Welcome to the SEARUC 2013 biographies of
speakers, moderators, panelists and other
participants in the Annual SEARUC Conference
held June 9-12, 2013 in Asheville, North Carolina.
SEARUC 2013 is honored to have such an
esteemed and knowledgeable group of public
servants, industry executives and other utility
experts participate in our conference. We
sincerely appreciate their time and effort to make
our conference a success.
The biographies are in the order that participants
appear on the program. Incoming SEARUC
President Brandon Presley’s biography is also
included.
ToNola D. Brown-Bland
SEARUC President
Commissioner Brown-Bland was appointed to the North Carolina Utilities Commission by
Governor Beverly Eaves Perdue in 2009. She currently serves as the President of the
Southeastern Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners. In addition, she is a member of
both the Energy Resources and the Environment Committee and the Critical Infrastructure
Committee of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners.
A native North Carolinian, Commissioner Brown-Bland is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and she received her Juris Doctorate from Duke
University School of Law.
Commissioner Brown-Bland began her professional career as federal Law Clerk to the Honorable
Alexander B. Denson, United States Magistrate Judge for the Eastern District of North Carolina,
and thereafter entered private practice in Greensboro, NC with the law firm Hill Evans Jordan &
Beatty (formerly Nichols, Caffrey, Hill, Evans & Murrelle). After several years engaging in general
civil practice, she became in-house attorney for AT&T Corp. (subsequently Lucent Technologies),
where she was promoted to Senior Attorney and primarily supported the company's federal
contracting and related commercial technology licensing and business lines in Greensboro.
Following relocation of much of the Company's government business, Brown-Bland joined the
North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State in 2001, serving as Director of the Business
License Information Office and of the Charitable Solicitations Licensing Section. In December
2002, Brown-Bland accepted a position with the North Carolina Utilities Commission as an
attorney in the Administrative Division. From 2005 until her appointment to the Commission, she
served as Associate General Counsel with the City of Greensboro.
Commissioner Brown-Bland has a history of community and civic service, having served on
several boards including the Greensboro Bar Association, the Alamance County Historical
Museum, and Western Piedmont Residential Services, a non-profit organization that provided
residential service to autistic adults. She also presently serves as a member of the Board of
Trustees of her church. She and her husband, André, reside in her native Alamance County.
Incoming SEARUC President Brandon Presley
Brandon Presley was elected Public Service Commissioner for the Northern District of Mississippi in 2007
and re-elected in 2011, winning 28 of the district's 33 counties. Elected to the Public Service Commission
at age 30, he was the youngest Commissioner ever elected in Mississippi. Prior to his election to the
Public Service Commission, he served as Mayor of Nettleton from 2001 to 2007, having been elected at
the age of 23, making him one of the youngest mayors in Mississippi history.
Commissioner Presley was recently elected First Vice President of the Southeastern Association of
Regulatory Utility Commissioners, which is composed of Public Service Commissioners from the eleven
(11) Southern States and Puerto Rico. He serves on the National Association of Regulatory Utility
Commissioners (NARUC) committees on Consumer Affairs and Water, and he previously served on
NARUC’s ad hoc Committee on Wireless Consumer Protections Standards. Commissioner Presley was
elected by his peers to serve as Vice-President of the Entergy Regional State Committee (E-RSC) which is
composed of state regulators from Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas and the City of New Orleans. He
is a former member of the board of directors of the National Regulatory Research Institute (NRRI).
Commissioner Presley is past Chairman of the Board of Trustees at Itawamba Community College and
former member of the Board of Directors of Gilmore Memorial Hospital. He is past Chairman of the Lee
County Council of Governments and also served as President of the North Mississippi Mayor’s
Association.
Commissioner Presley, 35, is a lifelong resident of Nettleton, where he is a member of the Enon Primitive
Baptist Church. He is past-President and current member of the Nettleton Lions Club and is a member of
the Nettleton Civitan Club.
The Rev. Dr. R. Scott White, Rector<mailto:scott@trinityasheville.org>
Scott White became the 15th Rector of Trinity Church in October of 2012. A
native of Newport, RI he spent most of his formative years sailing and
building boats. Scott is a graduate of Rhode Island College with a degree in
communications. A life-long Episcopalian, he attended the General Theological
Seminary in New York where he earned his MDIV in 1996, and he attended the
Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria where he earned a Doctor of
Ministry degree in Ministry and Leadership Development.
Scott has served as the Assistant Rector at St. Martin’s in Charlotte, NC, the
Associate Rector at Christ Church in Raleigh, NC and the Rector at The Church
of the Good Shepherd in Rocky Mount, NC. In the Diocese of North Carolina
Scott served on the Diocesan Council, the Bishop’s Pastoral Response Team, as
chair of the Fair Share Appeals board, and Dean of the Rocky Mount Convocation
in addition to other diocesan ministries.
Scott leads workshops in appreciative leadership, and serves as a member of
the Vocational Faculty of the CREDO Institute, a national church program where
the clergy of the Episcopal Church are given time away to examine the core
areas of their ministry.
Scott loves to cook, run, hike, read, write and is a yoga enthusiast. Scott
is married to Missy Sherburne who is Chief Partnerships Officer at
DonorsChoose.org<http://donorschoose.org/>, an online charity that connects
individuals with public school classrooms in need. Missy and Scott have two
young sons, Samuel and Harrison.
Mayor Terry M. Bellamy
Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville citizens elected Terry M. Bellamy to serve as Mayor of the City of Asheville in November 2005.
Since her election, she has made continuous efforts to improve city programs through lobbying our state
and federal legislators. Through these efforts, she successfully spearheaded an effort along with citizens
to receive the United States Department of Justice’s Weed and Seed site designation for the West
Riverside Neighborhood. This effort has allowed the Weed and Seed area to receive two grants over the
past two years for $175,000 and $200,000, respectively.
The Mayor was active at the forefront of the planning of the City of Asheville Youth Leadership Academy.
CAYLA seeks to empower youth in our area by giving them the opportunity to work in various offices with
the City and County. This experience offers them great opportunities for career building and education
enhancement. Each student receives approximately $7 an hour as well as $2,000 toward their NC 529
college savings fund.
Mayor Bellamy was also principal in implementing a $40 million in revenue bonds to refurbish the water
line system for the long term enhancement of our community waterlines. This bond project provides
upgraded material and better service to our citizens.
Mayor Bellamy currently serves as a member of the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce Board of
Directors, the Land-of-Sky Regional Council, the Metropolitan Sewage District Board, she received the
honor of being appointed to the 21st Century Transportation Committee by Governor Mike Easley, was
appointed to serve on the Joint Legislative Committee on Housing, and most recently, was chosen to
serve on the North Carolina League of Municipalities Board of Directors.
During Mayor Bellamy’s tenure, Asheville has received numerous accolades and recognitions including
the city’s designation as a Fit Community for 2006-2009; the Preserve America designation awarded by
First Lady Laura Bush; one of the Top 25 Best Green Places by Country Home; one of the world’s top 12
Must-See Destinations by Frommer’s; one of the top 10 Best Places for Business and Careers by Forbes;
one of 50 Smart Cities by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, and; the second best Arts Destination by
AmericanStyle magazine in 2008.
Tony Almeida
Tony Almeida is the senior advisor on jobs and the economy
for North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory. Almeida joined the
McCrory Administration in January 2013, after serving as the
economic development director for the governor’s transition team. In
2008, Almeida was named vice president, large business, of Duke
Energy. As part of the retail customer services group, this large
business team was responsible for managing business relationships and
services to the company’s largest manufacturing, commercial and
institutional retail customers across the Carolinas and the Midwest. He
retired from this position in 2011. Prior to this, Almeida served as vice
president of business relations and economic development for Duke Energy Carolinas from
2006 to 2008. He served as vice president, economic development, from 2003 to 2006.
Almeida joined Duke Energy in 1979 as a retail marketing assistant for Duke Power.
After a series of promotions in customer operations, he was named manager of consumer
services for the Customer Service Center in 1990. Almeida was named general manager of the
Customer Service Center in 1992; area manager for the Salisbury, Kannapolis and Mooresville
areas in 1993; general manager of calculate and collect revenues in 1995; and vice president of
customer services in 1997. He was named vice president of customer relations for Duke
Energy’s U.S. Franchised Electric and Gas organization in April 2006.
Before joining Duke Power, Almeida was a sales representative for Procter & Gamble from
1978 to 1979.
The Atlanta, Ga., native graduated from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., with
a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and economics. He also completed the Advanced
Management Program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Kenan-Flagler
Business School.
Almeida is past chair of the Charlotte Regional Partnership and also served as chair of
the Rowan-Cabarrus Community College Foundation Board. In addition, he serves as a trustee
on that college’s board. He also served as past chair of the North Carolina Community College
Foundation Board. He is a member of the Second Presbyterian Church in Salisbury, N.C., and
a member of the board of trust of Hood Theological Seminary.
Almeida was born in 1956. He and his wife, the former Margaret Taylor of Washington,
D.C., have three sons and three grandchildren.
Lucy T. Allen,
Commissioner
Commissioner Allen was born in Louisburg, North Carolina. After attending Duke University and
Meredith College, graduating from Meredith College with a BA in English, she taught middle
school language arts. Subsequently, she served eight years on the Franklin County Board of
Education.
Allen was Mayor of Louisburg for 16 years. Louisburg owns and operates its municipal electric
system and is a member of both the North Carolina Eastern Municipal Power Agency and
Electricities. Allen represented Louisburg as a member of the Electricities Board of Directors and
was active in Power Agency matters. She was President of the League of Municipalities (19992000) and active in the National League of Cities.
She was elected to the North Carolina House of Representatives in 2002 for the first of four
terms. There she most recently was Chairman of the Environment Committee for two terms. In
addition she served as a co-chair of the Environmental Review Commission.
Governor Beverly Perdue appointed Allen to the North Carolina Utilities Commission on April 12,
2010, to fill a term that expires on June 30, 2013.
Allen is active in many community, civic and public service roles. She has three sons: Sonny, Hill
and Stuart; three daughters-in-law, Willa, Julie and Haven; four grandsons: Felix, Henry, Parker
and Spencer, granddaughter Mary; and a dog named Hunter.
Mark W. Yusko
Founder, CEO & Chief Investment Officer
Mark W. Yusko is the Founder, CEO and Chief Investment Officer of Morgan Creek
Capital Management, LLC, a registered investment adviser formed in July 2004 to
provide investment management and advisory services based on the University
Endowment Model of investing to a diverse client base of institutional partners and
family offices. Morgan Creek is an active, global manager with a long-term
philosophy consistent with the Endowment Model. The firm invests across all asset
classes and strategies, from traditional equities and fixed income to alternatives,
such as hedge funds, private equity, real estate and venture capital.
Using the resources of its unique fiduciary background, Mark and Morgan Creek
were early pioneers of the Outsourced Endowment Model, and today, the firm provides customized solutions to clients in need of a
comprehensive investment program, as well as a suite of manager-of-manager products to assist them in building investment profiles based
on the University Endowment Model. Morgan Creek provides best-in-class thinking about Asset Allocation, Manager Selection and Portfolio
Construction. In this execution, Morgan Creek researches a broad range of themes, from domestic and international equity, to alternatives
and the illiquidity premium in private assets, to the rise of emerging markets and consumer-driven economies, to name a few. Morgan Creek
has also formed joint venture partnerships with The Endowment Fund (Salient Partners) and the Hatteras Core Alternatives Fund (Hatteras
Funds) to provide comprehensive investment solutions through a series of SEC registered-vehicles.
