Attorneys and other Environmental Organization Leaders:

Seeking Nominations for Members to EPA’s National Environmental Justice Advisory Council (NEJAC)

The following has been posted by EPA.  As an outgoing NEJAC member, I highly recommend this to anyone interested in promoting environmental/social justice.
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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) invites nominations from a diverse range of qualified candidates to be considered for appointment to the NEJAC. The NEJAC is a multi-stakeholder federal advisory committee that provides independent advice and recommendations to the EPA Administrator about cross-cutting issues related to environmental justice.

This notice solicits nominations to fill eight (8) new vacancies through June 25, 2012. To maintain the representation outlined by the charter, nominees will be selected to represent the following stakeholder workforce sectors:

• Academia (1 vacancy)
• Business and industry (2 vacancies)
• Grassroots Community-based organizations (1 vacancy)
• Non-governmental/environmental organizations (1 vacancy)
• State and local government agencies (2 vacancies)
• Tribal governments and indigenous groups (1 vacancy)

Within these sectors, EPA is seeking nominees with knowledge in community sustainability, public health and health disparities, land use and sustainable development, green jobs and economic initiatives, energy, and environmental financing. In an effort to obtain nominations of diverse candidates, the Agency encourages nominations of women and men of all racial and ethnic groups. All nominations will be fully considered.
Any interested person or organization may nominate qualified persons to be considered for appointment to this advisory committee. Individuals may self-nominate. Nominees should possess the following qualifications:

• Demonstrated experience with environmental justice and community sustainability issues at the national, state, or local level
• Willingness to commit time to the committee and demonstrated ability to work constructively and effectively on committees
• Excellent interpersonal, oral and written communication, and consensus-building skills
• Ability to serve a 3-year appointment and to volunteer approximately 5 to 8 hours per month to support the Council’s activities

How to Submit Nominations: Nominations can be submitted in electronic format (preferred) following the template available at http://epa.gov/environmentaljustice/nejac/index.html#membership. In order to fill anticipated vacancies by May 2012, nominations should be received by January 25, 2012. For additional details regarding the nomination process and to learn more about NEJAC, please visit http://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/nejac/index.html.
To be considered, all nomination packages should include:

• Current contact information for the nominee, including the nominee’s name, organization (and position within that organization), current business address, e-mail address, and daytime telephone number
• Brief Statement describing the nominees interest in serving on the NEJAC
• Résumé and a short biography (no more than 2 paragraphs) describing the professional and educational qualifications of the nominee, including a list of relevant activities, and any current or previous service on advisory committees
• Letter[s] of recommendation from a third party supporting the nomination. The letter should describe how the nominee’s experience and knowledge will bring value to the work of the NEJAC.

For further questions regarding this notice, please contact the EPA Office of Environmental Justice at (202) 564-2515.