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 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 |
|---|---|---|
| JurisdictionAlameda County | MemberSupervisor Elisa Márquez | AlternateSupervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas |
| JurisdictionAlbany | MemberMayor Robin López | AlternateCouncilmember Preston Jordan |
| JurisdictionBerkeley | MemberCouncilmember Igor Tregub | AlternateCouncilmember Cecilia Lunaparra |
| JurisdictionDublin | MemberCouncilmember John Morada | AlternateMayor Sherry Hu |
| JurisdictionEmeryville | MemberVice Mayor Sukhdeep Kaur | AlternateCouncilmember Matthew Solomon |
| JurisdictionFremont | MemberCouncilmember Teresa Keng | AlternateVice Mayor Desrie Campbell |
| JurisdictionHayward | MemberCouncilmember Julie Roche | AlternateCouncilmember Dan Goldstein |
| JurisdictionLathrop | MemberCouncilmember Minnie Diallo | AlternateCouncilmember Stephen Dresser |
| JurisdictionLivermore | MemberCouncilmember Ben Barrientos | AlternateCouncilmember Steven Dunbar |
| JurisdictionNewark | MemberCouncilmember Julie Del Catancio | AlternateCouncilmember Matthew Jorgens |
| JurisdictionOakland | MemberCouncilmember Rowena Brown | AlternateCouncilmember Zac Unger |
| JurisdictionPiedmont | MemberMayor Betsy Andersen (Vice Chair) | AlternateCouncilmember Lorrell Plimier |
| JurisdictionPleasanton | MemberMayor Jack Balch (Chair) | AlternateVice Mayor Jeff Nibert |
| JurisdictionSan Joaquin County | MemberSupervisor Robert Rickman | AlternateSupervisor Mario Gardea |
| JurisdictionSan Leandro | MemberMayor Juan González III | AlternateCouncilmember Fred Simon |
| JurisdictionStockton | MemberMayor Christina Fugazi | AlternateCouncilmember Michael Blower |
| JurisdictionTracy | MemberCouncilmember Dotty Nygard | AlternateCouncilmember Matt Bedolla |
| JurisdictionUnion City | MemberVice Mayor Scott Sakakihara | AlternateCouncilmember Jaime Patiño |
| JurisdictionCommunity Advisory Committee (non-voting) | MemberEd Hernandez, Chair | AlternateLorraine 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.
| Name | Region | Appointment | City of Residence |
|---|---|---|---|
| NameCynthia Landry | RegionNorth | AppointmentMember | City of ResidenceOakland |
| NameIndira Balkissoon | RegionNorth | AppointmentMember | City of ResidencePiedmont |
| NamePeter Weiner | RegionNorth | AppointmentMember | City of ResidenceBerkeley |
| NamePete Stephenson | RegionEast | AppointmentMember | City of ResidenceLivermore |
| NameJill Gile | RegionEast | AppointmentAlternate Member | City of ResidenceLivermore |
| NameVijay Lakshman | RegionSouth | AppointmentMember | City of ResidenceFremont |
| NameShiva Swaminathan | RegionSouth | AppointmentMember | City of ResidenceFremont |
| NameErnesto Pacheco | RegionCentral | AppointmentMember | City of ResidenceHayward |
| NameLorraine “Mickey” Souza, Vice Chair | RegionCentral | AppointmentMember | City of ResidenceHayward |
| NameRachel DiFranco | RegionCentral | AppointmentAlternate Member | City of ResidenceCherryland – Unincorporated Alameda County |
| NameHarman Ratia | RegionSan Joaquin County | AppointmentMember | City of ResidenceTracy |
| NameDavis Harper | RegionSan Joaquin County | AppointmentMember | City of ResidenceStockton |
| NameJim Lutz | RegionAt Large | AppointmentMember | City of ResidenceOakland |
| NameEd Hernandez, Chair | RegionAt Large | AppointmentMember | City of ResidenceSan Leandro |