From 1998 to 2004, Mark served as the Chief Investment Officer for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC). Mark, and his
team, founded the UNC Management Company (UNCMC) in July of 2002 to provide comprehensive investment advisory services to the
University including strategic and tactical asset allocation, investment manager selection, manager performance evaluation, spending policy
management and performance reporting. UNCMC also provided outsourced investment management services to select schools within the
UNC System. Total assets under management at UNC were $1.5 billion, $1.2 billion of Endowment and $300 million of University working
capital. Prior to joining UNC, Mark was the Senior Investment Director for the University of Notre Dame Investment Office, where he joined
as the Assistant Investment Officer, in October of 1993. He worked with the Chief Investment Officer in all aspects of Endowment
Management. Mark was primarily responsible for portfolio construction and was actively involved in establishing and building strong
programs in real estate, private equity and marketable alternatives.
At both Notre Dame and at UNC, Mark co-founded the Applied Investment Management course where a select group of students actively
managed a live equity portfolio. The class focused on the integration of academic investment theory and the practical investment
management process, and has enjoyed tremendous success since inception.
Mark and Morgan Creek continue to survey world markets and identify new trends for its investors. Expansion of the firm’s global
footprint—with the establishment of local investment offices in Singapore and Shanghai and support for the creation of The Limited Partners
Association of China -- and investor education initiatives have been critical to Morgan Creek’s success. Mark is a globally-recognized speaker
on investment topics ranging from asset allocation to manager selection, with a particular emphasis on the integration of alternative
investments into traditional portfolios.
Mark is an Advisory Board member of a number of private capital partnerships and alternative investment programs and has served as a
consultant on alternative investments to a select group of institutions. He is currently a Board member of the MCNC Endowment and he is a
member of the DukeEngage National Advisory Board at Duke University, President and Chairman of the Investment Committee of The
Hesburgh-Yusko Scholars Foundation at the University of Notre Dame, and President and Head of Investment Committee of the Morgan
Creek Foundation which he established with his wife Stacey in 2005.
Mark received his Bachelor of Science Degree, with honors, in Biology and Chemistry from the University of Notre Dame in 1985 and a
Master of Business Administration in Accounting and Finance from the University of Chicago in 1987.
Morgan Creek Capital Management Website: www.morgancreekcap.com.
Stan Wise
Commissioner
Georgia Public Service Commission
Stan Wise has served on the Public Service Commission since January 1995, having
been elected statewide four consecutive times. He was reelected for his fourth term
as Commissioner in November 2012. His first elected public office was Cobb County
Commissioner in 1990 and he served the county as a member of the Cobb County
Planning Commission and the Board of Zoning Appeals. Wise was a Board Member of
the ten-county Atlanta Regional Commission from 1992 through 1994.
Stan was elected by his regulatory peers as President of the National Association of
Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) in 2003 and 2004, furthering his
responsibilities and interaction with Congress, federal agencies, state officials,
industry leaders, Wall Street, consumer groups and the news media. Stan has
testified multiple times before Congress. Wise is a past President of the Southeastern
Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (SEARUC) and serves on the
International Relations Committee and Gas Committee of NARUC. He is also on the
Advisory Council for the New Mexico State University Center for Public Utilities. He is
a member of the Board of Trustees for the Feed the Hungry Foundation, a faithbased charity.
His alma mater, Charleston Southern University, named Wise the Outstanding
Alumnus of the Year in 2006. In addition, he was named the Bonbright Center of the
Terry College of Business Honoree of the Year in 2005.
He has also served on the U.S. Department of Energy State Energy Advisory Board,
the Cobb County Public Schools Educational Foundation, Inc., the Board of Directors
of the Cobb YMCA, the Boys Club of Cobb County and the Advisory Board of the
North Georgia Law Enforcement Academy. He owned and operated an insurance
business in Cobb County for twenty years. Wise was awarded his B.S. in Business
Management from the Charleston Southern University in 1974. He also served in the
U.S. Air Force Reserve for six years. He and his wife Denise have two grown
children.
Nicholas DeBenedictis
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Aqua America, Inc. (NYSE: WTR)
Nicholas DeBenedictis was elected Chairman of Aqua America. in May 1993, 10 months after joining the
corporation as its president and chief executive officer, and chairman of its principal subsidiary, Aqua
Pennsylvania.
DeBenedictis’ career includes experience in both the corporate and government arenas. He served as senior
vice president of corporate and public affairs for PECO Energy, a multi-billion nuclear utility and
subsidiary of Exelon, and was president of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce. He held two
Pennsylvania cabinet positions: Secretary of the Department of Environmental Resources (1983-1986) and
Director of the Office of Economic Development (1981-1983).
He serves on myriad boards including Drexel University, Exelon Corporation, PNC Bank - Southeast
Pennsylvania Advisory, Glatfelter and Independence Blue Cross. He is also Chairman of the Philadelphia
Convention & Visitors Bureau’s (PCVB) Board of Directors, a position to which he was elected in July
2004.
DeBenedictis received a Bachelor's degree in business administration from Drexel University in 1968, and
a Master's degree in environmental engineering and science from Drexel in 1969.
Aqua America, Inc. is a publicly traded water and wastewater utility holding company with operating
subsidiaries serving approximately three million people in Pennsylvania, Ohio, North Carolina, Illinois,
Texas, New Jersey, Indiana, Florida, Virginia and Georgia. Aqua America is listed on the New York Stock
Exchange under the ticker symbol WTR.
Thomas E. Skains
Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Piedmont Natural Gas
Mr. Skains joined Piedmont Natural Gas in 1995, after nearly 15 years with
Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corporation in Houston. Prior to his appointment as
Piedmont’s Chairman, President and CEO in 2002 and 2003, he served as Senior
Vice President - Marketing and Supply Services.
Mr. Skains served as Chairman of the American Gas Association in 2009 and as
Chairman of the Southern Gas Association in 2006, and currently serves on the
Board of Directors for each organization. In addition, he presently holds positions
on the Boards of Directors of BB&T Corporation, the Gas Technology Institute
(GTI) and Charlotte Collegiate Football; is the general chairman of the Belk Bowl;
and is on the Boards of Trustees of Johnson & Wales University and the American
Gas Foundation. Mr. Skains is also the 2nd Vice Chair of the Charlotte Chamber of
Commerce. He has previously served on the Board of the United Way of Central
Carolinas and the Board of Trustees for Providence Day School. Mr. Skains was
also co-chair of the 2004 & 2005 American Heart Association Charlotte Metro Heart
Walks and the 2006 Charlotte-Mecklenburg Arts and Science Council Annual Fund
Drive.
Mr. Skains has a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Sam Houston
State University and a Doctorate of Jurisprudence degree from the University of
Houston Law School. He is an inactive member of the State Bar of Texas.
Kevin Marsh
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
SCANA Corporation
Kevin Marsh joined South Carolina Electric & Gas Company (SCE&G), the
principal subsidiary of SCANA Corporation, in 1984 as group manager of
technical accounting and was named vice president and controller in 1989. Since
then he has served in the capacity of vice president of corporate planning of
SCE&G and vice president of finance, treasurer and controller of SCANA
Corporation. In 1996, Marsh was named vice president and chief financial officer
(CFO) of SCANA and became senior vice president in 1998. In addition to his
duties as SCANA’s CFO, from October
2001 to March 2003, he served as president and chief operating officer of
PSNC Energy, the company’s natural gas distribution company headquartered
in Gastonia, North Carolina. He became president of SCE&G in 2006 and
became president and chief operating officer (COO) of SCANA Corporation in
January, 2011. He assumed responsibilities as chairman and CEO in December
2011. Prior to his career at SCANA he worked at Deloitte & Touche Certified
Public Accountants in Columbia, South Carolina for seven years.
Marsh is a board member of First Citizens Bancorporation of South Carolina,
Epworth Children’s Home, Citizens for Sound Conservation, and a past board
member of Palmetto Place Children’s Emergency Shelter, Junior Achievement
of South Carolina, and Sharing God’s Love emergency support organization.
Kevin and his wife are members of Grace United Methodist Church of
Columbia, SC. He has two daughters and two grandchildren.
Marsh is native of Atlanta, Georgia and earned a Bachelors of Business
Administration degree in Accounting from the University of Georgia in Athens.
Jeff Gardner is president and chief executive officer of
Windstream Corp., an S&P 500 communications and
technology solutions provider with customers in 48 states
and about $6 billion in annual revenue. Gardner has
worked in the telecommunications industry for more than
25 years and is executing a focused strategy to transform
Windstream and create value for shareholders.
Windstream has completed nine acquisitions since its 2006
spinoff from Alltel Corp., adding more than $4 billion in
revenue and creating approximately $300 million in
operating and capital synergies. The company
completed four acquisitions in 2010 alone totaling $2.2
billion. In 2011, Windstream acquired PAETEC, a leading
communications provider for 2.3 billion.
Jeff Gardner
President and
Chief Executive Officer
Gardner was appointed to the position in December 2005.
He previously served as executive vice president and
chief financial officer of Alltel Corp. He joined Alltel in 1998
when the company merged with 360° Communications.
Gardner is a member of the Business Roundtable and
chairman of the United States Telecom Association.
Gardner earned a degree in finance from Purdue
University and an MBA from William and Mary. He is a
certified public accountant. He serves on the board of
directors of RF Micro Devices, Inc., Arkansas Children's
Hospital, Darlington School, Loras College, the Arkansas
Research Alliance and is chairman of the advisory board
for the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS)
Center for Distance Health. He also serves on the
foundation board at UAMS. Gardner was named a
national finalist for the Ernst & Young LLP Entrepreneur of
the Year 2010® Award in telecommunications.
About Windstream
Windstream Corp. (Nasdaq: WIN) is a leading provider of advanced network communications, including cloud computing
and managed services, to businesses nationwide. The company also offers broadband, phone and digital TV services to
consumers primarily in rural areas. Windstream has more than $6 billion in annual revenues and is listed on the S&P 500 index.
For more information, visit www.windstream.com.
Lisa Polak Edgar, Commissioner, Florida PSC
Lisa Polak Edgar was recently appointed to the Florida Public Service Commission (PSC)
by Governor Rick Scott for a third four-year term beginning in 2013. She was
previously appointed by Governors Bush and Crist. From January 2006 to January
2008, she served as PSC Chairman and participated as a member of the Florida Energy
Commission and the Governor's Action Team on Energy and Climate Change.
Commissioner Edgar is a member and Second Vice President of the National
Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC). She serves on NARUC’s
Executive Committee, Board of Directors, the Committees on Electricity and Consumer
Affairs, and the Task Force on Environmental Regulation and Generation. From 2005
through 2009, she served on the Federal Communications Commission Universal
Service Joint Board working for efficient, accountable and fiscally responsible use of
universal service funds. Prior to joining the PSC, Commissioner Edgar served as
Deputy Secretary for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
She received her Bachelor of Science and Juris Doctorate degrees from Florida State
University and is a member of the Florida Bar.
C. Dukes Scott. Executive Director. Dukes became the first Executive
Director of the Office of Regulatory Staff (ORS) in 2004 when the agency was
created by Act 175. A native of Orangeburg, South Carolina, Dukes is a
graduate of Clemson University where he earned a B.S. He holds a J.D., cum
laude, from the University of South Carolina School of Law. In addition to
several years in the private practice of law, he served as Staff Counsel for the
Public Service Commission of South Carolina (PSC), Executive Assistant to the
Commissioners, General Counsel, and Deputy Executive Director of the PSC.
Dukes was then elected as a Commissioner for the PSC (1994-1999). In 1999,
he was elected to Administrative Law Judge Seat No. 2, a position he held until
2004. Dukes is a member of Forest Lake Presbyterian Church.
Office phone: (803) 737-0805. Email: cdscott@regstaff.sc.gov.
