HomeMy WebLinkAboutBenjamin FineganFrom:webadmin@bozeman.net
To:Agenda
Subject:Citizen Advisory Board Application
Date:Thursday, September 30, 2021 7:31:50 PM
A new entry to a form/survey has been submitted.
Form Name:Citizen Advisory Board Application
Date & Time:09/30/2021 7:31 PM
Response #:93
Submitter ID:44249
IP address:2600:6c67:5000:d7f5:a431:4728:50cf:1103
Time to complete:20 min. , 24 sec.
Survey Details
Page 1
WELCOME
Thank you for your interest in joining a Citizen Advisory Board. The City of Bozeman elected officials
and staff believe in the value of public participation and local governance in the decision-making
process and encourage all interested members of our community to apply. As set forth in Resolution
5323, the City is committed to building Advisory Boards that advance the City’s goals of increasing
diversity, equity, and inclusion. Because of this goal, the City is actively working to achieve
membership that reflects, at the least, the demographics of our community. Women, minorities,
individuals with disabilities, veterans, and other underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply.
CONTACT INFORMATION
The City will need to communicate with all board members via email for a number of annual
communications, so a valid email address is required for all applicants. Please notify the City Clerk's
Office if your email address changes for any reason.
The City will need to communicate with all board members via email for a number of annual
communications, so a valid email address is required for all applicants. Please notify the City Clerk's
Office if your email address changes for any reason.
Please note that your application will become public information. All required fields are marked with a
red asterisk *.
STANDARDS OF CONDUCT
Each official and employee serving on a multimember agency is expected to devote the time and
effort necessary to ensure the successful functioning of such agency (Bozeman Municipal Code, Section
2.03.490.C.). Additional standards of conduct and norms are included in Resolution 5323.
Applicant Information
First Name Benjamin
Last Name Finegan
Physical Address 1010 S Sixth Ave
PO Box (if different from
physical address)
Not answered
City Bozeman
State Montana
Zip Code 59715
Primary Phone (406) 599-0663
Additional Phone Not answered
Current Occupation Political and Partnerships Coordinator
Employer Sunrise Movement
Email benjamin@sunrisemovement.org
Which position are you applying for?
(○) Sustainability Board
Do You Live in the City Limits? (Some positions do require you live within Bozeman city limits while
others do not.)
(○) Yes
How long have you lived in the Bozeman Area?
(○) 11 years or more
Have you ever served on a City or County Board or Commission?
(○) No
Please describe your professional and personal experiences, interest, and qualifications that make you
a good fit for this board.
In 2014 I was selected for the American Youth Leadership Program cohort, a project of the Mike Mansfield
Center to invest in MT youth leadership to address the climate crisis. As a young person of color, I came to
see the climate crisis and its causes as the #1 issue facing my generation and became committed to tackling
it.
As an undergraduate student, first at MSU, and then at Cornell University after I transferred, my experience
studying government and volunteering with our student climate organization gave me a window into how
best to contribute my energy to addressing the climate crisis
Since 2018 I have organized with the climate justice organization Sunrise Movement as a fellow, volunteer
and for the last year, national staff. My political, policy, and community work with Sunrise has shown me
that the climate crisis can be an opportunity to transform how communities and individuals relate to each
other and our resources and planet. Through creative policies, like those rooted in the Green New Deal, I
believe we can address social and economic inequalities while reducing emissions and building resiliency in
Bozeman.
The City of Bozeman strongly values diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). Describe any efforts you have
engaged in to expand your understanding of DEI.
Growing up in Bozeman as a queer East Asian person and relative of people who have experienced
incarceration, DEI and anti-oppression became important to me early on in life. My studies in college were
heavily focused on DEI or DEI-adjacent subjects, and as a volunteer in multiple NY state prisons and an
intern at Worth Rises, I received my first formal training in DEI. As a fellow with the Sunrise Movement from
2019-2020 I was trained as an anti-oppression trainer and led dozens of trainers for our local chapters.
During a short stint as as staff at the Montana Racial Equity Project in 2020, I supported internal DEI
initiatives, and as a co-founder of the volunteer community group Bozeman United for Racial Justice I used
my background to ensure DEI was baked into our DNA. In my current role as a national staff person for
Sunrise Movement, I received several DEI staff trainings and am assisting in making sure DEI is embedded in
the next iteration of our organization.
References: Please provide name, phone, and email contact information for two references.
Reference 1
Christopher Coburn, 4064938694, ccoburn@bozeman.net
Reference 2
Kristi Chester Vance, 4159026885
The Bozeman City Charter, voted in by the citizens of Bozeman in 2008, requires annual ethics training.
If appointed, do you understand you will be expected to take online and in person ethics training?
(○) Yes
How did you hear about this board or vacancy?
Commissioner Coburn
Is there any other information that you feel we need to know?
Not answered
If you have a disability that requires assistance or need accommodations, please contact our ADA
Coordinator, Mike Gray, at 582-3232 (TDD 582-2301).
Please note that for most Citizen Advisory Boards, materials are distributed electronically for each
meeting.
Your application and all information submitted is considered a public record. All applications are
included in the City Commission’s Meeting materials for consideration which are electronically
archived and available to the public.
Thank you,
City Of Bozeman
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