Portland Courant

Portland, Ore.— On Wednesday, July 12, Portland City Council appointed three new members to the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF) Committee. The nine-member committee will continue to make recommendations to staff for the PCEF program, including oversight on program accountability in the five-year Climate Investment Plan.

“I'd like to thank and acknowledge all the members of the PCEF Committee, including our newly appointed and reappointed members that we are recognizing today,” said Commissioner Carmen Rubio. “To Paul, DeAngelo, and Alicia, I know that each of you will bring even more dimension and innovation to this work, and I look forward to seeing how you unfold in this Committee.”

Alicia Chapman, owner and CEO of Willamette Technical Fabricators; DeAngelo Moaning, Chief of Staff at Raimore Construction; and Paul Lumley, CEO for the Native American Youth and Family Center will be joining existing committee members Faith Graham, Michael Edden David Hill, Dr. Megan Horst, Maria Gabrielle Sipin, Ranfis Villatoro, and Robin Wang to move PCEF’s work forward.

PCEF is committed to ensuring Portland's diverse communities see themselves represented on the committee. Committee members must have a demonstrated commitment to addressing climate change and empowering historically disadvantaged groups. In this recent recruitment opportunity, the Committee was looking for:

• One community member with knowledge of Native American history, an understanding of the diversity of the local American Indian/Alaska Native community, and issues surrounding the Urban Indian experience. 
• One community member with knowledge of practices for promoting minority-owned and/or women-owned businesses.
• One community member who may not have met either of the two criteria above, but who was committed to advancing PCEF's goals.

“Alicia, DeAngelo, and Paul join an esteemed group who not only bring their expertise to this work, but also their lived experiences and understanding of what it means to live on the frontlines of climate change,” said Sam Baraso, PCEF Program Manager. “We’re grateful to our new members, as well as our current and reappointed members, for continuing their important work and strengthening the program now and in the future.”

The Committee meets the third Thursday of each month. Meeting details can be found on the PCEF website.

About the City of Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability

The Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (BPS) develops creative and practical solutions to enhance Portland’s livability, preserve distinctive places and plan for a resilient future. BPS collaborates with community partners to provide comprehensive land use, neighborhood, district, economic, historic and environmental planning, and urban design; research, policy and technical services to advance green building, energy efficiency and the use of solar and renewable energy, waste prevention, composting and recycling, and a sustainable food system; and policy and actions to address climate change.

About the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund

The Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF) initiative was passed by 65% of Portland voters in November 2018. It provides a consistent, long-term funding source and oversight structure to ensure that our community's climate action efforts are implemented to support social, economic and environmental benefits for all Portlanders, particularly communities of color and low-income residents. The initiative was supported by a broad coalition of groups and individuals and represents the first environmental initiative in Oregon led by communities of color.

Original source can be found here