Commissioner Rookie of the Year Candidates

Distributed at the just-completed NARUC Annual Meeting was the latest membership directory. They always contain a wealth of info.

Like, twenty-three men and thirteen women started their careers in the major league of utility regulation during the 2017 season. These thirty-six, this year’s rookie class, joined thirty state commissions. (Two joined the Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Maryland and New York commissions.)

So this year’s rookie class is eighteen percent of the two hundred and one commissioners in total in the fifty states and the District of Columbia. (There are twenty-eight states and the District with three commissioners, twenty states with five commissioners, and the two Carolinas each with seven commissioners.)

Almost one in five commissioners started this year. They’re already playing a big role. Five chair their commissions, in Colorado, Indiana, New York, Texas and Vermont. And the other thirty-one are surely impacting the league as well.  

Who should we name as the 2017 Rookie of the Year? The commissioner who has distinguished herself or himself the most – in their first months – with their hard work and intellectual leadership?

Send in your votes by December 8, to me, to mitnick@fortnightly.com. With a brief explanation of the nominee’s accomplishments right out of the gate. All submissions will be kept confidential.  

And here is the impressive class of 2017:

• Boyd Dunn and Justin Olson, Arizona Corporation Commission
• Martha Guzman Aceves and Clifford Rechtscaffen, California Public Utilities Commission
• Chair Jeffrey Ackermann and Wendy Moser of the Colorado Public Utilities Commission
• Gary Clark and Donald Polmann, Florida Public Service Commission
• Jay Griffin, Hawaii Public Utilities Commission
• Sadzi Martha Oliva, Illinois Commerce Commission
• Chair James Atterholt, Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission
• Richard Lozier, Iowa Utilities Board
• Talina Mathews, Kentucky Public Service Commission
• Craig Greene, Louisiana Public Service Commission
• Mindy Herman and Odogwu Obi Linton, Maryland Public Service Commission
• Cecile Fraser, Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities
• Katie Sieben, Minnesota Public Utilities Commission
• Tony O’Donnell, Montana Public Service Commission
• Mary Ridder, Nebraska Public Service Commission
• Bruce Breslow, Nevada Public Utilities Commission
• Michael Giaimo, New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission
• Cynthia Hall, New Mexico Public Regulation Commission
• Chair John Rhodes and James Alesi, New York Public Service Commission
• Daniel Clodfelter, North Carolina Utilities Commission
• Brian Kroshus, North Dakota Public Service Commission
• Daniel Conway, Public Utilities Commission of Ohio
• Megan Decker, Oregon Public Utility Commission
• Abigail Anthony, Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission
• Keith Jordan, Tennessee Public Utility Commission
• Chair DeAnn Walker, Public Utility Commission of Texas
• Chair Anthony Roisman, Vermont Public Utility Commission
• Jay Balasbas, Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission
• Renee Larrick, Public Service Commission of West Virginia
• Lon Roberts, Public Service Commission of Wisconsin  

Is your organization impacting the debate as a member of the PUF community? Nearly two hundred utilities, commissions, consumer advocates, associations, agencies, professional firms and vendors are members. How about yours?

Steve Mitnick, Editor-in-Chief, Public Utilities Fortnightly

E-mail me: mitnick@fortnightly.com