The board of MCE, a community choice aggregator serving Marin, Napa, Solano, and Contra Costa counties, has started a governance overhaul after a critical grand jury report and the departure of longtime CEO Dawn Weisz. The board approved a $96,000 contract with consulting firm Leading Resources Inc. to review its structure and bylaws, with a proposed restructuring plan expected by late September. The Marin County Civil Grand Jury report, released the same week, identified serious concerns about oversight, transparency, and internal controls at the $800-million-a-year agency. It concluded that the board repeatedly failed to govern effectively and that senior management overstated the carbon-free content in MCE's electricity plans. The board will also launch a CEO search and must respond to the grand jury within 90 days. Board members acknowledged the situation is messy but said moving forward with the governance assessment is necessary to attract a qualified CEO. Critics, including a former federal securities fraud investigator, urged the board to put the grand jury report on the agenda for public discussion and questioned whether MCE's $3 billion bond sale actually led to lower rates for customers.
