Governance
Ava is a public agency based in Oakland with a staff of about 100, governed by a Board of local elected officials and advised by a Community Advisory Committee. Our Board meets once a month and all meetings are open to the public.
Board of Directors
The Ava Board of Directors is made up of an elected official from each of the participating jurisdictions and one representative (non-voting) from the Community Advisory Committee (CAC). The Board sets rates, approves the annual budget, and determines the mix of power sources. Our agency is a Joint Powers Authority made up of each jurisdiction we serve.
Ava’s Board of Directors Subcommittees are:
- Executive Committee meets monthly. Members of the Executive Committee are: Director Andersen, Director Balch, Director Fugazi, Director González, Director Márquez, and Director Roche.
- Marketing, Regulatory and Legislative Subcommittee meets every other month (even months). Members of the Subcommittee are: Director Barrientos, Director Diallo, Director López, Director Nygard, and Director Tregub.
- Financial, Administrative and Procurement Subcommittee meets every other month (odd months). Members of the Subcommittee are: Director Brown, Director Del Catancio, Director Kaur, Director Keng, Director Morada, and Director Sakakihara.
| Jurisdiction | Member | Alternate |
|---|---|---|
| Alameda County | Supervisor Elisa Márquez | Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas |
| Albany | Councilmember Robin López | Councilmember Preston Jordan |
| Berkeley | Councilmember Igor Tregub | Councilmember Cecilia Lunaparra |
| Dublin | Councilmember John Morada | Mayor Sherry Hu |
| Emeryville | Mayor Sukhdeep Kaur | Vice Mayor Matthew Solomon |
| Fremont | Councilmember Teresa Keng | Councilmember Desrie Campbell |
| Hayward | Councilmember Julie Roche | Councilmember Dan Goldstein |
| Lathrop | Councilmember Minnie Diallo | Councilmember Stephen Dresser |
| Livermore | Councilmember Ben Barrientos | Councilmember Steven Dunbar |
| Newark | Councilmember Julie Del Catancio | Councilmember Matthew Jorgens |
| Oakland | Councilmember Rowena Brown | Councilmember Zac Unger |
| Piedmont | Mayor Betsy Andersen (Chair) | Councilmember Lorrell Plimier |
| Pleasanton | Mayor Jack Balch | Councilmember Jeff Nibert |
| San Joaquin County | Supervisor Robert Rickman | Supervisor Mario Gardea |
| San Leandro | Mayor Juan González III (Vice Chair) | Councilmember Fred Simon |
| Stockton | Mayor Christina Fugazi | Councilmember Michael Blower |
| Tracy | Councilmember Dotty Nygard | Councilmember Matt Bedolla |
| Union City | Councilmember Scott Sakakihara | Vice Mayor Jaime Patiño |
| Community Advisory Committee (non-voting) | Ed Hernandez, Chair | Lorraine Souza, Vice Chair |
Community Advisory Committee
The Community Advisory Committee (CAC) is made up of residents and business owners from across Ava’s service area. The Committee acts as a liaison between community stakeholders and Ava’s Board of Directors, holding regular public committee meetings. The CAC consists of thirteen members (eleven are Regional Members and two are At-large), as well as five regional Alternates. Members serve two-year terms and are appointed by Ava’s Board of Directors.
Ava is now accepting applications for positions on our CAC. The deadline to apply is Friday, February 20 at noon.
Eligibility:
- Residents of Ava’s service area, or business owners who have actively owned and operated a business within Ava’s service area for at least 5 years
- Applicants should be able to attend regular monthly meetings, generally on Monday evenings. Remote participation is available, and Members are eligible to receive a stipend for each meeting they attend.
- Applicants with potential conflicts of interest that may hinder effective participation on the CAC are discouraged from applying. Ava Board Members may consider potential conflicts of interest when making appointments to the CAC.
About the Community Advisory Committee
The Community Advisory Committee was formed in 2016 as part of the Ava Community Energy Joint Powers Authority and appointed by the Board of Directors to advise the Board on all subjects related to the operations of the Community Choice Aggregation program. The CAC gives the community a voice in its choice of electricity services, clean energy resource investments, and local energy projects.
Ava strives to ensure a diversity of members and alternates based on location, population, work experience, and community interest. Learn more about the CAC in the Community Advisory Committee Guide.
| Name | Region | Appointment | City of Residence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cynthia Landry | North | Member | Oakland |
| Indira Balkissoon | North | Member | Piedmont |
| Peter Weiner | North | Member | Berkeley |
| Pete Stephenson | East | Member | Livermore |
| Jill Gile | East | Alternate Member | Livermore |
| Vijay Lakshman | South | Member | Fremont |
| Shiva Swaminathan | South | Member | Fremont |
| Ernesto Pacheco | Central | Member | Hayward |
| Lorraine “Mickey” Souza, Vice Chair | Central | Member | Hayward |
| Rachel DiFranco | Central | Alternate Member | Cherryland – Unincorporated Alameda County |
| Davis Harper | San Joaquin County | Member | Stockton |
| Jim Lutz | At Large | Member | Oakland |
| Ed Hernandez, Chair | At Large | Member | San Leandro |