Community Advisory Committee
The Peninsula Clean Energy Board of Directors appoints up to fifteen people to serve as members of the Community Advisory Committee. The Community Advisory Committee usually meets two Thursdays in advance of the scheduled Board of Directors meeting, at 6:30 pm.
| Jurisdiction | Name | Selected Background | Term Ends |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Banos | Daniel Baerwaldt | Student and Researcher at UC Merced, UC Merced Solar Energy Association, dedicated to working on and understanding climate issues that our communities face through research and community outreach, a lifelong resident of Los Banos. | 2024 |
| Belmont | Diane Bailey | Director of Menlo Spark. Deep professional experience in environmental advocacy, environmental justice, and climate policy. Committed PCE champion from formation. | 2024 |
| Half Moon Bay | Steven Booker | Political Director and Community Affairs Liaison with IBEW 617. Has experience working with SMC city councils. Also helps young people in high school and Adult continuation schools find construction industry opportunities. Was an electrician for 20+ years and worked with Building Management Systems to reduce energy consumption. | 2025 |
| South San Francisco | Brandon Chan | Current member of Community Advisory Committee General Plan 2040 for City of South San Francisco. Interested in supporting the electrification of existing buildings equitably. | 2025 |
| Menlo Park | Michael Closson | Former CAC Chair. Advocated for CCA in San Mateo County through Sierra Club, San Mateo Community Choice, and Menlo Spark. Served on original PCE formation committee. Former ED of Acterra, developed Green@Home residential energy efficiency program. | 2026 |
| San Carlos | Kathleen Goforth | Brings experience from a career with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and volunteer work with local environmental organizations. Actively engaged in generating public support for building electrification. Co-led successful grassroots campaign for all-electric reach codes in San Carlos and retrofitted own home to be all-electric. | 2025 |
| East Palo Alto | Mele Heimuli | Community affordable housing advocate and former office manager for a local family construction business. Eager to contribute to neighborhood and community as a member of the CAC. | 2026 |
| Burlingame | Aurelio Huizar | Program Coordinator for El Concilio conducting outreach across San Mateo County and helping customers understand their PG&E bill, usually in Spanish. Experienced in enrolling customers in utility bill discounts and other energy programs to address their needs. | 2026 |
| San Bruno | Gail Lee | Sustainability Director for UCSF and former Director of Environmental Health and Safety for Mills-Penisula Health Services. Brings deep experience in sustainability, energy efficiency, and carbon emissions reduction in academic and health care settings. | 2026 |
| South San Francisco | Margaret Li | Civil/Environmental engineer with the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission enthusiastic about contributing to the community through local environmental advocacy. Life member of the Sierra Club for over two decades and a dedicated volunteer at Engineers Without Borders for over 15 years. | 2025 |
| Redwood City | Jason Mendelson | Current CAC Vice Chair. Active in developing Woodside's Climate Action plan and city sustainability ordinances, organizing Earth Day celebrations in Portola Valley/Woodside, owns TV and film production studio. | 2025 |
| Menlo Park | Cheryl Oliver Schaff | Current CAC Chair. Dedicated activist as a Climate Reality Project Leader, Bay Area Chapter, and member of Extinction Rebellion San Mateo; working on Menlo Park City Team, in conjunction with 350 Silicon Valley; deep experience in marketing communications, PR. 30-year resident of Menlo Park. | 2024 |
| Menlo Park | Shreyas Sudhakar | Entrepreneur and founder of Helios Climate Industries, a venture-backed startup decarbonizing buildings through the large-scale deployment of residential heat pumps at low cost. Interested in shaping electrification initiatives to accelerate the transition to clean electricity and provide equitable access to heat pumps across all demographics. Excited to work toward the intersection of technology and policy that makes clean electricity the default choice to power, heat, and cool all homes. | 2026 |
| Burlingame | Desiree Thayer | Former CAC Chair. Active in Burlingame Citizens Environmental Council youth leadership programs with San Mateo County Department of Education. Volunteered on PCE business outreach. Extensive outreach and legislative volunteer experience through Oxfam. | 2026 |
| San Mateo | Robert Whitehair | Co-leader of the San Mateo Climate Action Team. Active community champion and spokesperson for building electrification, with significant infrastructure management experience. Recipient of the PeninsulaClean Energy All-Electric Leader Award for Outstanding Residential Modernization. | 2026 |
Objectives for the Community Advisory Committee
The goal of Peninsula Clean Energy is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by providing cleaner power to County residents and businesses at competitive rates. We also develop new renewable energy sources, including within San Mateo County, and implement programs to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
To further this mission, the Community Advisory Committee will:
Advise on substantial public-facing program initiatives before they are presented to the Board for approval, as practical given timeliness and staff and CAC capacity.
Engage in outreach to the community and advocate for Peninsula Clean Energy mission, goals, and programs.
Advise on high-level legislative and regulatory direction of the organization
Provide a forum for community discussions on a wide variety of strategies in conjunction with staff and board.
Form working groups, as recommended by the CAC membership, to assist Peninsula Clean Energy’s staff and Board with projects of importance to the organization.
Meetings
The Community Advisory Committee usually meets on the second Thursday of every month at 6:30 p.m. Please check the posted Meeting Schedule for specifics. Please note that the meeting location (address or teleconference options) will be announced in the Agenda. All meeting agendas will be posted here at least 72 hours prior to each meeting.
How to join the meeting
Our meetings are currently hybrid with options to join remotely or in person. Please click on the meeting agenda for details and instructions.