
City of Oakland Boards & Commissions
Profile
Pronouns
he/him
What City Council district do you live in?
District 3
Which Boards would you like to apply for?
Budget Advisory Commission: Submitted
Interests & Experiences
Please tell us how your qualifications and participation will relate to the requested board and/or commission's mission.
I am a data-driven policy wonk with a passion for local government. For the past ten years, I have been a community organizer in Berkeley, where I authored and organized the winning campaign for Berkeley's 2024 Measure FF, a citizen's initiative parcel tax that will raise over $250 million for smoother, safer streets. I moved to Oakland in 2023, and I currently serve on the board of Make Oakland Better Now, a 501(c)(3) dedicated to advocating for responsible fiscal practices for the City of Oakland. I hold a Master of Public Policy degree from UC Berkeley, where I studied Oakland city governance and budget policy under former City Administrator Dan Lindheim. Professionally, I run a small climate policy consulting business that I co-founded with my past research advisor at UC Berkeley. In addition, I previously worked as a Legislative Aide for Berkeley City Councilmembers Lori Droste and as a Sustainability Analyst for San Francisco International Airport. I previously volunteered on Berkeley commissions, including eight years (six as Chair) on Berkeley's Environment and Climate Commission. I would be honored by the opportunity to serve on Oakland's Budget Advisory Commission. I know Oakland is facing unprecedented financial challenges. As a Budget Advisory Commissioner, I would dive into the City's budget data and work to understand it in detail and make it readily comprehensible and accessible to the public and City Councilmembers alike. I believe my detail-oriented and data-driven approach to policy would be an asset to the commission, and I'm excited to get further involved and help serve the community I now call home. Thank you, Ben
Ben Gould
EcoDataLab President
Ben Gould
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Please paste the text of your resume or curriculum vitae below.
Ben Gould | Oakland,
CA RELEVA A •
Providing climate action consulting services to nonprofits and municipalities in the US and Canada, specializing in consumption-based emissions. Clients include C40 Cities, New York City, Toronto, Seattle, Austin, Boulder, and others. Featured in The Climate Impact of Your Neighborhood, Mapped (New York Times, Dec 2022). COMMUNITY SERVICE Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee, Alameda CTC Feb 2022 – Present • Serve as the AC Transit Representative for ACTC BPAC. Provide input on proposed bike/ped projects across the county. Board Member, Berkeley Neighbors for Housing & Climate Action Jan 2019 – Present • Organizing community members to advocate in support of climate-smart transit-oriented development, and alternative transportation. • Lead author of 2024 Measure FF, a parcel tax measure to fund street repair, walk/bike safety improvements, and environmental enhancements. Overseeing campaign activities including volunteer organizing, fundraising, and messaging. Commissioner, Chair (2016, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023) September 2014 – October 2023 City of Berkeley Environment and Climate Commission Berkeley, CA • Prepared recommendations on environmental policies for Berkeley City Council. First to recommend banning natural gas in new construction in 2016, leading to first-in-the-nation law in 2019. Candidate March 2016 – Nov 2018 Ben Gould for Council 2018, Council 2017 Berkeley, CA • Ran competitive campaigns for City Council to represent Downtown Berkeley.
Earned support from State Senators Nancy Skinner and Scott Wiener, Mayors Libby Schaaf and John Bauters, Berkeley City Councilmembers, labor unions, political clubs, news organizations, and more. EDUCATION Master of Public Policy (MPP); M.S. in Environmental Engineering December 2017 University of California, Berkeley Berkeley, CA Bachelor of Science, General Biology June 2013 University of California, San Diego San Diego, CA Please click the acknowledgement below.
Service on City of Oakland boards, commissions, and committees may require filings of the FPPC's Statements of Economic Interest (Form 700). Upon appointment and determination of filing status, I will comply with all filing obligations.
I Agree *
Ben_Gould_Oakland_Resume_2024.pdf
Ben Gould
Ben Gould
Oakland, CA
RELEVANT EXPERIENCE
President July 2020 – Present
EcoDataLab Oakland, CA
• Providing climate action consulting services to nonprofits and municipalities in the US and Canada, specializing in consumption-based emissions. Clients include C40 Cities, New York City, Toronto, Seattle, Austin, Boulder, and others. Featured in The Climate Impact of Your Neighborhood, Mapped (New York Times, Dec 2022).