Coralette M. Hannon
Senior Legislative Representative
Financial Security & Consumer Affairs Team
State Advocacy & Strategy Integration Group
Coralette Hannon is a Senior Legislative Representative with AARP’s State Advocacy &
Strategy Integration Group. In this role, Coralette supports AARP’s state and local level
advocacy efforts. She provides issue-specific technical assistance to AARP’s state offices on
consumer-oriented legislative and regulatory advocacy, in the areas of telecommunications,
housing, transportation, and mortgage-related issues.
Ms. Hannon joined AARP in 1999. Before coming to AARP, she served as a technical
assistant to Commissioner Agnes Alexander at the Public Service Commission of the District
of Columbia focusing on the regulation of telecommunications, energy, and transportation
providers. Ms. Hannon was also an attorney with the Washington, DC law firm Webster &
Fredrickson.
Ms. Hannon is a graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park, with a B.A. in
economics. She also earned a J.D. from Howard University School of Law.
AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, with a membership of more than 37 million,
that helps people 50+ have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial to
them and society as a whole. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make
contributions to either political campaigns or candidates. We produce AARP The Magazine,
the definitive voice for Americans 50+ and the world's largest-circulation magazine; AARP
Bulletin, the go-to news source for the 50+ audience; AARP VIVA, a bilingual lifestyle
multimedia platform addressing the interests and needs of Hispanic Americans; and national
television and radio programming including My Generation and Inside E Street. AARP has
staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin
Islands.
ALAN R. JENKINS
Jenkins at Law, LLC
Email aj@jenkinsatlaw.com
Alan Jenkins assists clients in the natural gas, electric power and communications industries as well as handling
corporate and environmental matters. He conducts project development work for electric, gas, alternative
energy and telecommunications projects, whether advising clients on how to structure proposed projects and
asset sales/purchases, drafting and negotiating key project agreements or securing regulatory and financing
approvals for such projects. Mr. Jenkins advises large businesses on how to decrease their energy bills and
works with clients on a variety of regulatory and appellate matters, which have included the first electric
stranded cost proceeding before FERC following Order No. 888, the appeal of Order No. 636 that transformed
the interstate natural gas market, and proceedings for the first complete unbundling of a local utility's retail
gas service. Mr. Jenkins also represents clients on procurement bid protests and other matters pending before
local agencies, hearing examiners and appellate courts. In particular, Mr. Jenkins has represented clients on
matters pending before, among others: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, US Army Corps of Engineers,
US Department of Energy, US Surface Transportation Board, US Postal Rate Commission, US Forest Service,
Federal courts, State courts, Local boards and departments, numerous state public service/utility commissions
PRIOR LAW FIRM EXPERIENCE
Partner - McKenna, Long & Aldridge LLP; Atlanta, GA 1998-2007
Associate – Wiley Rein & Fielding; Washington, DC 1996-1998
Associate – Dickstein Shapiro & Morin; Washington, DC 1994-1996
EDUCATION
J.D., University of North Carolina School of Law, 1994, with honors, Order of the Coif
B.Sc., State University of New York/College of Environmental Science & Forestry, magna cum laude, 1979
BAR & COURT ADMISSIONS
Georgia, Virginia, District of Columbia, U.S. Courts of Appeals; Federal Circuit, D.C. Circuit, 11th Circuit
REPRESENTATIVE CLIENTS – Balfour Beatty, Best Buy, BJ’s, Family Dollar, Food Lion, Harris Teeter, JC Penney,
Kindred Healthcare, Macy’s, Plum Combustion, Rollcast Energy, Safeway, Target, Wal-Mart
PRO BONO – Former board member and recipient of “Top 50 volunteers” award - Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers
Foundation, a non-profit foundation encouraging pro bono representation of low-income clients in Atlanta.
Dana Yeganian
Sr. Vice President & Group Director
Capstrat
Dana Yeganian leads Capstrat's client services team, overseeing the
communications firm's practice areas in public affairs, technology, health care,
energy and professional services. Dana has had two stints at Capstrat, the first
from 2000-2003, where she worked on health care, energy, insurance and
nonprofit clients.
She returned to Capstrat in 2007 after working at Progress Energy, where she
served as media spokesperson on the company's environmental, policy and
regulatory positions. She also worked closely with the company's regulatory and
legislative teams on messaging and company initiatives.
Since returning to Capstrat, Dana has led the agency's relationship with Duke
Energy. She also oversees Capstrat's work with Ameren Missouri, an electric
utility serving St. Louis, Jefferson City and other parts of Missouri.
Dana started her career as a policy analyst and press assistant for Gov. Jim
Hunt. Dana holds degrees in journalism and political science from the University
of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Keith Aldridge
Vice President
Advanced Energy Corporation
Keith Aldridge joined Advanced Energy in 1984 to develop energy efficiency
programs for affordable housing in North Carolina. He played a key role in
developing the state’s Community Energy Campaign, which provided education
on energy efficiency to local communities. Aldridge also helped develop the
Duct Diagnostics Training and Repair Program, which provided whole-house
diagnostic training to more than 200 companies in North and South Carolina.
From 1996 to 2012, Aldridge managed business and program development for
Advanced Energy’s Applied Building Science Team. Programs developed
include Environments for Living, a nationwide comfort and energy guarantee
program operated by the Masco Corporation and SystemVision, an energy and
comfort guarantee program for affordable housing in North Carolina operated by
Advanced Energy.
Aldridge is active nationally in the home performance industry and currently
serves as Board Chair for Affordable Comfort, Inc.
Torin Bio
Torin Kexel – Building Performance Director at Green Opportunities:
In 2008 Torin helped create the GO Energy Team, a social enterprise branch of Green
Opportunities in Asheville, NC. The goal of the GO Energy Team is to promote
environmental justice by giving people with barriers to employment a chance to earn
employment in the building performance industry.
Torin has worked at all levels of the business from air-sealing attics to performing
trainings to writing grants. He is a certified HERS Rater, BPI Building Analyst, Envelope
Professional, and Accessible Areas Air Leakage Control Installer. His greatest aspiration
in this position is to help the Southeast move towards a greener more equitable
economy by creating jobs accessible to all communities and creating better building
performance throughout the region.
Commissioner Nikiya "Nikki" Hall, South Carolina PSC
Columbia, SC
Elected to the Commission in June of 2010, Nikki Hall is currently serving a four year term.
She brings to the Commission prior judicial experience as a magistrate in Richland County.
Ms. Hall is an attorney by profession, licensed in both South Carolina and Georgia. She
completed her undergraduate studies at Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia, graduating
with honors, and earned her law degree from Georgetown University Law Center in
Washington, DC. She began her law career clerking for the Honorable Casey Manning, circuit
court judge in the Fifth Judicial Circuit of South Carolina. Following her clerkship, Ms. Hall
served as a prosecutor in the Fifth Judicial Circuit prosecuting felonies, managing appeals
and participating in many major trials.
In addition to her service on the South Carolina Commission, Ms. Hall also participates in
utility regulation on the national level by serving on the Energy Resources and the
Environment Committee of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners
(NARUC) as well as the NARUC subcommittee on Utility Market Access Partnership.
Ms. Hall is active in the community, serving on the Brookland Foundation, a nonprofit
foundation supporting initiatives such as HIV/AIDS awareness, health and wellness
promotion, and elementary education tutoring. She also serves as an officer of the Columbia
Chapter of the National Alumna Association of Spelman College.
Bryan E. Beatty,
Commissioner
Commissioner Beatty was appointed to the North Carolina Utilities Commission by Governor Mike Easley for a
term that commenced on January 7, 2009 and expired on June 30, 2009. Governor Beverly Perdue reappointed
him for the term that commenced on July 1, 2009 and ends on June 30, 2017.
Born in Englewood, New Jersey and a graduate of Salisbury High School in Salisbury, North Carolina, he
earned his B.A. in Political Science from the State University of New York at Stony Brook in 1980. Beatty
received his Juris Doctorate in 1987 from the University of North Carolina School of Law and is a 1981 graduate
of the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation Academy at Salemburg.
Beatty served as the Secretary of the N.C. Department of Crime Control and Public Safety from 2001 until 2009
and was in charge of the state’s homeland security coordination. He also served as director of the State Bureau
of Investigation from October 1999 to January 2001.
During his tenure at the Department of Justice, he also served as an SBI agent, an associate attorney general
representing the UNC Hospital System, an assistant attorney general in the Motor Vehicles section, the state’s
first inspector general, and deputy attorney general for policy and planning.
Beatty is the immediate past chair of the State Emergency Response Commission and served on the N.C.
Lottery Commission. He has also served as a member of the Governor’s Crime Commission, on the Board of
Directors of the Criminal Justice Information Network, and as chair of the Governor’s Terrorism Preparedness
Task Force.
Beatty received the National Governors’ Association Award for Distinguished Service to State Government in
August 2003 for his leadership in North Carolina’s terrorism preparedness efforts. In November 2002, he was
honored by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with the Harvey E. Beech Outstanding Alumni Award,
established to recognize black alumni who are "stellar leaders within the University community or in his or her
local community." In 2005, Beatty received the Charles Dick Medal of Merit Award from the National Guard
Association of the United States. Also, in 2005 he received the Distinguished Civilian Service Award from the
State of North Carolina.
In 2008, Governor Mike Easley awarded Beatty the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, the highest service award that
can be given to a North Carolina citizen.
Beatty and his wife Rhonda have three children, Bryan Jr., Nicole and Michael.
COLONEL GREGORY G. BEAN
Director, Public Works, Fort Bragg, NC
Colonel (Retired) Gregory G. Bean has been the
Director of Public Works since Oct 2001. He is
responsible for the maintenance and repair, utility
distribution, environmental protection and forestry
management for a 250 square mile community with
nearly 50 million square feet of facilities to include
nearly 20,000 barracks spaces, 6400 homes, and over
1500 lane-miles of paved roads. He manages an
Operations and Maintenance budget of over
$300M/year and oversees a Military Construction
program of $200M/year. He was recognized as the
Army’s Director of Public Works Executive of the Year
in 2005.
He is a 1974 graduate of the United States Military Academy and earned a
Masters Degree in Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. His
military education includes the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College,
the Armed Forces Staff College and the U.S. Army War College. He is a
registered Professional Engineer in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Col. Bean’s notable assignments include Commander and District Engineer,
Memphis District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; Deputy Commander, North
Atlantic Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; and Director, Maneuver
Support Battle Lab, Fort Leonard Wood, MO.
His awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit (with 2 oak leaf
clusters), Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious
Service Medal (with 5 oak leaf clusters), the Army Commendation Medal (with
oak leaf cluster), the Army Achievement Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal,
the Southwest Asia Service Medal with two Campaign Stars, and the Kuwait
Liberation Medal. He has been awarded both the Bronze and Silver Order of
the Engineer DeFleury Medal and is authorized to wear the Parachutist Badge,
the Air Assault Badge and the Ranger Tab.
Linda Breathitt
Commissioner, Kentucky PSC
Ms. Breathitt was appointed by Governor Steve Beshear in May of 2012 as one of three
Commissioners’ to the Kentucky Public Service Commission. The PSC regulates the
intrastate rates and services of investor-owned electric, natural gas, telephone, water and
sewage utilities, customer-owned electric and telephone cooperatives, water districts and
associations, and certain aspects of gas pipelines.
In 2009 President Obama appointed Ms. Breathitt as the Federal Representative to the
Southern States Energy Board (SSEB), where she served from September of 2009 –
December 2012. SSEB is a non-profit interstate compact whose mission is to enhance
economic development and the quality of life in the South through innovations in energy and
environmental policies, programs and technologies.
