Loading...Regional Water Council - Call For Candidates
Fellow Georgia Chamber of Commerce Members -
You may know that the General Assembly recently passed HR 1022, and the Governor has also now signed off the Comprehensive Statewide Water Management Plan. A key part of that Plan is the establishment of regional water planning regions and the subsequent appointment of 250 leaders to councils from across Georgia to serve those regions.
Under the guidance of the Georgia Chamber Environment & Energy Committee chair, Suzanne Sitherwood, the Committee continues to make progress with the Georgia Water Plan and its plan for implementation. Our Committee philosophy aligns with the Georgia Initiative's philosophy of a "proactive approach" - and we're seeking to be ahead of the curve in identifying candidates. We have already started compiling a list of candidates based on our own Committee members' input.
The next step is to come to you and get your candidate recommendations.
We need your help in building a list of 250 candidates to serve in 10 districts across the state. As prescribed in the Water Plan, each Regional Water Council will have 25 members - 4 who are either a mayor or city council member, and 4 who are elected officials, and 17 leaders in the community. The Governor, the Lt Governor, and the Speaker each get to pick members to serve these regions. These candidates can be any one that lives in the state of Georgia in the water planning region for which they will serve.
Identifying these nominees will be a huge task. We would like to assist the Governor, Lt. Governor and Speaker of the House in making good appointments of reasonable, knowledgeable and respected industry and community leaders to these Councils. We would like to provide them a list of names of appropriate individuals from which to consider appointments. Names for consideration will come from several directions, so we can't guarantee they will be appointed. However, as the Georgia Chamber, we are in the unique position of facilitating the candidate identification process and organizing the effort. Once the state formally issues its call for candidates, we'll be ready.
Thanks in advance for giving some thought to this request. Please forward your candidate nominations (name, organization, city, criteria fit) to me via email by Monday, July 14th.
Sincerely,
George M. Israel, III Suzanne Sitherwood
President & CEO Chair, Environment & Energy Committee
Georgia Chamber of Commerce Atlanta Gas Light
Criteria for submission:
The Statewide Water Plan states, with respect to Council membership, that:
1. A member must represent one of the following sectors:
- Agriculture;
- Forestry;
- Industry;
- Commerce;
- Local governments;
- Water utilities;
- Regional development centers;
- Tourism;
- Recreation; or
- The Environment.
2. A Member must reside in the water planning region.
3. In addition, the Georgia Chamber would add that nominees must
demonstrate:
- A willingness to serve. Will attend meetings and
participate in the deliberations of their Council;
- That they can and will serve the interest of the entire
business community in the entire drainage basin;
- Some knowledge of hydrology and water resource
management, (or willingness to learn);
- An understanding of integrated land use planning,
transportation planning and water planning issues; and.
- That they can and will be an advocate for reasonable
economic development and growth. Is able to balance
growth v economic development.
