Behind every great organization is a dedicated staff, and for the MSRC this is no exception. With only three full-time employees, the MSRC staff is a small, tight-knit team committed to helping the Committee do its part to clean up the air in the South Coast basin.
The staff members of the MSRC prefer to stay behind the scenes and out of the limelight, and were reluctant to be profiled. However, it is important to recognize their hard work that keeps the well-oiled machine of the MSRC moving forward. Cynthia Ravenstein, Matt Mackenzie, and Rachel Valenzuela all work tirelessly to ensure that the MSRC has what it needs to be able to focus on its mission of delivering Clean Transportation Funding to local clean air projects.
Cynthia is the MSRC's Contracts Administrator and has been working for the MSRC for almost eight years. Prior to coming to the MSRC, she worked for the Mojave Desert Air Quality Management District, where she did a lot of work with AB 2766 funds, Carl Moyer funding and other grant programs. When she saw the opportunity to work for the MSRC, she jumped at the chance to work for the largest air district in the state. "South Coast is more at the forefront of things," Cynthia said. "I wanted to work with the MSRC because they help to institute a lot of innovative programs."
Once the MSRC awards funding, Cynthia is responsible for negotiating the contracts, monitoring the progress in implementing the projects, and making contract modifications when necessary. She also participates from beginning to end in the development of the work program categories and reviews the program announcements once they are created.
Cynthia is really a "Jill-of-all-trades" when it comes to her position. Since the MSRC staff is so small, they have a broader base of knowledge and responsibilities than most, Cynthia noted.
"We're such a small staff - it's a little bit different from the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) that we're surrounded by because they have more people so they can specialize in particular areas. The MSRC is a close-knit group - lean and efficient," Cynthia commented. She feels that working for a smaller air district before helped prepare her for this expanded role.
Because of their small size but large workload, Cynthia, Matt, and Rachel receive additional support from the MSRC Technical Advisor (an independent consultant) and AQMD staff.
Matt has been with the SCAQMD for 23 years, and has worked for the MSRC for the last nine. In his role as Contracts Assistant, Matt monitors the contracts that have been issued and monitors the progress of the MSRC's project partners, making sure they comply with the terms of the contract and supply all necessary documentation. He also processes contractor invoices and provides support to Cynthia with whatever else she needs.
Rachel also has been working for the SCAQMD for 23 years - coincidentally, Rachel and Matt started working for the air district the same week. Rachel has worked in a variety of SCAQMD departments such as Planning & Rules and Engineering and Compliance. She has been with the MSRC since 2002. As a Contracts Assistant, she and Matt share many of the same duties; the contracts Rachel primarily is responsible for include the Local Government Match Program, the Alternative Fuel School Bus Incentive Program, Rideshare 2 School, some alternative fuel projects, and some Showcase projects.
Rachel says that they receive a lot of positive feedback from their project partners. "We get calls and email all the time thanking us for helping them and that they couldn't do this without our guidance," she commented.
Matt feels that the MSRC's work is important because of the changes it has been able to effect even though the pot of money is smaller than some other funding programs. He credits the MSRC with being a large force in pushing new technologies like hybrids, which is a spin-off of its efforts of working with EVs. "The projects that the MSRC funds have a real air pollution benefit and it's fun to see what you are doing make a difference in the real world," Matt said.
Cynthia sees the importance of the MSRC's work continuing into the future. "The MSRC has the ability to see what is getting missed - an area that isn't being addressed - and focusing on that. They may not be the biggest player in terms of dollars, but the MSRC has shown its ability to find niches for the best use of their funds and will continue to do so," she explained.
And the best part of working for the MSRC? Cynthia, Matt and Rachel all agree - it's the people! "It's a great bunch of people, especially our little group," Matt said. "We have a lot of fun together and it's always nice to come to work."