Linda was appointed by President Bill Clinton to serve as a Commissioner of the Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) from Nov. 1997 to Nov. 2002. Prior to joining FERC
Linda was appointed by Gov. Brereton Jones as Commissioner and later Chairman of the
Kentucky Public Service Commission.
Linda spent five years as a senior energy advisor for the international law firm of Thelen Reid
& Priest LLP in the firm’s Washington D.C. office from 2003-2008.
She has testified numerous times before the United States Congress and has participated in
energy symposiums and conferences in many parts of the world. Ms. Breathitt oversaw the
Energy Partnership Program between the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the
Central Electricity Regulatory Commission in India for USAID and the US Energy Association
for 6 years.
Linda graduated from the University of Kentucky and attended the Kennedy
School of Government’s Executive Program on State & Local Government,
Harvard University.
Commissioner Tony Clark, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
Commissioner Tony Clark is serving his first term on the Commission, having been nominated by
President Obama and sworn in on June 15, 2012. A Republican, he is serving out a five-year term
that expires June 30, 2016.
Commissioner Clark formerly served as a member of the North Dakota Public Service Commission,
most recently as Chairman of the Commission. The office is a statewide elective office, and
Commissioner Clark was first elected to the PSC in 2000.
While at the North Dakota Commission, Commissioner Clark held the PSC portfolio on electric
generation and transmission and was active in state and regional efforts to develop North Dakota’s
vast energy exporting potential and to provide affordable, reliable energy to consumers. In his 12
years at the Commission, he oversaw regulatory proceedings that permitted more than $5.5 billion
in new investment in North Dakota through expanded wind, coal and oil and gas infrastructure. At
the same time North Dakota maintained its position as one of the lowest cost energy states in the
nation, and continued its tradition of excellence in environmental protection.
In November 2010, Commissioner Clark was elected by his peers across the nation to serve a oneyear term as President of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC),
and led association efforts on matters of importance to the regulatory community and America’s
utility consumers. He is a past Chairman of the NARUC Telecommunications Committee and has
testified multiple times before Congress on matters related to telecommunications and energy.
Prior to his election to the PSC, Commissioner Clark was North Dakota’s Labor Commissioner,
serving in the cabinet of former Gov. Ed Schafer. He is a former state legislator, representing Fargo
in the state House of Representatives from 1994-97.
Commissioner Clark is a graduate, with honors, from North Dakota State University and he holds an
MPA from the University of North Dakota. Having attained the rank of Eagle Scout as a youth,
Commissioner Clark has maintained his involvement with and support of the Scouting program. He is
a past Chairman of the Frontier Trails District of the BSA and a past Cubmaster of Pack 180 in
Bismarck.
Commissioner Clark and his wife, Amy, have three children.
Carol Mattey has served as Deputy Bureau Chief of the FCC's Wireline Competition
Bureau since March 2010, overseeing the Bureau’s work on the landmark universal
service reform adopted in November 2011 and subsequent implementation. She
previously served as a Senior Policy Advisor on the FCC's Omnibus Broadband Initiative,
focusing on developing the universal service recommendations in the National
Broadband Plan. She has over 25 years of experience developing telecommunications
public policy and advising private sector clients on the intersection of business and
regulation.
Ms. Mattey was a director at Deloitte & Touche LLP from 2005-2009, providing
consulting services to telecommunications and media companies, and private equity
firms. She joined Deloitte in 2005 after a decade of government service at the FCC,
including a prior tour as Deputy Bureau Chief of the Wireline Competition Bureau from
2000-2005 when she was responsible for all universal service matters. Previously, Ms.
Mattey worked at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration,
advising the Administration on communications policy and privacy issues.
James Bradford Ramsay
General Counsel
National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners
Mr. Ramsay is General Counsel for the National Association of Regulatory Utility
Commissioners (NARUC). NARUC is composed of the agencies of fifty states and several
U.S. Territories that oversee regulated utilities providing energy, telecommunications,
and water services.
During his 23 years at the association, he has represented NARUC's interests before
the United States Supreme Court, most of the United States Courts of Appeals, several
U.S. District Courts, the Administration, the FCC, FERC, NRC, EPA, FTC, NTIA, US
Department of Justice, the Office of the US Trade Representative, other agencies, and
in discussions with, the European Community, and various industry associations. He is
NARUC's corporate secretary and parliamentarian.
Mr. Ramsay has testified before both Houses of Congress and State legislatures - and
participated briefly in one round of US-Japan Trade talks - on telecommunications
issues. Up until NARUC discontinued membership, Mr. Ramsay was also NARUC's
designee to the International Telecommunications Union. He staffs the FCC
Separations and Universal Service Federal-State Joint Boards, and the Section 706
Federal State Joint Conference.
Prior to joining NARUC, Mr. Ramsay acquired significant experience in administrative
law and appellate practice as an associate with the Washington, D.C. law firm of Grove,
Jaskiewicz, Gilliam and Colbert. Prior to private practice, Mr. Ramsay was employed by
the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for three years as a rates attorney. Mr.
Ramsay received his B.S. in Chemistry in 1978 from Mississippi College and his J.D. in
1985 from Louisiana State University.
JAMES N. HORWOOD
Partner
Spiegel & McDiarmid
1333 New Hampshire Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20036
Direct: 202.879.4002
Telephone: 202.879.4000
Fax: 202.393.2866
james.horwood@spiegelmcd.com
Mr. Horwood has focused his practice on a wide range of energy, communications,
and postal rate matters for over 40 years. He has been in private practice with the law
firm of Spiegel & McDiarmid since 1973 with concentration in representing municipal
and cooperative electric distribution systems, associations of such systems, municipal
joint action agencies, and generation and transmission cooperatives in energy matters,
as well as advising cities and non-profit organizations on communications issues.
With respect to communications issues, Mr. Horwood advises local governments on all
aspects of communications law. These include work for cities considering municipal
ownership and operation of cable systems, construction and ownership of
infrastructure, and issues that arise under cable television franchises. This work often
concerns questions involving interpretation and application of federal communications
law, the U.S. Constitution (particularly the First Amendment), federal and state
antitrust laws, and utility regulatory laws. Mr. Horwood is advising local governments
on telephone and other communications issues arising from the advent and growth of
new technologies.
Mr. Horwood practices regularly before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,
Federal Communications Commission, and several state regulatory commissions and
before federal and state courts.
John "Butch" Howard, Commissioner, South Carolina PSC
Member, National Association of Regulatory Commissioners (NARUC)


Co-Vice Chairman NARUC Committee on Water 2006-2009
Chairman NARUC Committee on Water Dec 2009-present
Member, SouthEastern Association of Regulatory Commissioners (SEARUC)
Member, Water Research Foundation, Public Council on Drinking Water Research
Member, New Mexico State Center for Public Utilities, Advisory Council
Member, Department of Homeland Security, Water Sector Government Coordinating Council
University of South Carolina- BS Business Administration
Regulatory Schools:

Regulatory Studies Program - 2004

NARUC Utility Rate School - 2005

Institute of Regulatory Law and Economics - 2005

National Judicial College - 2006

Merging Issues - 2007
US Army 1963-1966- While stationed in Germany, served on the Board of Frankfort Area
American Youth Activities. Honorable Discharge with Letter of Commendations.
Organizations:
Boy Scouts of America – Former VP of Programs, Southeastern Regional Camp Inspector,
Recipient of the Silver Beaver Award; Girl Scouts of America- Former Board Member;
Palmetto Touchdown Club- Former President and Program Chairman; Kiwanis Club of
Charleston- Past President; Charleston Trident Chamber of Commerce- Former Chairman of
Membership Committee; Charleston Advertising Federation- Former Board Member; Blessed
Sacrament School Board- Former President; St. Joseph Parish Council- Former Member; St.
Joseph’s Mens Club- Former President; South Carolina Trucking Association- Former
Member; South Carolina Trucking Association Safety Council- Former Member; Greater
Charleston Printer’s Association- Former Member
Jo Anne Sanford, Attorney, Sanford Law Office and Blount Street Advisors
Jo Anne Sanford retired in 2006 from the NC Utilities Commission, where she
served as Chair for 10 of her 12 years on the Commission. She joined the
Commission after 20 years in the Attorney General’s Office, and since 2007
she has practiced in Sanford Law Office and Blount Street Advisors, enjoying
her work with clients in the electric, communications and water sectors.
Sanford divides her public time between these practices and a range of nonprofit activities, including service on the board of the State Employees Credit
Union, the NC Center for Public Policy Research, and NC State University’s
Board of Visitors.
sanford@sanfordlawoffice.com
Tel: 919.829.0018
UTILITIES, INC. – Carl Daniel, Regional Vice President - Atlantic & Midwest Regions
Carl Daniel joined UI in 1974 as an Operator for our
Virginia facilities. In 1983 he became Regional Director of
UI’s North Carolina operations and in 1993 he was
appointed Regional Vice President for UI’s Atlantic and
Mid-Atlantic Regions which included the states of NC,
TN, MD, VA, PA, NJ, SC, GA. In 2010 following a
reorganization of Regions, Carl now manages the Atlantic
Region that includes the states of NC, VA, MD, PA and NJ
and the Midwest Region which includes the states of IL,
IN, KY and TN.
Carl has 39 years in the water and wastewater industry, and has both operated and
managed water supply systems and wastewater treatment facilities. He has overseen
the completion of major capital improvements and has served as UI’s regional
spokesperson with regard to matters related to system operations, environmental
compliance, and utility regulations.
Carl is an active member/participant in the following utility industry organizations and
associations: NC State Water Infrastructure Commission (NC SWIC); American Water
Works Association (AWWA); Water Environment Federation (WEF); NC Waterworks
Operators Association (NC WOA); SE National Association of Water Companies (SE
NAWC); SE Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (SEARUC); Sierra Club.
Prior to joining UI, Carl was enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and later went
on to obtain his Bachelors Degree and Masters Degree in Business Administration both
from Pfeiffer University.
William E. Grantmyre
Staff Attorney, Public Staff - North Carolina Utilities Commission
Education – North Carolina State University (BA – 1967), University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill (Juris Doctor – 1970)
Grantmyre was in the private practice of law in Greenville, North Carolina from
1970 to 1977. In 1977, he became general manager and house counsel for Heater
Utilities, Inc. which owned and operated water utility systems in North Carolina
and water and wastewater utility systems in South Carolina. In 1987, Grantmyre
became Heater Utilities’ president and general counsel, when Minnesota Power
and Light Company acquired Heater Utilities.
He has represented 15 different investor owned water and wastewater utilities, in
addition to representing Heater Utilities, in more than 50 general rate cases before
the North Carolina Utilities Commission and the South Carolina Public Service
Commission.
In July 2005, Grantmyre became a staff Attorney, Public Staff – North Carolina
Utilities Commission, representing the using and consuming public.
DIRECTOR KENNETH C. HILL
Dr. Kenneth C. Hill was appointed to the Tennessee Regulatory
Authority in 2009 by Lieutenant Governor Ron Ramsey. Dr. Hill is
married and lives with his wife, Janet, in Blountville, Tennessee. The
couple has three children.
Dr. Hill's educational achievements include a Bachelor of Science
degree in Speech (Broadcasting) and History from East Tennessee
State University; a Master of Science Degree in Speech
(Broadcasting) from Indiana State University; a Bachelor of Arts
degree in Biblical Studies from Baptist Christian College; a Master of
Religious Education from Manahath School of Theology; and a
Doctor of Religious Education from Andersonville Baptist Seminary.
