Mayor Keller Announces Justice40 Oversight Coordinating Committee Members
March 7, 2023
The City of Albuquerque has announced the committee members appointed to the newly established Justice40 (J40) Oversight Coordinating Committee (OCC). Albuquerque is the first city to advance J40, a Biden-Harris Administration initiative to deliver at least 40% of overall benefits from certain federal investments to impacted, disadvantaged and underrepresented communities.
On February 10, Mayor Tim Keller signed his Executive Order for Equitable and Just Implementation of Justice40. That order called for a local Oversight Coordinating Committee (OCC) made up of community members to develop and implement a five-year J40 plan. Today, the members were announced:
- Richard E. Moore (Co-Chair), Co-Founder and Co-Coordinator, Los Jardines Institute
- Michelle Melendez (Co-Chair, Ex-Officio), Director of Equity and Inclusion, City of Albuquerque
- Deanna Lynn Aquiar, Director of Programs and Development, National Indian Youth Council
- Ahtza Dawn Chavez, Executive Director, NAVA Education Project & NM Native Vote
- Michael Leon Guerrero, Sustainable Economy Policy Advisor, Center for Civic Policy
- Diana Dorn-Jones, Executive Director, United South Broadway Corporation
- Alejandría Lyons, Coalition Coordinator, New Mexico No False Solutions Coalition
- Ona Lara Porter, Founder Emerita & Clean Energy Leader, Prosperity Works
“By leveraging federal funding to support historically underserved communities, the J40 initiative is a crucial move towards promoting equity in Albuquerque,” said Mayor Tim Keller. “I appreciate the commitment of these community leaders in working towards a more sustainable and healthier Albuquerque.”
Nominees were community leaders, asked to be experienced in any or all of the J40 investment categories and to possess a strong understanding and appreciation for the principals of equity. The commission will meet monthly for two years. The J40 OCC’s first monthly meeting will be held on March 10th at 10:00 a.m. Information about this meeting can be found here.