News Releases from Headquarters›Office of the Administrator (AO)
EPA Announces Appointment of Local Leaders to National Advisory Committee
WASHINGTON -- Today, the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the appointment of 14 new members to the Local Government Advisory Committee (LGAC). The 33-member LGAC helps EPA develop strong partnerships with local governments to provide more efficient and effective environmental protection at the community, state, and federal level.
"EPA’s efforts to protect public health and the environment are most effective when the Agency works cooperatively with state and local governments," said EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt.“I look forward to working with the committee members on important environmental issues while developing stronger and more robust partnerships across states, tribes, and local communities."
“Seeking local input is a big step by EPA in making environmental policies that work for our communities. Local governments are not only concerned about the environmental and public health of our citizens, but also financial stewardship,” said Mayor Bob Dixson, Greensburg, Kansas and Chair of the Committee. “We know what works best for our communities, and Administrator Pruitt understands and respects that.”
EPA is committed to collaborating with states and local governments in the spirit of cooperative federalism to build on their work to achieve cost reductions and better allocate resources. Improvements to public health and the environment are best achieved when EPA works together with states, tribes, and communities to address environmental issues through trust, collaboration, and partnership.
The new committee members were selected based on their demonstrated leadership experience, proven record of service to their communities, and involvement in effective environmental protection services and programs at the community, state, and federal level.
Newly appointed LGAC members include:
• City Councilman Ben Kimbro; Tulsa, Oklahoma
• Mayor José Carlos Aponte Dalmau, Carolina, Puerto Rico
• Mayor Pro Tempore Carmen Ramirez, Oxnard, California
• Mr. Carvel Lewis, Chairman; Georgetown-Quitman Consolidated County Government; Georgetown, Georgia
• County Judge Jeff Branick, Jefferson County; Beaumont, Texas
• Commissioner Libby Szabo, Jefferson County; Golden, Colorado
• Mr. Mervin Wright, Tribal Council, Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, Nixon, Nevada
• Mr. Mark Fox, Chairman, Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nations; Parshall, North Dakota
• Mr. Ron Poltak, Chairman, Auburn Planning Commission; Auburn, New Hampshire
• Ms. Susan Lessard, Town Manager, Bucksport, Maine
• Mr. William Youngblood, Executive Director, McCandless Township Sewer Authority; McCandless, Pennsylvania
• Commissioner Jai Templeton, Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Nashville, Tennessee
• Mr. Brian Fulton, County Administrator, Jackson County; Pascagoula, Mississippi
• Secretary Michael Scuse, Delaware Department of Agriculture; Dover, Delaware
In addition to these newly appointed members, the LGAC includes the following current and reappointed members:
• Mayor Bob Dixson; Greensburg, Kansas
• Jeff Witte, Secretary of Agriculture, State of New Mexico, Las Cruces, New Mexico
• Dr. Robert Cope, DVM, Commissioner Planning Commission, Salmon, Idaho
• Commissioner Victoria Reinhardt, Ramsey County, Minnesota
• Mayor Elizabeth Kautz, Burnsville, Minnesota
• Representative Tom Sloan, House Representative State of Kansas
• Commissioner Kitty W. Barnes, Catawba County, North Carolina
• Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson, Esq., Gary, Indiana
• Supervisor Ryan Sundberg, Humboldt County; Eureka, California
• Mr. Shawn Yanity, Chairman, Stillaguamish Tribe, Arlington, Washington
• Mr. Norm Archibald, Assistant Secretary, Board of Directors, West Central Texas Water Authority; Abilene, Texas
• Mayor Sal Panto, Easton, Pennsylvania
• Mayor Mark Stodola; Little Rock, Arkansas
• Mr. Rodney Bartlett, Town Administrator, Peterborough, New Hampshire
• City Councilor Andy Beerman; Park City, Utah
• City Councilman David Bobzien; Reno Nevada
• Ms. Samara Swanston, Esq.; Counsel to New York City Council Environmental Protection Committee, New York City, New York
• Ms. Teri Goodman, Assistant City Manager; Dubuque, Iowa
• Dr. Hector Gonzalez, MD, Director, City of Laredo Health Department, Laredo, Texas
Chartered in 1993 under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the Local Government Advisory Committee meets four to six times per year to provide independent and objective policy advice to the EPA Administrator. The Committee will have their first meeting in early summer.
For more information, please visit http://www.epa.gov/ocir/scas_lgac/lgac_index.htm