COMMUNITY SERVICE
Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee, Alameda CTC Feb 2022 – Present • Serve as the AC Transit Representative for ACTC BPAC. Provide input on proposed bike/ped projects across the county.
Board Member, Berkeley Neighbors for Housing & Climate Action Jan 2019 – Present • Organizing community members to advocate in support of climate-smart transit- oriented development, and alternative transportation.
• Lead author of 2024 Measure FF, a parcel tax measure to fund street repair, walk/bike safety improvements, and environmental enhancements. Overseeing campaign activities including volunteer organizing, fundraising, and messaging.
Commissioner, Chair (2016, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023) September 2014 – October 2023 City of Berkeley Environment and Climate Commission Berkeley, CA • Prepared recommendations on environmental policies for Berkeley City Council.
First to recommend banning natural gas in new construction in 2016, leading to first-in-the-nation law in 2019.
Candidate March 2016 – Nov 2018
Ben Gould for Council 2018, Council 2017 Berkeley, CA
• Ran competitive campaigns for City Council to represent Downtown Berkeley.
Earned support from State Senators Nancy Skinner and Scott Wiener, Mayors Libby Schaaf and John Bauters, Berkeley City Councilmembers, labor unions, political clubs, news organizations, and more.
EDUCATION
Master of Public Policy (MPP); M.S. in Environmental Engineering December 2017 University of California, Berkeley Berkeley, CA
Bachelor of Science, General Biology June 2013
University of California, San Diego San Diego, CA
APPROVED AS TO FORM AND LEGALITY
_ _______________________
CITY ATTORNEY’S OFFICE
OAKLAND CITY COUNCIL
RESOLUTION NO. _______________ C.M.S.
INTRODUCED BY MAYOR KEVIN JENKINS
RESOLUTION CONFIRMING THE MAYOR’S APPOINTMENT OF BEN
GOULD TO THE BUDGET ADVISORY COMMISSION
WHEREAS, Section 601 of the City Charter provides that members of City boards and commissions shall be appointed by the Mayor subject to confirmation by the affirmative vote of five members of the City Council; and
WHEREAS, Ordinance No. 13337 C.M.S., adopted November 3, 2015, creates the Budget Advisory Commission to advise the Mayor and City Council on topics deemed important to the fiscal health of the City, encourage public participation and input into fiscal decision making, and improve the transparency and accountability of City fiscal information and decision making; and WHEREAS, the Budget Advisory Commission shall be composed of 15 members appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the Council in accordance with Section 601 of the City Charter; and
WHEREAS, members of the Budget Advisory Commission shall serve no more than two consecutive three-year terms plus any initial term of less than two years; and WHEREAS, three members are selected by the Mayor, two members are recommended by the Chairperson of the Finance and Management Committee, one member is recommended by each Councilmember, one member is recommended by the City Auditor, and one member is recommended by the Chairperson of the Community and Economic Development Committee; and WHEREAS, Councilmember Rowena Brown has recommended the appointment of Ben Gould to the Budget Advisory Commission; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED: That the City Council hereby confirms the Mayor’s appointment of the following individual to the Budget Advisory Commission as set forth below:
Ben Gould, to serve a three-year term as the At-Large representative on the Budget Advisory Commission beginning October 1, 2022 and ending September 30, 2025, filling the vacant seat previously held by Caitlin Prendiville.
IN COUNCIL, OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA,
PASSED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:
AYES - BROWN, FIFE, HOUSTON, KAPLAN, RAMACHANDRAN, UNGER, AND PRESIDENT
PRO TEMPORE GALLO
NOES –
ABSENT – COUNCIL PRESIDENT JENKINS (serving as Mayor pursuant to Charter Section 303) ABSTENTION –
ATTEST:
ASHA REED
City Clerk and Clerk of the Council of the
City of Oakland, California
3403937/LL