FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date: 02/10/2020 Contact: Brenda Nations, Sustainability Coordinator Phone: 319-887-6161
Meet the members of the new Climate Action Commission
In September 2019 the Iowa City Council authorized the creation of a new, 11-member Climate Action Commission. After an application and selection period, the members of the new commission met for the first time in December 2019.
Members are: Madeleine Bradley, John Fraser, Stratis Giannakouros with the University of Iowa, Grace Holbrook, Kasey Hutchinson, GT Karr, Matt Krieger as Commission Chair, Jesse Leckband representing MidAmerican Energy, Katie Sarsfield, Becky Soglin, and Eric Tate.
The role of the Commission will include advising the City Council on climate issues, analyzing climate actions with attention to equity, and engaging the public on climate and sustainability goals. One of its first projects will be to gather input on the City report, “Accelerating Iowa City’s Climate Actions.”
The new Climate Action Commission succeeds a public steering committee which created the City’s Climate Action and Adaptation Plan, adopted in September 2018. After the plan was adopted, the committee continued as a self-governing advisory board. In August 2019, members of the board recommended the creation of a formal City Commission to help address and support the City’s climate objectives.
Commission members’ terms will be three years, with a two-term limit.
Their next meeting will be at 3:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 10, 2020 in Meeting Room A at the Iowa City Public Library, 123 S. Linn St. Their meetings are normally held on the first Monday of the month, but did not in February due to the Iowa Caucuses.
