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Sustainable Communities Advisory Council

Overview

Sustainable & Resilient Communities Advisory Council

Climate change is an immediate and escalating threat that is having a dramatic impact on the environment, the economies of our communities and on the health and safety of residents. In order to be strong proponents of great local government and to help local agencies provide essential services while also creating vibrant communities, ILG must be a leader in identifying and promoting promising practices in climate-ready communities. ILG’s sustainability work seeks to build resources and relationships to help local leaders address difficult decisions around land use, public services, and community resilience. 

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Ophelia Basgal
Affiliate, Tener Center for Housing Innovation, UC Berkeley

Ophelia Basgal is an Affiliate at the Terner Center. She has over 30 years of high-level management experience and extensive regulatory and policy knowledge of the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) programs and other state and local affordable housing programs. 

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Scott Carroll
General Manager, Costa Mesa Sanitary District

With nearly three decades of public service experience at municipalities and special districts in Southern California, Scott Carroll has successfully led the development of innovative local government programs, operational process enhancements, strategic planning activities and performance improvement initiatives for the betterment of many communities.

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Eddie “EJ” Crandell
Supervisor, Lake County

Eddie “E.J.” Crandell currently serves as the Vice Chairman of the Lake County Board of Supervisors, a position he has held since 2019. In his role, he participates on numerous committees, including the Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC) Board and the Farm, Ranch, and Rural Communities Federal Advisory Committee (FRRCC) for the EPA. Before his tenure as a County Supervisor, Crandell served as a planning commissioner from 2016 to 2018.

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Veronica Eady
Vice President, Equity and Justice, Resources Legacy Fund

Veronica Eady is Vice President for Equity & Justice at the Resources Legacy Fund, a nonprofit environmental grantmaking organization. Prior to joining RLF, Veronica held senior leadership positions at the Bay Area Air Quality Management District and the California Air Resources Board.

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Michael Flad
Assistant City Manager, City of Jurupa Valley

Michael has over three decades of local government experience and currently serves as the Assistant City Manager for California’s newest City, the City of Jurupa Valley.

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Courtney Henderson
Councilmember, Town of Truckee

Courtney was elected to Truckee Town Council in 2020. She was immediately nominated to Vice Mayor and served as Mayor in 2022. Courtney is an energy, climate, and health strategist with 20 years of experience in those sectors.

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Jennifer Krietz
Supervisor, Mono County

Jennifer has served on the Mono County Board of Supervisors since July 2018. Her primary area of interest is in affordable housing for all the county’s residents.

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Jaime Lemus
Director of Transportation and Climate Change Division at Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District

Jaime Lemus is a descendent of the Purepecha Indigenous people of Michoacan, Mexico. Jaime started his career at the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District in 2001, and since, has gained a wide breadth of experience working in multiple divisions in various capacities.

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Alyssa Silhi
Director of Government Affairs, Renne Public Policy Group

For over 15 years, Alyssa Silhi has been advancing statewide policies for the public good, from healthcare and K-12 education to public health, public safety, and local government. As an experienced council member and special district board member, Alyssa brings a unique understanding of the nuance of local agency operations to advocating for issues important to local government

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Dr. Nilmini Silva-Send
Associate Director and the Friedman Fellow, University of San Diego School of Law

Dr. Silva-Send is currently a professor at the University of San Diego School of Law, educating students on international energy law with a focus on international energy investment treaties, contracts and dispute resolution, World Trade Organization law related to national energy policies, and linkages with climate change law.

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Melissa Sparks-Kranz
Legislative Affairs Lobbyist, Environmental Quality, League of California Cities

Melissa Sparks-Kranz is a seasoned governmental affairs professional with over a decade of extensive experience working on statewide water, environmental, and natural resources issues in California.

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Tiffany-Wise West
Sustainability and Resilience Officer, City of Santa Cruz

Dr. Tiffany Wise-West is the Sustainability and Climate Action Manager at the City of Santa Cruz. She is a licensed professional civil engineer with over 25 years of experience in municipal environmental planning, programming, policy and infrastructure development and implementation.

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