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Governance

Ava is a public agency based in Oakland with a staff of about 85, 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 Gonzalez, Director Marquez, and Director Roche.
  • Marketing, Regulatory and Legislative Subcommittee meets every other month (even months). Members of the Subcommittee are: Director Barrientos, Director Diallo, Director Lopez, 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.
JurisdictionMemberAlternate
JurisdictionAlameda CountyMemberSupervisor Elisa MárquezAlternateSupervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas
JurisdictionAlbanyMemberMayor Robin LópezAlternateCouncilmember Preston Jordan
JurisdictionBerkeleyMemberCouncilmember Igor TregubAlternateCouncilmember Cecilia Lunaparra
JurisdictionDublinMemberCouncilmember John MoradaAlternateMayor Sherry Hu
JurisdictionEmeryvilleMemberVice Mayor Sukhdeep KaurAlternateCouncilmember Matthew Solomon
JurisdictionFremontMemberCouncilmember Teresa KengAlternateVice Mayor Desrie Campbell
JurisdictionHaywardMemberCouncilmember Julie RocheAlternateCouncilmember Dan Goldstein
JurisdictionLathropMemberCouncilmember Minnie DialloAlternateCouncilmember Stephen Dresser
JurisdictionLivermoreMemberCouncilmember Ben Barrientos AlternateCouncilmember Steven Dunbar
JurisdictionNewarkMemberCouncilmember Julie Del CatancioAlternateCouncilmember Matthew Jorgens
JurisdictionOaklandMemberCouncilmember Rowena BrownAlternateCouncilmember Zac Unger
JurisdictionPiedmontMemberMayor Betsy Andersen (Vice Chair)AlternateCouncilmember Lorrell Plimier
JurisdictionPleasantonMemberMayor Jack Balch (Chair)AlternateVice Mayor Jeff Nibert
JurisdictionSan Joaquin CountyMemberSupervisor Robert RickmanAlternateSupervisor Mario Gardea
JurisdictionSan LeandroMemberMayor Juan González IIIAlternateCouncilmember Fred Simon
JurisdictionStocktonMemberMayor Christina FugaziAlternateCouncilmember Michael Blower
JurisdictionTracyMemberCouncilmember Dotty NygardAlternateCouncilmember Matt Bedolla
JurisdictionUnion CityMemberVice Mayor Scott SakakiharaAlternateCouncilmember Jaime Patiño
JurisdictionCommunity Advisory Committee (non-voting)MemberEd Hernandez, ChairAlternateLorraine Souza, Vice Chair

Community Advisory Committee

The Community Advisory Committee (CAC) consists of twelve members (ten appointed by the Board of Directors to represent five service area regions, and two At Large members appointed by the Alameda County Mayors’ Conference) plus five Alternates. The committee acts as a liaison between key stakeholders and our Board, holding regular public committee meetings.

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.

NameRegionAppointmentCity of Residence
NameCynthia LandryRegionNorthAppointmentMemberCity of ResidenceOakland
NameIndira BalkissoonRegionNorthAppointmentMemberCity of ResidencePiedmont
NamePeter WeinerRegionNorthAppointmentMemberCity of ResidenceBerkeley
NamePete StephensonRegionEastAppointmentMemberCity of ResidenceLivermore
NameJill GileRegionEastAppointmentAlternate MemberCity of ResidenceLivermore
NameVijay LakshmanRegionSouthAppointmentMemberCity of ResidenceFremont
NameShiva SwaminathanRegionSouthAppointmentMemberCity of ResidenceFremont
NameErnesto PachecoRegionCentralAppointmentMemberCity of ResidenceHayward
NameLorraine “Mickey” Souza,
Vice Chair
RegionCentralAppointmentMemberCity of ResidenceHayward
NameRachel DiFrancoRegionCentralAppointmentAlternate MemberCity of ResidenceCherryland – Unincorporated Alameda County
NameHarman RatiaRegionSan Joaquin CountyAppointmentMemberCity of ResidenceTracy
NameDavis HarperRegionSan Joaquin CountyAppointmentMemberCity of ResidenceStockton
NameJim LutzRegionAt LargeAppointmentMemberCity of ResidenceOakland
NameEd Hernandez, ChairRegionAt LargeAppointmentMemberCity of ResidenceSan Leandro