MI Healthy Climate Corps:

Join the MI Healthy Climate Corps (MHC Corps) and make a lasting impact on Michigan’s carbon-neutral future! The MHC Corps accelerates Michigan’s climate action through capacity building and leadership development. Members serve across the state to advance the MI Healthy Climate Plan’s (MHCP) goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. The plan, unveiled by Governor Gretchen Whitmer in April 2022, aims to avert the worst impacts of the climate crisis; create good-paying jobs; position Michigan as a climate action leader; and build a healthier and more prosperous, equitable, and sustainable Michigan for all Michiganders.

About the Host Partner:

Ingham County, encompassing 576 square miles and home to approximately 284,000 residents, is situated in the south-central region of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. As Michigan’s eighth largest county by population and third largest in terms of government operationswith over 1,000 employees spread across various campusesthe County’s mission is to enhance the quality of life for its residents and ensure that every individual is treated with respect and dignity.

The County is in the nal stages of a Request of Proposal (RFP) process for securing a consultant to assist in the development of the County’s Sustainability Action Plan for both government operations and the community at large. The Plan will provide detailed strategies for Ingham County to: 1) achieve carbon neutral operations no later than 2040; 2) set community emissions reduction goals and science-based targets towards decarbonization; 3) adapt and improve the resiliency of County operations and the local community to climate change and other human-induced environmental changes (biodiversity loss, resource depletion, wetland loss, surface and ground water pollution, etc.); and 4) align climate and sustainability initiatives to the County’s vision.

MHC Corps Member Role and Responsibilities:

In regards to the development of the County’s Sustainability Action Plan, the member will support the following work:

• Community and Stakeholder Engagement Plan:

• Central involvement in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of the project’s Community and Stakeholder Engagement Plan.
• Coordinate with the County’s project consultant and with stakeholders to identify and implement meaningful enhancement opportunities for the project’s Community and Stakeholder Engagement Plan.

• Greenhouse Gas Emission Assessment:
  • Central involvement in the planning and development of the project’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions Assessment.
  • Coordinate with the County’s project consultant, relevant stakeholders, and county departments to identify, collect, organize, and consolidate necessary data and information pertinent to the project’s Greenhouse Gas Emission Assessment and to prepare for future assessments.

In regards to the pursuit of the goal for achieving net-zero county operations by 2040, the member will support the following work:

• Facilities Portfolio Establishment and Advancement:
• Create accounts and develop an inventory of accounts for the Energy Star Portfolio Manager (ESPM) system for all County buildings.
  • Coordinate with County departments and County building utility providers to identify, collect, organize, and consolidate necessary data for benchmarking energy and water usage.
  • Utilize ESPM system accounts to enter historical and ongoing utility data.
  • Document the process for the collection of necessary data for ongoing utility data management and develop a tentative work plan/guide for the County’s future management of benchmarking utility data.
• Fleet Transition and Charging Infrastructure Development:
  • Coordinate with relevant County departments to gather and analyze eet data.
  • Create a comprehensive inventory of the current County eet by department and identify and document the current electric vehicles (EVs) within the existing eet.
  • Coordinate with relevant County departments to analyze eet needs develop a portfolio of County eet vehicles that identies the specic needs of the eet, including range requirements, payload capacity, duty cycles, etc.
  • Document the process for the collection of necessary data for eet data management and for the eet portfolio, and develop a tentative work plan/guide for the County’s continuation of management of that data and continuation of transitional planning efforts.
• Empower the community to access federal and state climate resources by planning meetings, educational programs, and/or other activities to consistently share information.
• Participate in MHC Corps member development shared learning and collaboration activities including four MHC Corps in-person convenings, MHC Corps monthly virtual trainings (refer to calendar attachment), and Michigan’s AmeriCorps activities.
• Members will host a community input session with their host site to collect community feedback and advance the goals of the MI Healthy Climate Plan.

Evaluation and Reporting:

• Members will complete a Mid-year Performance Evaluation during the term.
• Other reporting requirements (bi-weekly timesheets, monthly data reports, quarterly narrative reports).

Preferred Qualications:

The appropriate candidate will have a strong interest and/or background in environmental issues, coalition building and/or community organizing, and communications or a combination of such interests. The appropriate candidate must possess strong verbal and written communication skills, excellent attention to detail, the ability to work within a team or as an individual and be familiar with the Microsoft Oce suite and Google Applications. Members are generally required to work the standard oce hours of their host communities, but on some occasions the work schedule may require flexible hours including occasional evenings and possibly weekends.

No specic background or education is required to join the MHC Corps!
But a minimum of 2 years of experience in these types of situations is essential for success:

• Experience facilitating a meeting with people who have more experience than them
• Complete their work independently and without constant supervision
• Experience overcoming obstacles in work situations in the past
• Experience managing multiple professional relationships
• Comfortable working outside of the typical 9 am – 5 pm to attend community events
• Ability to use or teach oneself new software in a fast-paced role with little oversight

Minimum Qualications:

• Live in Michigan
• Ability to travel to four in-person MHC Corps convenings around the state. Carpools will be available and encouraged.
• Be at least 18 years of age. Applicants must have a high school diploma, GED, or be working toward the completion of one.
• U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or lawful permanent resident of the U.S.
• Pass the following National Service Criminal History Checks: State of Michigan background check, State of residency (if not Michigan), FBI Fingerprinting, and National Sex Offender Registry

Compensation:

Members will receive a living allowance of $35,200 distributed in even increments, bi-weekly. Members will receive student loan forbearance for qualied loans, health care benets, child care assistance upon eligibility, and continual professional development. Upon successful completion of service, an education award in the amount of $7,395 will be issued. Members will serve approximately 40 hours per week (a total of 1,700 hours during the service term).

The MI Healthy Climate Corps Program is an equal opportunity employer. Reasonable accommodations will be made for interviews and service as needed.