Subject: Fw: Reflections
From: Amitabh Desai <[email-masked]>
To: Bruce Lindsey <[email-masked]>, Laura Graham <[email-masked]>, Doug Band - PC <[email-masked]>, Justin Cooper - PC <[email-masked]>, "[email-masked]" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 8 Dec 2011 07:46:02 -0500

Dear Bruce,

Below is an email from Steve Crolius, who as you know runs CCI's transportation work. He asked to visit yesterday and said he is concerned (1) about his perception that C40 management don't want to continue some of the transportation work, and (2) that significant green transport opportunities exist beyond the C40 cities (he mentioned the State of California as an example). He implied that he will be exploring other job opportunities in the coming months (unless he feels an improvement). He mentioned our arrangements with Ruby and Katie, and asked that we consider hiring him back to CF. I asked that he put together a memo with what could be achieved on transportation over 1-2 years and at what budgetary cost and why it's needed outside the current C40 arrangement, and I also said (1) green transport issues are important to the President and we would like to ensure he is impactful on this topic, within budgetary constraints,, (2) he also should think about CGI when he thinks about how we are tackling this (and other topics), and (3) it may be unrealistic for us to "hire back" each C40 program/person, one by one; and that of course any/all work would depend on funding. He also said he hasn't been able to share any of these concerns directly with Jay, and I suggested he do so, in good faith, and I offered to quietly suggest to Jay that he speak with Steve. (Jay wants to chat later today, again.)

Steve's comments sounded very similar to comments and concerns that other CCI folks have shared, such as Steve Henderson (CCI building retrofit financing guy). I'd welcome your guidance on how to steer these conversations and if/how to broach these issues with Jay, given his regular outreach in recent weeks. Understanding that alliances such as between CCI and the C40 are sure to have growing pains, I am increasingly concerned (including by how we'd fund CCI if we reconstitute it internally, albeit in an improved fashion). Should we have a call among this group to discuss this further?

One emerging viewpoint that you and I have discussed is that there is much that we can and should be doing with the C40, but we needn't feel limited to work only in C40 cities on issues designated by C40 management - and I also wonder how much we should be allowing that possibly expanded future work to be driven by CCI staff's current concerns rather than our own strategic process to decide which issues WJC wants us to work on, and how.

I defer to you, just want to be sure I'm proceeding appropriately and communicating the right things to CCI folks as they share their concerns, and I'd be happy to try to help try to figure out how to address these issues going forward.

Thanks,
Ami

________________________________
From: Stephen Crolius
To: Amitabh Desai
Sent: Thu Dec 08 07:07:10 2011
Subject: Reflections

Hi Ami:

Thanks again for taking the time to meet with me yesterday.

On the train home last night I started work on the bigger-picture thought piece we discussed.  In doing so I moved even farther toward the belief that the problem does not lie in what Jay and co. are doing with the C40.  Chartering that organization as an autonomous organization with a distinct mission and modus operandi is a good thing and it looks like they are succeeding in this undertaking.  The problem lies with the starting premise that tight integration between the C40 and CCI is a desirable or even workable.  (More on this in my eventual exegesis.)  I start with this thought because it leaves me unconvinced that there is a conversation between Jay and me that would be productive at this point.

With that said, my position on the possibility that you might seed such a conversation is NOT “Please don’t say anything to Jay”.  I am comfortable leaving the matter to your discretion.  I trust your ability to avoid raising doubts about my commitment to the C40.  I do believe strongly in the power of communication and collaborative thinking, and I know I am not privy to myriad considerations that animate deliberations at senior levels of both organizations, so if I should receive an invitation to sit down with Jay, I would do so with an open mind and positive spirit.

I will be back in touch in the coming days.

All the Best,

Steve