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RCAC staff member will serve on advisory board to EPA
RCAC is proud to announce that Blanca Surgeon, New Mexico environmental staff member, has been nominated to the Environmental Financial Advisory Board (EFAB) for a two-year term.
“I feel honored to be chosen to be on the board. I feel that I can provide valuable insight into the world of small communities and tribes. Financial issues for these groups are very different,” Surgeon said.
EFAB provides authoritative analysis and advice to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator on finance issues to assist the agency in carrying out its environmental mandates. EFAB's membership includes prominent experts from all levels of government, including elected officials; the finance and banking communities; business and industry and national organizations.
“Blanca is an extremely effective voice for rural communities and we are happy to share her expertise with this important EPA committee,” said Stanley Keasling, RCAC chief executive officer,
Currently, Surgeon provides training and technical assistance to community based-groups, agencies, governmental, business and municipal water and wastewater systems in New Mexico. Her work focuses on regional efforts that collaborate on needs and partner on benefits. She assists decision makers create local committees, task forces and programs that support community education and participation. Surgeon was recently inducted into the national Rural Community Assistance Partnership (RCAP) Hall of Fame for her more than 15 years work improving conditions in rural communities. She is bilingual in English and Spanish.
RCAC provides assistance to small municipal and nonprofit water systems, wastewater systems and solid waste management programs in 11 western states. RCAC and its network assist rural communities to build, improve, manage, operate, or finance drinking water, wastewater or solid waste systems. RCAC’s services are directed to low-income communities, nonprofit organizations and small water and waste systems that need help to achieve compliance with state and federal regulations. RCAC strives to help rural and tribal governments and community-based organizations increase capacity to implement solutions to their problems.
RCAC is the western RCAP – a well-established national environmental network for rural communities.
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