Dr. Hill has been active in communications and broadcasting all of his adult life, having been involved
for over three decades in virtually every aspect of television and radio. For the past twenty-seven years,
Dr. Hill has been affiliated with the Appalachian Educational Communication Corporation (AECC)
Bristol, Tennessee and at the time of his appointment to the TRA was Chief Executive Officer of
AECC and served as General Manager of five radio stations reaching portions of East Tennessee and
four surrounding states. Dr. Hill was inducted into the East Tennessee State University, Department of
Communications - Broadcasting, Alumni Hall of Fame in 2012.
Dr. Hill has also provided consulting and contract services for over two decades in the areas of
technical writing and editing, public relations, proposal writing and editing, independent R&D
documentation, corporate and business communication, media acquisition, media appraisal and media
utilization.
Dr. Hill is active in the community, serving as Chairman of the Publications Board of the Evangelical
Methodist Church, Member of the Board of Directors of the Tri-Cities Mass Choir, Member of the
Board of the Sister Community Project (Sullivan County, Tennessee and Siguatepeque, Honduras), and
Member of the Bristol Evening Lions Club. Dr. Hill also served as Secretary of the General
Conference of the Evangelical Methodist Church for twelve years and is a former member of the
Sullivan County Board of Zoning Appeals.
Since his appointment, Dr. Hill has been involved with the National Association of Regulatory Utility
Commissioners (NARUC) and the Southeastern Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners
(SEARUC). He is a member of the NARUC Committee on Water and the Committee on International
Relations, the International Confederation of Energy Regulators, and has been a presenter at the
NARUC Annual Meeting. Dr. Hill has also been a panelist at the National Association of Water
Companies (NAWC) Conference and the Emerging Issues Policy Forum.
Commissioner Eric Skrmetta, Louisiana PSC
Republican, born October 1, 1958 in New Orleans, Louisiana; graduate of Brother
Martin High School, Louisiana State University B.S. 1981, Southern University Law
School J.D. (cum laude) 1985 and Tulane University Law School (LL.M Admiralty) 1986.
Practicing Attorney since 1985. Practicing Mediator since 1989.
Republican State Central Committee District 81, Active in numerous community, civic
and religious organizations. Married (Deborah Gibson). Two Children. Elected to office
November 4, 2008.
Assumed Commissionership January 1, 2009; current term ends December 31, 2014.
Julie A. Nelson
Director, Government & Public Affairs
BG Group, Houston TX
Julie Nelson is responsible for managing BG Group’s relationships with the US
Congress, state legislatures (Louisiana, Texas, and Alaska) and key executive branch
departments – both state and federal – to ensure that BG’s strategies are appropriate
aligned with current and future legislation.
Ms. Nelson is responsible for
unconventional shale gas, LNG export and global LNG shipping issues.
Nelson earned her bachelor’s and law degrees from Indiana University, Bloomington IN
and received her LL.M. in Admiralty (maritime law), with distinction from Tulane
University School of Law, New Orleans, LA.
GEORGE B. RATCHFORD
Vice President of Gas Operations
PSNC Energy
George B. Ratchford began his career in 1987 with PSNC Energy – a natural gas utility
business unit of SCANA Corporation. He has worked for the company for more than 25 years
in diverse areas including: director western operations engineering, general manager of
design and construction and general manager customer service operations.
As vice president gas operations, Ratchford is responsible for customer service operations,
sales and marketing functions, system operations, maintenance and construction, and project
engineering for PSNC Energy.
Ratchford serves on the Gaston Regional Chamber’s Board, past chairman of Gaston
Together, Gaston Vision 2020, as well as various educational and gas industry related board
associations.
George and his wife reside in Gastonia, North Carolina, and they have two daughters.
A native of Gastonia, North Carolina, Ratchford earned a Bachelors of Science Degree in
Civil Engineering from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
JAMES C. (JIM) MOORE
WILLIAMS - TRANSCO
VICE PRESIDENT, COMMERCIAL OPERATIONS
Jim has worked in the natural gas pipeline industry, for Williams and Transco, for over
thirty-five years. In his current role as Vice President of Commercial Operations he
leads a group responsible for all customer service and business development activities
for Transco.
Jim graduated from Mississippi State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in
Accounting.
He serves on the Executive Council for the Southern Gas Association and is a CPA in
the state of Texas.
John F. Coleman Jr.
John F. Coleman Jr. serves as Vice Chairman of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission
(PUC). Vice Chairman Coleman was first nominated to serve as Commissioner by Governor
Edward G. Rendell on June 2, 2010, and subsequently confirmed by the Pennsylvania Senate
on June 15, 2010. Vice Chairman Coleman was elected by his fellow Commissioners to the
position of Vice Chairman on February 24, 2011. On February 17, 2012, Governor Tom
Corbett renominated Vice Chairman Coleman, who was unanimously confirmed by the
Pennsylvania Senate on April 2, 2012. Vice Chairman Coleman's term will expire April 1,
2017.
Vice Chairman Coleman serves as a member of the National Association of Regulatory Utility
Commissioners (NARUC) Committee on Gas. He is also a member of NARUC's Pipeline
Safety Committee. Vice Chairman Coleman was appointed to the Pennsylvania Energy
Development Authority (PEDA) for a two-year term on Sept. 1, 2011. He is also a member of
the Board of Directors of the Mid-Atlantic Conference of Regulatory Utilities Commissioners.
Prior to joining the Commission, Vice Chairman Coleman served 12 years as the
President/Chief Executive Officer of the national-accredited Chamber of Business and Industry
of Centre County, the largest member-based business organization in Central Pennsylvania,
based in State College. In this capacity, the Vice Chairman also served as the President and
Chief Executive Officer of the Centre County Industrial Development Corporation, an
entrepreneurial development and business finance corporation.
Vice Chairman Coleman graduated from Saint Francis University, with a bachelor’s of science
degree in business management. He is a certified Economic Development Professional, and a
graduate of the United States Chamber of Commerce Institute of Organizational Management
at Notre Dame.
Vice Chairman Coleman is a founding investor and Corporate Treasurer of SilcoTek, a
performance coating company headquartered in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania. He and his wife
Julie live in Port Matilda, with their children Allie and Tyler.
Susan Warren Rabon,
Commissioner
Commissioner Rabon was appointed to the North Carolina Utilities Commission by Governor
Mike Easley and joined the Commission on January 7, 2009. Her term expires on June 30,
2015. She currently serves on the National Association of Regulatory Utility
Commissioners(NARUC) Committee on Gas and the Washington Action Program.
Susan Rabon was born in Onslow County, North Carolina and grew up in Danville , Virginia
where she attended George Washington High School . She graduated from North Carolina
State University summa cum laude with a B. A. in Political Science and in 1986, received her
law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law.
Upon graduation and admission to the North Carolina State Bar, she clerked for The
Honorable Jack L. Cozort, North Carolina Court of Appeals and then joined private practice
with the firm, Carr, Swails, Huffine and Crouch in Wilmington, NC. In 1993, she joined the
staff of the North Carolina Department of Justice in Raleigh as Special Counsel and in 1994
became Deputy Attorney General for Administration. There she oversaw the day-to-day
operation of the Department of Justice as Chief of Staff.
In 2001, she moved to the Governor's Office as Senior Assistant for Administration and
served as one of the Governor's top three advisors where she oversaw the day-to-day
operations of the Governor's Office. She provided advice to the Governor in many areas of
state government but particularly in the areas of budget, personnel and technology.
Commissioner Rabon is a member of the North Carolina State Bar and is a North Carolina
Certified Mediator. She is an active volunteer in the schools and in other community affairs,
including previous service on the North Carolina State University Board of Visitors and
currently serving on Kraft YMCA Advisory Board. She and her husband Tom have one son.
JOHN FELMY
CHIEF
ECONOMIST
AMERICAN PETROLEUM
INSTITUTE
John Felmy is Chief Economist of API. He is responsible for overseeing
economic, statistical and policy analysis of the Institute. He has over twentyfive years experience in energy, economic and environmental analysis. He
received Bachelors and Masters in Economics from The Pennsylvania State
University and a Ph.D. in Economics from The University of Maryland.
John is a member of several professional associations including the American
Economics Association and the International Association for Energy Economics
Edward S. Finley, Jr.
Chairman
Chairman Finley was born in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. He holds a Bachelor of Arts
degree in history from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Juris Doctor from
the University of North Carolina School of Law.
Between 1974 and 2007 he practiced law in Raleigh, North Carolina, with the firm of Joyner &
Howison from 1974 to 1980 and the firm of Hunton & Williams from 1980 to 2007, after a
merger of the two firms. His primary area of practice was public utility regulation.
Governor Easley appointed Finley to the Commission on January 23, 2007 to fill a term that
expired on June 30, 2011. Governor Perdue reappointed Finley to the Commission effective
July 1, 2011, for a term that expires on June 30, 2019.
Governor Easley appointed Finley as Chairman of the Commission on April 10, 2007, to fill a
Chair term that expired on June 30, 2009. Governor Perdue reappointed Chairman Finley as
Chairman effective July 1, 2009, for a Chair term that expires on June 30, 2013.
Chairman Finley is active in community and civic affairs. He and his wife, Ginger, have two
sons.
Ellen Lapson
Lapson Advisory
New York, New York
Ellen Lapson has over thirty-five years of experience in the fields of utility credit
analysis and infrastructure financing. Prior to forming Lapson Advisory in 2011,
Ellen was a Managing Director at Fitch Ratings, where she oversaw ratings criteria and
directed fixed-income investor outreach for the Utilities Group. She led in
developing Fitch’s sector research and credit policy for U.S. and international
electric, gas and water utilities, energy marketers, project finance transactions, and
structured finance products to monetize utility tariffs or contracts.
In her 17 years at Fitch, Ellen led the credit evaluations or chaired Fitch rating
committees for hundreds of North American utilities and projects, from the largest to
the smallest entities. She directed and participated in credit assessments of
innovative energy technology projects including renewable energy sources, advanced
coal plants, new nuclear power plants, and nuclear enrichment. Ellen also led in the
development of Fitch’s policies on rating hybrid securities and utility tariff -backed
bonds.
Culminating her career at Fitch, in 2010-2011, Ellen chaired Fitch’s
Corporate Finance Criteria Committee, the group responsible for determining the global
criteria and guidelines the agency used to rate corporations, banks & financial
institutions, insurers, and global infrastructure projects.
Prior to joining Fitch in 1994, Ellen was an officer of Chemical Securities Inc. and
Chemical Bank (now JP Morgan), specializing in corporate finance and banking
transactions for the electric and gas industries in the U.S., South America, and
Europe. As a banker, she was a key member of the team that developed the first U.S.
investor-owned utility tariff bonds for Puget Energy / Puget Sound Power & Light.
Other transactions included arranging private placement debt financing, structuring
special financing vehicles, and valuing power plants and energy assets.
Ellen began her career as an equity analyst at Argus Research Corp., where she covered
the electric, gas, and telephone industries.
Ellen has served for eight years as a member of the Electric Power Research
Institute’s Advisory Council and chaired the Advisory Council. She is a Chartered
Financial Analyst and a member of the Wall Street Utility Group. She earned an MBA in
accounting from New York University.
Paul R. Newton State President – North Carolina
Paul Newton is president of Duke Energy’s utility operations in North Carolina, serving
approximately 3.2 million electric retail customers. He is responsible for advancing the
company's rate and regulatory initiatives and managing state and local regulatory and
governmental relations, economic development and community affairs. He assumed his
current position in January 2013.
Newton previously served as senior vice president and special advisor to Duke Energy’s
chairman, president and CEO. Prior to that, he served as senior vice president of strategy,
rates, wholesale customers, commodities and analytics for Duke Energy. Before that, he had
more than 18 years of experience serving as legal counsel for the company’s utility
operations.
