The Council
Structure
The Franklin Regional Council of Governments is comprised of three bodies: the Executive Committee, the Council, and the Franklin Regional Planning Board (FRPB) acting as the advisory body on regional planning issues and policies. The Council and its subcommittees - Bylaws, Finance, Personnel, and Regional Issues & Programming - identify the needs of our region and the focus of the FRCOG.
The Executive Committee
The Executive Committee is a five-member board made up of two regionally-elected members that serve two-year staggered terms, two members appointed annually by the larger Council membership and one member appointed annually by the FRPB. The Executive Committee functions much like the former County Commissioners. They meet monthly, and are responsible for overseeing county road actions, providing agency focus, developing policies, overseeing the activities of the Executive Director, and identifying advocacy issues. Current Executive Committee members are:
- Ann Banash, Chair, Regionally Elected
- Bill Perlman, Vice Chair, Regionally Elected
- Sam Lovejoy, Secretary, FRPB Appointment
- Christine Forgey, Council Appointee
- John Paciorek, Council Appointee
Council Members
The Council is made up of a Selectboard member or designated representative from each of the twenty-six member towns, two regionally-elected representatives, and a FRPB representative. The Council meets quarterly and is responsible for policy and financial issues. Current Council members are:
| Ashfield | Lynn Dole | Montague | Patricia Allen |
| Bernardston | Virginia Budness | New Salem | Jennifer Sandova |
| Buckland | Stefan Racz | Northfield | Kathleen Wright |
| Charlemont | Select Board | Orange | Rick Kwiatkowski |
| Colrain | Duane Scranton | Rowe | James Brown |
| Conway | Tom Spiro | Shelburne | John Payne |
| Deerfield | John Paciorek | Shutesbury | Ellen MacKay |
| Erving | Thomas Sharp | Sunderland | Tom Fydenkevez |
| Gill | Nancy Griswold | Warwick | Frederick Abbott |
| Greenfield | Christine Forgey | Wendell | Nina Keller |
| Hawley | Phillip Keenan | Whately | Lynn Sibley |
| Heath | Thomas Lively | FRPB Rep | Sam Lovejoy |
| Leverett | Gordon Fretwell |
Regionally Elected | Ann Banash (Gill) |
| Leyden | Michele Giarusso | Regionally Elected | Bill Perlman (Ashfield) |
| Monroe | David Nash |
The Planning Board
The Franklin Regional Planning Board (FRPB) has seventy-five members made up of the chair or designee of the Selectboard of each of the twenty-six towns of Franklin County, a member of the Planning Board in each town, and up to eighteen "Members-at-Large". The FRPB annually elects the Executive Committee from among its members. The Executive Committee is currently comprised of:
- Tom Miner, Chair (Conway)
- Sam Lovejoy , First Vice Chair (Montague)
- Thomas Hutcheson , Second Vice Chair (Conway)
- Mason Phelps, Clerk (Wendell)
- William B. Allen (Greenfield)
- Don Buckloh (Ashfield)
- Jerry Lund (Leyden)
- Charles Olchowski (Greenfield)
- Lois Stearns (Northfield)