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 |
|---|---|---|
| Alameda County | Supervisor Elisa Márquez | Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas |
| Albany | Mayor Robin López | Councilmember Preston Jordan |
| Berkeley | Councilmember Igor Tregub | Councilmember Cecilia Lunaparra |
| Dublin | Councilmember John Morada | Mayor Sherry Hu |
| Emeryville | Vice Mayor Sukhdeep Kaur | Councilmember Matthew Solomon |
| Fremont | Councilmember Teresa Keng | Vice Mayor 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 (Vice Chair) | Councilmember Lorrell Plimier |
| Pleasanton | Mayor Jack Balch (Chair) | Vice Mayor Jeff Nibert |
| San Joaquin County | Supervisor Robert Rickman | Supervisor Mario Gardea |
| San Leandro | Mayor Juan González III | Councilmember Fred Simon |
| Stockton | Mayor Christina Fugazi | Councilmember Michael Blower |
| Tracy | Councilmember Dotty Nygard | Councilmember Matt Bedolla |
| Union City | Vice Mayor Scott Sakakihara | Councilmember Jaime Patiño |
| Community Advisory Committee (non-voting) | Ed Hernandez, Chair | Lorraine 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Harman Ratia | San Joaquin County | Member | Tracy |
| Davis Harper | San Joaquin County | Member | Stockton |
| Jim Lutz | At Large | Member | Oakland |
| Ed Hernandez, Chair | At Large | Member | San Leandro |