Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
1 <br />2 <br />3 <br />4 <br />5 <br />6 <br />7 <br />8 <br />9 <br />10 <br />11 <br />12 <br />13 <br />14 <br />15 <br />16 <br />17 <br />18 <br />19 <br />20 <br />21 <br />22 <br />23 <br />24 <br />25 <br />26 <br />27 <br />28 <br />29 <br />30 <br />31 <br />32 <br />33 <br />34 <br />35 <br />36 <br />37 <br />38 <br />39 <br />40 <br />41 <br />42 <br />43 <br />44 <br />45 <br />46 <br />47 <br />48 <br />49 <br />50 <br />16 <br />said the goals of the plan are difficult to achieve when only gender diversity is considered. She <br />asked the Board to please keep ethnic and racial diversity in mind when appointing to this <br />board. <br />Commissioner Rich said when this item came to agenda review, there were three <br />women on the applicant roster: one woman deferred due to outside commitments, another <br />woman wants to stay on the list for now, and the third is Jody Eimers. She said Jody Eimers <br />has 34 years as a hydrologist with the US Geological Survey, which is valuable experience. <br />She said Ms. Eimers also attends the Commission for Environment meetings, as she <br />recognizes the direct correlation between the environment and clean water. <br />Commissioner Rich said she has served on the OWASA Board herself, and she does <br />not think a 9- person board should only have one female serving on it. She said the Town of <br />Chapel Hill has 5 seats on this board, with all five currently being filled by men. She said Pam <br />Hemminger, Chapel Hill Mayor, said she was disappointed by this, and would prefer more <br />women to be serving. <br />A motion was made by Commissioner Rich, seconded by Commissioner Marcoplos to <br />appoint for Jody Eimers to the OWASA Board of Directors for an Appointment to a full term <br />(Position #1) "County BOCC Appointee" with an expiration of 06/30/2021. <br />Commissioner Price appreciated Ms. Ayanhoya's comments, and it is important to show <br />ethnic diversity on boards. She said she would like to nominate Quinton Harper for the position; <br />noting that he has served previously, and there are several current OWASA Board members <br />who support his appointment. <br />Commissioner Marcoplos said he served on the OWASA Board, and there was a <br />significant learning curve due to the technical nature of the issues. He said Ms. Eimers' <br />background and experience makes her one of the most qualified candidates ever to be put <br />forward. He said he too values diversity, but wants to put the best team on the field for the best <br />policy results. He said he also agrees that having only one woman on the Board is out of <br />balance. <br />Commissioner Jacobs said he has also served on the OWASA Board, and when <br />appointing to boards, he seeks to have ethnic, gender and geographic diversity. He said his <br />underlying desire is to have the most qualified people appointed to the boards. He said the <br />appointment to Animal Services earlier this evening was a Hispanic woman. He said women <br />have been greatly underrepresented over the years, and the appointment of Ms. Eimers would <br />be a step in the right direction. <br />Chair Dorosin said he is going to support Quinton Harper, since he has been on the <br />board before and will not have the same learning curve as other candidates. He said many <br />applicants have technical experience in related fields, but few have advocacy experience. He <br />said Quinton Harper does have this experience, and he is also young, which would provide <br />some age diversity. <br />VOTE ON MOTION FOR JODY EIMERS: Ayes, 5 (Commissioner Rich, Commissioner Jacobs, <br />Commissioner McKee, Commissioner Burroughs, Commissioner Marcoplos); Nays, 2 <br />(Commissioner Price and Chair Dorosin) <br />5. Public Hearings <br />NONE <br />6. Regular Agenda <br />