A native of Eden, N.C., Newton earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business
administration and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Newton also completed the Harvard Advanced Management Program.
He is a member of the state bars of the District of Columbia, South Carolina, North Carolina,
Virginia and New Mexico. Newton serves on the Executive Committee of the North Carolina
Chamber Board. He has served in a number of industry leadership posts, including past chair
of the Southern Chapter of the Energy Bar Association. He is a past member of the Planning
Committee of the Edison Electric Institute Lawyers Committee, the Nuclear Energy Institute
and the American Corporate Counsel Association. He was named to Business North Carolina
Legal Elite, 2006, 2007 and 2008.
Newton and his wife, Melanie, have three daughters and a son.
Scott Hempling
Attorney at Law LLC
Scott Hempling has taught public utility law and policy to a generation of regulators and
practitioners. As an attorney, he has assisted clients from all industry sectors—regulators, utilities,
consumer organizations, independent competitors and environmental organizations. As an expert
witness, he has testified numerous times before state commissions and before committees of the United
States Congress and the legislatures of Arkansas, California, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, North
Carolina, South Carolina, Vermont, and Virginia. As a teacher and seminar presenter, he has appeared
throughout the United States and in Canada, Central America, Germany, India, Italy, Jamaica, Mexico
and Nigeria.
His articles have appeared in The Electricity Journal, Public Utilities Fortnightly,
ElectricityPolicy.com and other professional publications, covering such topics as mergers and
acquisitions, the introduction of competition into formerly monopolistic markets, corporate
restructuring, ratemaking, utility investments in nonutility businesses, transmission planning,
renewable energy and state–federal jurisdictional issues. From 2006 to 2011, he was the Executive
Director of the National Regulatory Research Institute.
Hempling is an adjunct professor at the Georgetown University Law Center, where he teaches
courses on public utility law and regulatory litigation. His book of essays, Preside or Lead? The
Attributes and Actions of Effective Regulators, was published in 2010. An expanded edition will be
published in Fall 2013. The first volume of his legal treatise, Regulating Public Utility Performance:
The Law of Market Structure, Pricing and Jurisdiction, will be published by the American Bar
Association in Fall 2013.
Hempling received a B.A. cum laude in (1) Economics and Political Science and (2) Music,
from Yale University, where he was awarded a Continental Grain Fellowship and a Patterson research
grant. He received a J.D. magna cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center, where he was
the recipient of an American Jurisprudence award for Constitutional Law. More detail is available at
www.scotthemplinglaw.com.
Chairman Ronald A. Brisé
Ronald A. Brisé was appointed to the Florida Public Service
Commission by Governor Charlie Crist in July 2010 and was
reappointed by Governor Rick Scott for a term through January 2014. In
December 2011, he was elected to Chair the Commission through
January 1, 2014.
Chairman Brisé is a member of the National Association of
Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) and serves in the
following capacities:
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Board of Directors
Task Force on Federalism and Telecommunications
Committee on Telecommunications
Committee on International Relations
Subcommittee on Utility Market Access
Board of Directors, Universal Service Administrative Company
Federal Communications Commission’s Intergovernmental Advisory Committee
Before this appointment, he represented District 108 in the Florida House of Representatives for four
years. During his tenure, Chairman Brisé was named Democratic Whip and served as Vice Chairman
of the Florida Conference of Black State Legislators. He gained membership on several
committees which produced significant legislation that tackled many of Florida’s most relevant issues
including energy, telecommunications, redistricting, appropropriations and Medicaid reform.
Chairman Brisé also sponsored successful legislation expanding broadband deployment in Florida to
address digital divide as well as legislation improving consumer protection for Floridian families.
Upon graduation from college, Chairman Brisé taught science at his alma mater, Miami Union
Academy. He eventually became responsible for the school’s development and fundraising
operations. In 2005, he became the Chief Operating Officer at a VoIP telecommunications
carrier.
Chairman Brisé began his career in public service in North Miami as a member of the North Miami
Planning Commission. His civic engagements include Board Member of the North Shore Hospital
and past president of the Albert C. Pierre Community Center. He is a member of the NAACP,
Leadership Florida and serves on the Board of Directors of the Haitian-American Chamber of
Commerce of Florida.
Chairman Brisé received a bachelor’s degree in biology education from Oakwood University in
Huntsville, Alabama and received MBA degrees in management and marketing from American
Intercontinental University in Illinois. He and his wife, JoAn, have two children, Ronald Brisé II and
Elizabeth Christiane Brisé, and together are faithful members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Richard Taylor, ENP
Executive Director, North Carolina 911 Board
Richard Taylor, ENP, has been intimately involved in 911 issues at the local, state and national levels for more
than two decades. Currently serving as the Executive Director of the North Carolina 911 Board, Taylor is the
first person to ever hold such a post in the state. Taylor is responsible for assisting and overseeing the 128
Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) throughout the state in their emergency 911 preparedness efforts.
Taylor has made great strides during his tenure as Executive Director. When he took the post in 2000, there
were five counties in the state that did not have enhanced 911 (E911) capabilities. Today, all counties in North
Carolina have E911. Taylor was appointed by North Carolina’s governor as the State’s single point of contact
with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for 911 issues.
Prior to his role with the North Carolina 911 Board, Taylor was the Communications Director for the City of
New Bern, NC.
One of his greatest contributions to public safety in the state of North Carolina was the passage of North
Carolina’s Wireless 911 Act in 1998. Taylor was a co-writer, as well as the lead public safety lobbyist, of this bill.
He ensured the bill contained provisions that guarantee full cost recovery for PSAPs and wireless carriers alike.
North Carolina is one of the only states with full cost recovery.
Currently Richard’s work with the North Carolina 911 Board includes guiding them through creation and
implementation of a new 911 funding model for PSAPs and at the same time, his leadership has been vital in
the process as North Carolina develops its first ever operational standards for 911 PSAPs.
Taylor has been a long time member of the National Emergency Number Association (NENA), serving as the
State Chapter President in 1997 and as the National President in 2003. He has also maintained membership in
the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO) since 1992. In the fall of 2003, Taylor was
appointed to serve as the first Chairman of the E-911 Institute, the educational branch of the E-911
Congressional Caucus, and was elected to serve a 2nd term in 2005 and a third in 2010. In 2004, Taylor was
appointed Chairman of the ComCare Alliance, a non-profit national advocacy organization of over 100
members, all dedicated to advancing emergency communications. In 2007, Richard was elected to
serve as National President of the National Association of State 911 Administrators (NASNA) and was
reelected to serve a second term as President in 2009 and a third term in 2011.
In between his public life, Richard is the father of one son and two beautiful daughters. An active
member of Temple Baptist Church, and he serves as an adult Sunday School teacher and Deacon.
Peter White
Executive Director – Global Public Policy
AT&T
Mr. White began his professional career as an Assistant District Attorney in the New
York County District Attorney’s Office, where he tried felony narcotics cases and later
specialized in complex criminal investigations using eavesdropping and other electronic
surveillance.
He joined the wireless industry in 1995 as a Director with AT&T Wireless Services, and
has held numerous legal and external affairs positions since that time.
In 2003, Mr. White joined the International Division of AT&T Wireless, where he was
responsible for all company relationships with governments from Bermuda to Trinidad
and Tobago.
He returned to domestic matters in 2005, where he currently is responsible for
enhanced 911, CMAS/WEA and other emergency communications, roaming, and
related policy issues.
JIM SCHULER
Assistant Vice President, External and State Affairs
CTIA – The Wireless Association
Washington, D.C.
Jim Schuler has been with CTIA for the last 14 years. Mr. Schuler’s responsibilities
include forming, coordinating and advocating wireless policy on topics of concern to
CTIA membership, including critical issues involving taxation, broadband
deployment, wireless verticals, and government mandates.
For the past 6 years, Jim has lead CTIA’s efforts in developing and implementing
strategies relating to minimizing federal, state, and local taxation of wireless
services. Activities include: Developing and implementing a strategic plan to educate
policymakers and consumers on the negative impact of taxes on consumers and
network infrastructure; advocacy at the federal, state and local level; management of
the Association’s tax efforts in coordination with CTIA membership; and integration
of the industry’s grassroots efforts on state and local tax issues.
Brian F. Fontes, Ph.D.
Chief Executive Officer
National Emergency Number Association
Arlington, Virginia
Brian Fontes currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer for the National Emergency
Number Association, a position he has held since June 2008. As CEO, he is responsible for all aspects
of the Association. His primary objectives are to ensure that Americans have access to reliable 9-1-1
service, 9-1-1 centers have state-of the art technologies and well-trained professionals, and sufficient
funding is available so that the 9-1-1 system can best serve those who call upon it as their first voice
of hope. Prior to joining the Association, Fontes was Vice President, Federal Relations for Cingular
Wireless and served in that capacity after its acquisition by AT&T. Prior to that, Fontes was Senior
Vice President for Policy and Administration at the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association
(CTIA). Before joining CTIA, Fontes served as the Senior Advisor to Commissioner James H. Quello,
Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and as the FCC’s Chief of Staff. Fontes started his
professional career as a Professor of Communications at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
In the Fall of 1995, President Clinton appointed Fontes as head of the United States
Delegation to the International Telecommunication Union’s World Radio Conference held in Geneva,
Switzerland, and gave him the rank of Ambassador. Fontes also served as Chairman of the Council of
the Communication Regulatory Agency in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Fontes has served on numerous U.S.
delegations.
He is currently on the Board of Directors of the 9-1-1 Institute and the Quello Center for
Telecommunication Management, Policy and Law. He serves as Co-Chair of the Commerce
Department’s Spectrum Management Advisory Committee and has served on FCC’s Communications,
Security and Reliability and Interoperability Council. He serves as an advisor to Mobile Future.
Fontes received a Ph.D. in Mass Media/Telecommunications from Michigan State University’s
Department of Telecommunications and a M.S./B.S. from Brigham Young University.
Randy Mitchell, Vice Chairman, South Carolina PSC
Third District: Abbeville, Aiken, Anderson, Edgefield, Greenwood, Laurens, Assumed
Commissionership July 1, 1998. Elected as Public Service Commission Vice Chairman, July
11, 2012. Current term ends June 30, 2013.
Born in Newberry, South Carolina, Spouse: Wanda, Children: Amy; Jason; Lauren; Jeremy
Graduated from Hollywood High School in 1968; received an A.A. in general studies from
Spartanburg Methodist College in 1970; received a B.S. in Physical Education, with an
English minor from Lander University in 1972. He was a member of the SC Probate Judges'
Association. He has over 200 hours of CLE certified hours from SC Court Administration.
Served as Vice Chairman on the Saluda County Council, 1981-1987; appointed Probate
Judge, 1987-1988; and elected as the Saluda County Probate Judge 1988 - 1998.
Served on the following civic, charitable, etc. organizations:
Hollywood Ruritan Club-President
South Carolina Guernsey Cattle Club-President
Hickory Grove Advent Christian Men's Fellowship-Chairman
Member, National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC).
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Committee on Telecommunications
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Liasion to Committees on Critical Infrastructure and Telecommunications
Member, Southeastern Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (SEARUC).
Served as Public Service Commission Vice Chairman, July 1, 2002 - June 30, 2004.
Served as Public Service Commission Chairman, July 1, 2004 - June 30, 2006.
Universal Services Administrative Company (USAC) Board of Directors, April 2011.
Federal - State Joint Board on Universal Service, February 2012.
C. Thomas Alley, Jr. Vice President Generation
Thomas Alley is Vice President of Generation for the
Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI).
