Sacramento

The five members in the Sacramento Region are busy working with communities throughout the capital region. Shelby Kelley is leading the CivicSpark involvement in “One Cool City”- a program that engages Davis residents to increase sustainability through consumption, energy, and transportation. Shelby is coordinating volunteers and busy conducting outreach and providing education for Cool Davis.

Melanie Chu, Ariadna Hernandez, Laura Moser and Emily Potter are partnering with Sacramento Council of Governments and the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District on projects impacting the Sacramento region. Ariadna and Emily are involved with an urban greening project, working with disadvantaged neighborhoods to increase urban canopy and updating the Yolo County Climate Action Plan.

Laura and Melanie are currently conducting a vulnerability assessment for Sacramento region communities. ‘We are excited to be in the center of political climate action here,’ Laura Moser said, ‘There is a lot of energy in the capitol supporting environmental action, and we can’t wait to be a part of the movement!’

CivicSpark Sacramento Region Projects

One Cool City Participate in the design and implementation of GHG reduction programs at neighborhood and community organization level that coordinate volunteers, community members, and local leaders. Beneficiary: City of Davis

Yolo County CAP: Midpoint Assessment and Course Correction Review and evaluate the Yolo County Climate Action Plan including the current status of the County’s goals, and the effectiveness of the Plan’s policies and action items. Identify those policies that may need to be modified in order to accomplish the County’s goals and make the corresponding recommendations. Beneficiary: County of Yolo

Sacramento Regional Climate Vulnerability Assessment and Policy Review This project consists of two phases: 1) Conduct a high-level vulnerability assessment for the Sacramento region’s transportation system, and recommend policies and next steps, and 2) Work with other agencies (federal, state, and local) to build capacity for more in depth analysis on climate impacts in the region. Beneficiaries: SACOG

Urban Heat Islands in the Sacramento Region Work with Sacramento communities and local tree foundations to increase the urban canopy in disadvantaged neighborhoods. Beneficiary: SMAQMD

Meet our Team

Jenny Woods, Regional Supervisor Jenny Woods is a Project Manager at the Local Government Commission. Jenny’s current projects include managing LGC’s efforts in the Statewide Energy Efficiency Collaborative, managing the Capital Region Climate Readiness Collaborative, and acting as the Sacramento Regional Supervisor. Before coming to the Local Government Commission, Jenny worked at the U.S. EPA’s Office of Sustainable Communities and the State of California’s Strategic Growth Council. She obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Urban Studies and Planning from the University of California, San Diego.

Melanie Chu Melanie Chu is a recent graduate from UC Berkeley with a major in Urban Studies. Dabbling in transportation planning and research during her undergraduate years, she hopes that the CivicSpark program can help her broaden the framework of transportation planning into environmental and climate issues.

Ariadna Hernandez Ariadna Hernandez is a recent graduate from the University of the Pacific with a B.S. in Environmental Science. In 2013, she worked alongside the Sustainability Department in the organic Ted and Chris Robb Garden on the university campus, helping with the planning and implementation of the first University U-Pick.

Shelby Kelley Shelby Kelley is a recent graduate of the University of California San Diego with a B.S. in Environmental Systems (Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution) with a split track in Environmental Policy. While attending UCSD she completed a senior thesis project working in an ecology lab on campus researching fitness trade-offs in algae as they pertained to algal biofuels.

Laura Moser Laura earned a bachelor’s in Civil Engineering along with a bachelor’s in Physical Science, focusing her studies on water resources technologies and issues. Having worked most recently as an environmental consultant on large construction sites, she is enjoying the transition into policybased office work.

Emily Potter Sacramento native Emily Potter graduated from the University of the Pacific’s School of International Studies with a major in Global Studies and Minor in Environmental Studies. She completed a AmeriCorps Vista Summer with Mutual Housing California’s Green Leaders Program, which assisted residents to develop sustainable programs and events for their fellow community members.