OTDA Home Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) Block Grant Advisory Council (BGAC)
Governance
The Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) Block Grant Advisory Council (BGAC), pursuant to Chapter 884 of the Laws of 1982, is consulted in the preparation of HEAP reports and in the development of applications and plans for the federally funded HEAP block grant. The HEAP BGAC provides input and requests information regarding the HEAP program, funding, changes, as well as make recommendations for the upcoming program year, which is considered when the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) develops the HEAP State Plan.
Board Members
The HEAP BGAC is comprised of appointed members who are local government officials, non-profit organization leaders as well as members of the public. Membership is based on ratio and not a set number of appointments. One-half of the members shall be appointed by the governor, one-quarter shall be appointed by the temporary president of the senate and one-quarter shall be appointed by the speaker of the assembly.
When vacancies occur within the HEAP BGAC resulting in appointment ratios becoming out of alignment with statute, OTDA HEAP will issue letters on official letterhead to the Governor, Speaker of the New York State Assembly, and the New York State Senate majority leader requesting appointments to fill vacancies.
Members are not eligible for compensation but may be eligible for expenses.
BGAC Board Members
| Appointed Member | Affiliation, Title, Expertise | Member | County of Residence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | Commissioner, Greene County DSS | Kira A. Pospesel | Greene |
| Governor | Executive Director, New York State Weatherization Directors Association (NYSWDA) | Andrew Stone | Oneida |
| Governor | Executive Director, New York State Public Welfare Association | Paul J. Brady | Schoharie |
| Senate | Deputy General Counsel, National Fuel Gas Distribution Corporation | Kenneth Gossel | Erie |
| Non-appointed Member | Affiliation, Title, Expertise | Member |
|---|---|---|
| Non-appointed member | Director, OTDA-HEAP | Andrew Bryk |
| Non-appointed member | Bureau Chief, OTDA-HEAP | Emily Urban |
| Non-appointed member | OTDA-Counsel | Malinka Gutierrez |
| Non-appointed member | HEAP Coordinator, New York City Human Resource Administration (HRA) | Shiran Ybañez |
Public Meetings
The HEAP BGAC is not statutorily required to meet at any specific interval. However, the HEAP BGAC does meet quarterly except for instances where a special meeting is called for by Chairperson. For information about HEAP BGAC meetings, including meeting minutes and agendas, dates and locations of all meetings held, and to be held visit OTDA's Public Meetings webpage.
Required Reports
The HEAP BGAC is not required to produce reports.