Citizens needed for the Citizen Climate Advisory Committee

Press release from Alachua County

ALACHUA COUNTY, Fla. – The Joint Water and Climate Policy Board is seeking applications to fill five openings on the Citizen Climate Advisory Committee (CCAC), including one position for a youth member. The CCAC currently meets in person in the Grace Knight Conference Room on the second floor of the Alachua County Administration Building (12 SE 1st St., Gainesville) on the third Monday of each month.

Interested residents may apply online (click on the “Vacancies” tab and scroll down the page to the Citizen Climate Advisory Committee). The deadline to apply is July 14, 2025.

Open CCAC positions include three at-large citizens with three-year terms, an alternate position for a one-year term, and a youth member (aged 16-21) for either a one- or two-year term, based on the selected applicant’s age and/or preference.

Since 2020, the CCAC has provided an opportunity for citizen involvement in climate change issues and concerns affecting Alachua County, City of Gainesville, and the surrounding municipalities.

The committee advises the Joint Water and Climate Policy Board on bold and innovative climate adaptation and mitigation strategies, policies and target goals. The primary task of the CCAC is to advise on the creation and implementation of a countywide Climate Action Plan that will guide policy and decision-making in multiple jurisdictions. The committee also engages with relevant stakeholders, agencies, non-profits, and the community to ensure that neighborhoods and communities that are most impacted or disadvantaged by climate change are taken into account in the development of policy recommendations and action strategies. The committee also helps guide and promote greater community awareness of climate-related issues and involvement in government climate resiliency initiatives.

“I’ve been privileged to work with many talented and dedicated CCAC members since 2020 and am excited that the committee is expanding this year to include a youth representative,” said CCAC County Liaison Jennison Kipp, who also previously served as committee chair. “We need a range of perspectives and voices at the table to identify the best local solutions to our climate challenges, and I encourage anyone from our community who is interested in being a part of this effort to apply.”

The Joint Water and Climate Policy Board is scheduled to select new CCAC members at its next meeting at 1 p.m. on Aug. 4, 2025. The meeting agenda and backup materials, including information on candidates, will be available online a week before the meeting.

Members of the public will have the opportunity to provide their input on candidates during the Public Comment portion at the meeting.

  • Don’t waste your time. AC BOCC just needs these committees to meet state requirements. They ignore all input!

    • What board did you serve on that made you draw this conclusion? Genuinely asking as a concerned citizen.

  • Hey deadheads, here’s your chance to school all those climate warming activists that they and all the scientists in the world are wrong. Do something besides the basement keyboard CJ and change the world.

    It’s your big chance!

  • Meteorology seems to be more of a subjective ‘science’. It’s the only occupation where being right half the time is considered acceptable ‘science’. Climatology seems similar to Astrology?

    • C, it’s not the planet that’s in trouble – it will survive with adaptations from it’s living, biological components like it has for many millions of years. It’s the humans – we have only been here for hundreds of thousands of years, and civilization for only a few thousand – we need to worry about – or not I suppose if you don’t care about our grandkids, great grandkids, great-great …….

      You get my drift I hope.

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