CAP Has a New Administrator & Outreach Coordinator

CAP has been without a Coordinator for over two years.  This year the CAP Board committed to filling this position which supports Calaveras Planning Coalition Facilitator Tom Infusino and helps expand the reach of CAP in the county and region.  The Coordinator will provide administrative support to CAP and the CPC, help expand our outreach into the county especially to underserved populations, and create and coordinate CAP communications.

Join us in welcoming Kerry Williams. to the CAP organization.  Kerry stepped into this position on July 1.  Kerry is no stranger to CAP and CPC.  He attended many Calaveras Planning Coalition meetings while serving as staff to the Calaveras Child Care Council.  He has experience in child care issues, affordable housing, and local and global grassroots issues. (Michelle, you could do a “read more” link here and put the following on a webpage)

As a way to introduce Kerry to you, we asked him some questions.  Here are the questions and excerpts from his replies:

What is it about CAP that gives you enthusiasm for working with us?

What I am most excited about is working with a resident-centered community coalition for local place-based solutions to community problems.

What do you uniquely bring to this role?

The advocacy work I did in Calaveras for childcare facilities development, affordable housing, and environmental concerns. This work has at its focus the important aspects of working collaboratively and ethically, which I believe to be essential to sustainable and healthy communities.

What do you see as the challenges for CAP and the work we are doing?

During my years of working in Calaveras I became aware of just how polarized this community can get especially around land use and social justice issues. There are so many people left out of planning for their communities because of language and other barriers. I believe that finding a common narrative with this broader community about a quality of life for all Calaveras residents is a significant challenge for CAP.

In relation to all the various issues in our neighboring counties, what gives you the most optimism for the future?

I am more familiar with Amador, because I live there.  There is a significant movement in Amador for community-based solutions to water concerns, both in terms of delivering water to residents and preserving the Mokelumne River as an important natural resource. The working relationship with Foothill Conservancy, CAP and the Amador-Calaveras Consensus Group gives me hope that much of our wilderness, and watershed areas will be protected for generations to come.

What else about you would you like people to know?

My wife, Stephanie, and I live in Amador County (Fiddletown) on 8 acres of land where we practice good land stewardship. We also share this piece of paradise with our devoted dog Kali, and a soft kitty named Pee Wee. We  have a passion for growing food organically, using, to what extent possible, a permaculture philosophy, in our small but practical garden.