John L. Jones has been appointed by Andrew Wheeler, the Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, to serve on the agency’s Environmental Financial Advisory Board (EFAB). His term will begin immediately and will end in June 2022. Jones is a board member of the National Rural Water Association, representing the New Mexico state affiliate.

Jones’s responsibilities as a new EFAB board member include—but are not limited to—attending and participating in meetings, reviewing material, being open to consider other member’s perspectives, being ethical, and providing unbiased judgement to the other members of the committee and board.

“I’m excited to utilize the skills I have developed over the years to represent local governments and rural communities to evaluate the cost benefit and financial impacts of proposed regulations regarding drinking water and wastewater,” Jones said. “I am grateful for this opportunity.”

Jones grew up in New Mexico and served in the United States Navy for 23 years as a Supply Corps Officer. After retiring from the Navy in 1997, he became the COO and CEO of Entranosa Water & Wastewater Association, a rural water system that served more than 8,500 customers. In 1998, he became a board member of the New Mexico Rural Water Association, serving as the President and Legislative Chairman. Here, Jones developed relationships with the National Rural Water Association (NRWA) and served as a member of multiple water-related policy committees and held several leadership positions. In 2015, he was elected to the NRWA’s Board of Directors to represent his home state of New Mexico. Throughout his years of board leadership, he has become a fervent advocate for Rural Water and environmental preservation.

The Environmental Financial Advisory Board is chartered under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, which regulates and governs its operations, including public participation and access to documents, according to the EPA.

In 1972, Congress passed the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), allowing Federal agencies to seek advice from members of a committee of peers. These committees are responsible for collecting information and providing appropriate advice to their specific agency. To comply with FACA, federal advisory committees must be transparent in their findings and provide as much information as possible to the public. Federal advisory committees are essential to the EPA for providing input and necessary recommendations to accommodate the diverse regions of the United States.

The EPA currently manages 22 committees and 14 subcommittees, holding more than 45 meetings per year. The members of these committees include scientists, public health officials, industry representatives, academics, citizens, Tribal groups, and stakeholders.