In this role he is responsible for the R&D team which is focused on research, development,
and the application of fossil technologies for both existing and future generating assets. He
has 29 years of experience in the energy industry and his experience includes fossil and
nuclear power. He joined EPRI in 2007 as senior program manager for major component
reliability R&D, and most recently served as director of advanced generation research,
which includes renewable generation, carbon capture and storage, generation planning, and
industry technology demonstrations.
Before joining EPRI, Alley worked at Duke Energy, leading a centralized corporate team of
metallurgists, engineers, and technical personnel responsible for the evaluation, inspection,
and repair of nuclear power plant components. He began his career at Duke Energy as a
materials engineer responsible for the metallurgy, inspection, and repair of fossil power
plant components.
Alley received a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering and a Bachelor of
Science degree in materials engineering from North Carolina State University. He is a
registered professional engineer in North Carolina and South Carolina.
Lloyd M. Yates
Executive Vice President
Regulated Utilities - Duke Energy
Lloyd Yates is executive vice president of Regulated Utilities for Duke Energy.
In this role, he is responsible for the strategic direction and performance of the
company’s regulated utilities in six states. This includes rates and regulatory
initiatives, state and local government relations, economic development,
community affairs, integrated resource planning and wholesale power. He is also
responsible for federal government affairs, as well as environmental and energy
policy at the state and federal levels.
Previously, Yates served as executive vice president of Customer Operations for Duke Energy, where he led the
transmission, distribution, customer services, gas operations and grid modernization functions to approximately
7.1 million electric customers and 500,000 gas customers.
Yates has more than 30 years of experience in the energy industry, including the areas of nuclear and fossil
generation, and energy delivery. Before the merger between Duke Energy and Progress Energy in July 2012,
Yates served as president and chief executive officer for Progress Energy Carolinas. He was promoted to that
position in July 2007, after serving for more than two years as senior vice president of Energy Delivery for
Progress Energy Carolinas. Prior to that, he served as vice president of transmission for Progress Energy
Carolinas. Yates joined Progress Energy predecessor, Carolina Power & Light, in 1998, and served for five
years as vice president of fossil generation.
Before joining Progress Energy, he worked for PECO Energy for 16 years in several line operations and
management positions.
Yates earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Pittsburgh and a master's
degree in business administration from St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia. He attended the Advanced
Management Program at the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School and the Executive Management
Program at the Harvard Business School.
Yates serves on several community, state and industry boards and is a director for Marsh & McLennan
Companies Inc., a global professional service firm, and WakeMed Health and Hospitals.
He and his wife, Monica, have two daughters.
Duke Energy, the largest electric power company in the United States, supplies and delivers
electricity to approximately 7 million customers in the Southeast and Midwest. The company also
distributes natural gas in Ohio and Kentucky. Its commercial power and international businesses
operate diverse power generation assets in North America and Latin America, including a growing
renewable energy portfolio. Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy is a Fortune 250
company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK.
Commissioner John R. Norris John R. Norris was nominated by President Barack
Obama to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in 2010 and reconfirmed by the U.S.
Senate in 2012 for a full term expiring in June 2017.
Commissioner Norris, a lawyer, has years of experience in energy policy and regulatory
affairs. He most recently served as Chief of Staff to Secretary Tom Vilsack of the U.S.
Department of Agriculture. Prior to joining the USDA, he served as Chairman of the Iowa
Utilities Board (IUB) from 2005 to 2009. During his tenure as IUB Chairman, Commissioner
Norris served on the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC)
Electricity Committee and was Co-Chair of the 2009 National Electricity Delivery Forum.
During his IUB tenure, Commissioner Norris also served as a Board Member, Secretary and
President of the Organization of Midwest Independent System Operator (MISO) States as
well as Chairman of the MISO Demand Response Working Group. He also was a member of
the FERC/NARUC Demand Response Collaborative.
Commissioner Norris also has served on the Board of Directors of the National Regulatory
Research Institute, as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Iowa Power Fund and on
the Advisory Councils of the Iowa Energy Center, the Financial Research Institute for the
University of Missouri College of Business and the Center for Global and Regional
Environmental Research at the University of Iowa.
In 1999 and 2000, Commissioner Norris was Chairman of the Iowa Electric Restructuring
Task Force while serving as Chief of Staff for then-Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack. He also
served as Chief of Staff for U.S. Representative Leonard Boswell (IA-3rd) from 1997 to
1998. From 1989 to 1993 he owned and managed a restaurant in Greenfield, Iowa, and he
was State Director of the Iowa Farm Unity Coalition during the Farm Crisis of the 1980s.
Commissioner Norris graduated with distinction from the College of Law at the University of
Iowa in 1995 and earned his undergraduate degree in 1981 from Simpson College in
Indianola, Iowa.
Commissioner Norris, his wife, Jackie, and their three sons live in Washington, D.C.
Tamara L. Linde (Tammy)
Vice President - Regulatory
Public Service Enterprises Group
Tamara L. Linde was named vice president - regulatory of
PSEG in December 2006. She is responsible for the federal
and state regulatory matters of the PSEG companies.
Additionally, Tammy currently manages the employment
legal group within the PSEG law department and has
previously managed the corporate and environmental
legal groups.
Ms. Linde joined the law department of Public Service Electric and Gas Company
(PSE&G), as an attorney in 1990 handling a variety of natural gas and electric
regulatory and transactional matters. After holding several other legal positions at
PSE&G she became general solicitor, in 2000. In that position she was responsible for
the regulatory affairs of the PSEG companies including electric, gas and nuclear
matters. She has had significant experience working on regulatory matters before
various state and federal regulatory agencies on industry issues relating to electric
transmission and distribution and energy markets.
Ms. Linde is a member of the New Jersey, New York, District of Columbia and Texas
bars. She is currently President of the Northeast Chapter of the Energy Bar Association
and served as chair of the Energy Bar Association Electricity Regulation and Compliance
Committee during the 2009-2010 term. Ms. Linde graduated from Seton Hall University
School of Law and from Seton Hall University with a bachelor’s degree. She currently
serves on PSEG’s Compliance Council, PSEG’s Disclosure Committee and PSE&G’s Real
Property Committee. Ms. Linde also serves as a member of the Board of Trustees of
New Jersey After 3, a non-profit organization dedicated to expanding after school
opportunities for New Jersey’s kids.
Commissioner Eduardo E. Balbis
Eduardo E. Balbis was appointed by Governor Charlie Crist to the Florida
Public Service Commission (PSC) and reappointed by Governor Rick Scott to
serve a four-year term through January 1, 2015. Commissioner Balbis began
serving on the PSC in November 2010, when Governor Crist appointed him to
fill an unexpired term through January 1, 2011.
A member of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), Commissioner
Balbis serves on the Committees on Gas and on Critical Infrastructure. Prior to serving on the PSC,
Commissioner Balbis was the Assistant City Administrator for the City of West Palm Beach, where he
managed the Public Utilities, Public Works, and Engineering Departments, comprising more than 400
employees. He oversaw major upgrades to the City’s Water Treatment Plant that significantly
improved the City’s drinking water quality, and he coordinated the planning efforts for long term
improvements to the City’s water treatment plant to bring important operational and capital savings.
As Assistant City Administrator, Commissioner Balbis was also responsible for the management of
Grassy Waters Preserve. This pristine, 20-square-mile wetland ecosystem serves as a habitat for many
protected species, including the Everglades Snail Kite, and is the primary source of drinking water for
the City of West Palm Beach and the Towns of Palm Beach and South Palm Beach.
Commissioner Balbis previously served as Chairman of the Board of the East Central Regional
Wastewater Reclamation Facility, which benefits more than 239,000 customers in Palm Beach County.
As Chairman, he helped bring to fruition one of the largest conservation projects in Florida: a 27
million gallon-per-day water reuse project that provides treated wastewater in lieu of groundwater to
cool a 3,750 MW power plant.
Previously appointed by Governor Crist to the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council,
Commissioner Balbis worked with other council members on complex regional development issues
and projects affecting Palm Beach, Martin, Indian River and St. Lucie Counties. His prior experience
also includes working in the private sector for national engineering firms specializing in the design of
large utility infrastructure projects.
A lifelong Florida resident, Commissioner Balbis graduated from the University of Florida with a
degree in Environmental Engineering and is a Licensed Professional Engineer. As a hobby, he enjoys
officiating football and is a NCAA Division 1 football official with the Sun Belt Conference.
Katie Drye
Project Manager, Transportation Initiatives
RECOGNITION
Member, American Institute of Certified Planners
Member, American Planning Association
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
As a Transportation Project Manager with Advanced Energy, Drye works with communities to
plan for and implement electrified transportation. She is project manager of several
transportation initiative projects including the North Carolina Plug-In Electric Taskforce (PEV)
and the NC Get Ready Program. Her role with the NC PEV Taskforce includes coordinating
and facilitating regular stakeholder meetings and working groups and managing the
development a state-wide readiness plan for PEVs. In addition to working on community
planning efforts, Drye is involved in researching and writing ordinances and codes to better
prepare communities for electric transportation.
Before joining Advanced Energy in 2011, Drye worked for the North Carolina Department of
Commerce as a Community Development Planner, and as a city planner with the Town of
Indian Trail, N.C.
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Science, Community and Regional Planning, Appalachian State University
Master of Arts, Geography with a concentration in Community Planning, UNC Charlotte
Cornelius Willingham
Cornelius is Nissan’s Electric Vehicle Operations Manager in the Southeast
Region. He is responsible for developing opportunities to expand the market for
Electric Vehicles. Specifically the Nissan LEAF, which recently became the Best
Selling Electric Vehicle in History. A veteran of more than 30 years in the auto
industry, he has worked on both the corporate and retail sides of the business.
His broad range of experience includes everything from working as a distribution
analyst in a cubicle for a major automaker, to more than a decade as one of the
100 largest minority owned automobile dealers in America.
Long interested in sustainability, he was a founding stakeholder of Clean Cities
Charlotte, and was the only auto dealer among that group. A graduate of
Eastern Michigan University with a Bachelor of Science, he did graduate work at
Detroit College of Law. A native of Detroit, the Motor City, as a long suffering
Lion’s fan he knows there is “always hope for the future”, and he applies that
doctrine when focusing on sustainability.
Stephen C. Yborra
Director of Market Development
NGVAmerica
Director of Market Analysis, Education & Communications
Clean Vehicle Education Foundation
In his dual roles at both the natural gas vehicle (NGV) industry’s national trade association and at its
educational foundation, Stephe assesses NGV market opportunities and barriers and then develops
programs to address them. This includes:
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Preparing market and technology analyses;
Advising government and industry RDD&D program task forces;
Presenting educational seminars and webinars;
Publishing articles and guest columns in niche fleet sector magazines;
Coordinating NGV industry participation in national fleet-oriented trade events.
Stephe also organizes the annual North American NGV Conference & Expo and other forums where
natural gas engine, vehicle and fuel station equipment providers and their customers share ideas and
strategies to build a more sustainable and robust NGV market. In this pivotal role as a recognized
leading NGV market expert, Stephe is a frequent speaker at national conferences, symposia and
other educational events, and he is sought out by national fleet executives, fuel retailers and natural
gas industry stakeholders concerning NGV program development and implementation best practices.
Prior to working on NGV issues, Stephe was president of Energystics, an energy technologies
consulting practice he founded in 1996 to help government and private industry commercialize new
and emerging natural gas-fired cooling, distributed generation and industrial technologies. Clients
included the US Department of Energy, a variety of HVAC and industrial process equipment
manufacturers and leading national accounts in the restaurant, retail and commercial building
management sectors. From 1986-1996, he held various communications and marketing positions at
the Washington, DC-based American Gas Association.
He attended Rutgers, Drexel and Temple Universities, earning Bachelor's degrees in Communications
and Marketing.
