Community Oversight Advisory Committee (COAC)

The Community Oversight Advisory Committee (COAC) keeps the Project focused on its workforce participation goals by advising decisions about minority-owned Disadvantaged Business Enterprise contracting requirements and on-the-job training opportunities.

The Committee launched in March 2019 to build a vision for the Project’s construction management contract. That vision became part of the draft contract when ODOT sought proposals for the construction management phase of work (summer 2020). The Committee now serves as an oversight board to hold the Project and its construction team accountable to their Disadvantaged Business Enterprise and workforce participation goals by:

• Reviewing the construction team’s Disadvantaged Business Enterprise subcontracting and workforce plans, participation, diversity, and results;
• Reviewing and providing recommendations, comments and resources, on business and workforce opportunity monthly reports and
• Oversight in support of the successful implementation of the construction team’s Diversity Plan during project construction; and
• Offering worksite culture, skill building and anti-harassment programs to address hazing on the worksite for disadvantaged business and workforce program implementation.

Committee members were identified and appointed by the Project team to bring a breadth of experience and perspectives on community, social, economic and workforce issues in the region. Members of the Committee come from a variety of backgrounds, including minority-owned firms, advocacy groups, workforce development organizations, industry associations and community-based organizations with a strong record of serving racial and ethnic minorities, women and other disadvantaged groups.

Johnell Bell, Espousal Strategies, LLC, is the committee facilitator. In this role, Johnell supports all members, maintains the integrity of the process, and facilitates communication among members and other interested parties.

We thank the current committee members who donate their time and energy to this historically significant project.

All meetings are open to the public.

The Community Oversight Advisory Committee meets monthly. Each meeting is up to two and half hours long.

Please visit the events page for details on upcoming meetings and materials from past meetings.

ODOT works through its neutral facilitator to convene meetings approximately once per month. Policy recommendations are communicated to the Executive Steering Committee and ODOT to inform Project decisions.

View the events calendar for upcoming meetings and participation information.