Ben J. Benoit
Chairman/ Mayor Pro Tem City of Wildomar
South Coast Air Quality Management District
Mayor Pro Tem Ben J. Benoit was selected to serve as Chairman on the South Coast Air Quality Management District (South Coast AQMD) Governing Board. Chairman Benoit served as Vice Chair of the South Coast AQMD Governing Board from January 2016 to January 2018. Council Member Benoit serves on Western Regional Council of Governments (WRCOG) and was a part of the Board when it won the President's Award for Excellence from Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) for WRCOG's HERO program. The HERO Financing Program is the nation's largest Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program, and Council Member Benoit is a strong supporter of bringing this program to other municipalities throughout California. Serving on Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC), Council Member Benoit has been a strong supporter of helping further Metro-link's reach into Riverside County. He sits on the Perris Valley Line (PVL) ad hoc committee and hopes to see this important project move to construction in 2013. In addition, serving on two conservation boards, Western Riverside County Regional Conservation Authority (RCA) and as Vice-Chair of Riverside County Habitat Conservation Agency (RCHCA), Council Member Benoit understands the need to meet Federal mandates while supporting local businesses.
Elizabeth John
Manager
Advanced Fuels and Vehicle Technologies
California Energy Commission
Elizabeth John is the Manager of the Advanced Fuels and Vehicle Technologies Office in the Fuels and Transportation Division of the California Energy Commission, where she oversees grant activities funded under the Clean Transportation Program for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. Her Office’s responsibilities include: building capacity of California companies to produce economically competitive low carbon fuels from waste-based and renewable feedstocks; implementing activities that support the commercial deployment of advanced freight and transit technologies; and facilitating the replacement of the state’s oldest and dirtiest school buses with new, alternative-fueled school buses. Elizabeth holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of California, Davis, and a Master’s of Public Policy and Administration degree from California State University, Sacramento.
Tony Brasil
Branch Chief
Transportation and Clean Technology
Mobile Source Division
State of California
Mr. Brasil has 27 years of professional experience with the State of California and 22 of those years have been with the California Air Resources Board. For more than a decade, he has led a team of scientists and engineers in developing and implementing regulations to reduce emission from trucks, buses, and off-road equipment. Currently, his team is implementing existing regulations to clean up existing diesel trucks and buses and is also developing new regulations to accelerate commercialization of zero emission trucks and buses into the future. Mr. Brasil has an undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Davis and is a registered Mechanical Engineer in the State of California.
Matthew Mena
Regional Business Development Specialist
Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz)
Matthew Mena is the Inland Empire Regional Business Development Specialist for the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz). He specializes in incentive navigation and site selection to contribute to the success of businesses that see California as a new opportunity and support local governmental agencies in their economic development efforts. With extensive experience in the public sector, Matthew Mena has played an essential role in business retention, attraction, expansion, and marketing efforts, which led to the creation and retention of 600+ jobs. Mr. Mena has partnered with multiple cities throughout the region to enhance the robust programs they are already implementing and has assisted in creating and implementing economic development strategies. Matthew, an Inland Empire native, is extremely passionate about being an intricate piece to the economic growth of the Inland Empire.