He and Lee, his wife of 28 years, live in rural Mt. Airy, MD, near their two children and four
grandchildren.
Philip Jones, President, NARUC
Philip Jones was appointed to the Washington Utilities and Transportation
Commission by Gov. Chris Gregoire in March 2005.
Jones serves as president of the National Association of Regulatory
Commissioners (NARUC) and serves as chair of its Board of Directors and
Executive Committee. He previously served on the Board of the National
Regulatory Research Institute (NRRI) and co-chaired the Washington Action
Program. Jones is a member of the International Relations and
Telecommunications Committees of NARUC.
Prior to his commission appointment, he served as managing director of Cutter &
Buck (Europe), BV in Amsterdam, the Netherlands for five years.
From 1983 – 1988 he served as senior legislative assistant to Senator Daniel J.
Evans, the former U.S. Senator from Washington State, and staffed him on
energy policy issues and for the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
as well as international trade policy. He was responsible for a broad range of
energy issues, including hydroelectric re-licensing, nuclear waste management,
energy conservation and renewables, and the Bonneville Power Administration.
Jones is a native of Spokane, Washington. He graduated from Harvard College
with honors with a degree in East Asian Studies in 1977.
Commissioner Cheryl A. LaFleur
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
Commissioner Cheryl A. LaFleur was nominated by President Barack Obama to serve as a
member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in 2010 and confirmed by the U.S.
Senate for a term that ends in June 2014.
Among Commissioner LaFleur’s priorities at the Commission are strengthening reliability and
grid security, promoting regional transmission planning, and supporting a clean and diverse
power supply. She serves as the FERC liaison to the Department of Energy’s Electricity
Advisory Committee. She is also a member of the NARUC Committees on Electricity and
Critical Infrastructure and co-chair of the FERC/NARUC Forum on Reliability and the
Environment. She is a frequent speaker on energy issues.
Commissioner LaFleur has more than 20 years’ experience as a leader in the electric and
natural gas industry. She served as executive vice president and acting CEO of National Grid
USA, responsible for the delivery of electricity to 3.4 million customers in the Northeast. Her
previous positions at National Grid USA and its predecessor New England Electric System
included chief operating officer, president of the New England distribution companies and
general counsel. She led major efforts to improve reliability and employee safety. Earlier in
her career, she was responsible for leading award-winning conservation and demand
response programs for customers.
Commissioner LaFleur has been a nonprofit board member and leader, including as a trustee
of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, United Way of
Central Massachusetts, and several other organizations. She is also active in several women’s
energy organizations. She has been honored by the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce,
Bryant University, and the YWCA of Central Massachusetts, among others.
Commissioner LaFleur began her career as a lawyer at Ropes and Gray in Boston. She has a
J.D. from Harvard Law School, where she was an editor of the Harvard Law Review, and an
A.B. from Princeton University. A native of Massachusetts, she is married to William A.
Kuncik, a retired attorney, and they are the parents of two grown children.
LAUREN "BUBBA" McDONALD, JR.
Born in Commerce, Georgia; now resides in Habersham County,Georgia
FAMILY:
Spouse, Shelley Hailey. Previously married to his late wife, Sunny Nivens McDonald, for 45
years, one son, Lauren Ill, and three grandchildren
Member of the First Presbyterian Church in Clarkesville,Georgia
EDUCATION:
qraduated from Commerce High School and the University of Georgia School of Business
BUSINESS:
Owner of Hardware and Building Supply business in Commerce from 1965- 1998
Partner, McDonald & Son Funeral Home and Crematory, with son, Lauren Ill in 1997 to date in
Cumming,Georgia
PUBLIC SERVICE:
Elected to the Jackson County Commission 1969-1970
Elected to the Georgia House of Representatives 1971-1990. Chaired the House Industry
Committee five years and the House Appropriations Committee for eight years
Appointed to the Georgia Public Service Commission by Governor Zell Miller in 1998- 2002 to fill
an unexpired term. Elected to the Commission in 2008 for a term of six years 2009- 2014
NARUC Vice-Chairman, Subcommittee on Nuclear Waste
Board of Governors of Mercer Medical College and the Board of the Advanced Technology
Center at the Georgia Institute of Technology, a director of the Small Business Development
Center at the University of Georgia, served on the Board of Managers of the Association of County
Commissioners of Georgia, and volunteer Firefighter for the City of Commerce.
James W. Gardner
Vice Chairman, Kentucky Public Service Commission
Governor Steve Beshear appointed James W. Gardner as vice chairman of the Kentucky Public
Service Commission (PSC) on June 16, 2008.
Commissioner Gardner is a member of the Executive Committee of the National Association of
Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), and previously served as Chair of the Task Force on
Environmental Regulation and Generation. He is Chair of the NARUC Subcommittee on Education
and Research. He co-chaired the December 2009 NARUC/National Council on Electricity Policy
conference on "Utilities of the Future: Implications of a Carbon Constrained World." Gardner also is
President of the Advisory Board of the Financial Research Institute (University of Missouri), and
serves on the Gas Technology Institute Public Interest Advisory Committee, and the Electric Power
Research Institute (EPRI) Energy Efficiency/Smart Grid Public Advisory Group.
Vice Chairman Gardner was elected to the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council in 1982 and
served until 1986. He was a member of the Fayette County Board of Education from 1993 to 1997,
serving as its chairman from 1995 to 1997. Prior to his appointment to the Public Service Commission
he engaged in private law practice with several firms in Lexington, Kentucky.
Vice Chairman Gardner received his Bachelor of Arts degree in mathematics from Georgetown
College (Ky.), graduating summa cum laude. Vice Chairman Gardner holds a Juris Doctor degree from
the University of Kentucky College of Law, where he was a member of the Kentucky Law Journal and
Order of the Coif.
Commissioner Lambert C. Boissiere, III
Louisiana PSC
Democrat; born August 23, 1965. Graduated from Southern University of New Orleans
- B.S. Married Michelle Bell Boissiere. One child, Lambert C. Boissiere IV.
Elected Political Offices, La. Public Service Commission, District 3; Constable, First City
Court of New Orleans, 1997-2004. Member of the National Association of Regulatory
Utility Commission. Roman Catholic. Assumed Commissionership January 1, 2005;
current term ends December 31, 2016.
William Thomas Culpepper, III
Commissioner
WILLIAM THOMAS CULPEPPER, III born in Elizabeth City, North Carolina.
Preparatory education: Hampden-Sydney College (B.S., 1968). Legal education: Wake
Forest University (J.D., 1973). Recipient: Edenton Jaycees Distinguished Service Award,
1975. Director, Edenton Chamber of Commerce, 1974-1976. Chairman, Chowan County
Unit, American Cancer Society, 1974-1976. Chairman, Chowan County Chapter, American
Red Cross, 1974-1977. Chairman, Historic Edenton, Inc., 1976-1977. Chairman, Edenton
Historic District Commission, 1976-1980. President, Chowan County Heart Fund, 1977.
President, Edenton Jaycees, 1980-1981. President, Edenton Rotary Club, 1986-1987.
Chairman, Chowan County Industrial Facilities and Pollution Control Financing Authority,
1979-2005. Member, Edenton Historical Commission, 1987-present. President, First Judicial
District Bar Association, 1987-1988. Recipient, Perquimans Restoration Association Harvey
Award for Distinguished Public Service, 1997. Practicing attorney in Edenton, N.C., 19732005. County Attorney, Chowan County, 1979-2005. Member, Edenton Savings and Loan
Board of Directors, 1979-1993. Member, Branch Banking and Trust Company, Edenton Local
Board of Directors, 1993-present. Member, N.C. House of Representatives, 1993-2005.
Member, N.C. General Statutes Commission, 1995-2005. Member, N.C. Courts Commission,
1995-2005. Chairman, Committee on Rules, Calendar and Operations of the House, 19992005. Co-chairman, Appropriations Subcommittee on Justice and Public Safety, 1999-2002.
Member, Joint Legislative Commission on Government Operations, 1999-2005. Member,
Legislative Services Commission, 1999-2005. Co-chairman, Joint Legislative Ethics
Commission, 2003-2005. Member, UNC Wilmington Board of Visitors, 2005 - 2011. Assumed
Commissionership with the North Carolina Utilities Commission: 1/3/06, Expires: 6/30/13.
LIB FLEMING
PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION OF SOUTH CAROLINA
Following three successive terms on the Spartanburg City Council, Lib Fleming
was elected in 2004, re-elected in 2006 and again in 2010 by the General
Assembly to the South Carolina Public Service Commission as the Fourth
Congressional District Commissioner. In July 2008 she was elected by her fellow
Commissioners to serve a two-year term as Chairman of the Commission. She
works to ensure a fair, effective and transparent system of state regulated
utilities for all South Carolinians.
On the national front, Mrs. Fleming is a member of the National Association of
Regulatory Utility Commissioners, and served on the Board of Directors from
2008 through 2011 as Chair of the Committee on Critical Infrastructure.
Currently she serves on the Electricity Committee and on the Critical
Infrastructure Committee, which deals with issues related to the security of the
nation’s electric, natural gas, telecommunication, and water infrastructures. She
also served as a member of the NARUC Smart Grid Working Group.
Mrs. Fleming, a member of the Eastern Interconnection States Planning Council,
serves on the EISPC Executive Committee as Secretary and as an EISPC
representative on the Stakeholders Steering Committee for the Eastern
Interconnection Planning Council.
Beginning July 1, 2012 Mrs. Fleming was
appointed to serve a two-year term on the Board of Directors of the National
Regulatory Research Institute (NRRI). She also serves as a member of the
Southeastern Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners and the New
Mexico State University Center for Public Utility Advisory Committee.
Mrs.
Fleming is a graduate of Converse College with a Bachelor of Arts degree.
Commissioner Kenneth W. Anderson, Jr.
Kenneth W. Anderson, Jr. was appointed by Governor Rick Perry to
the Public Utility Commission on September 2, 2008 for a term to
expire on September 1, 2011. On September 17, 2011, Governor
Perry reappointed Commissioner Anderson for a six-year term
ending August 31, 2017. On May 8, 2013 the Texas Senate voted
unanimously to confirm the appointment.
Commissioner Anderson has served as the Texas representative on
the Entergy Regional State Committee (ERSC) since its formation in
December 2009. He was elected President of the ERSC in August
2010 and was re-elected President of the ERSC in August 2012 to a
term that ends in August 2013. In March 2012, Mr. Anderson was
appointed to the Advisory Council to the Board of Directors of the
Electric Power Research Institute. In May 2012 Mr. Anderson was designated to serve as the
Commission’s representative on the Texas Reliability Entity’s Board of Directors. Since December
2012 Mr. Anderson has served as the Texas member of the Board of Directors of the Organization
of MISO States.
Commissioner Anderson is an attorney with more than 20 years of experience in private practice in
the areas of corporate finance law and regulatory and administrative legal matters. He previously
served as Director of Governmental Appointments in the Office of Governor Rick Perry from 2001 to
early 2008. Before assuming his position in the Governor’s office, he practiced law in Dallas, Texas,
with several law firms in the area of corporate and securities law. From 1988 to 1990, he served as
Chief Deputy Director of Governmental Appointments in the Office of Governor William P.
Clements, Jr.
Commissioner Anderson has been active in civic and governmental affairs. From 1990 until 1994,
he served as General Counsel of a major state political party. In 1990, he was appointed by
Governor Clements to serve as a member of the Texas Commission on Jail Standards; a position he
held until 1995. He served as a member of the Board of Directors of the North Central Texas Health
Facilities Development Corporation from 1990 to 1997, having been appointed by the Dallas County
Commissioners Court. During 1993 and 1994, he served as a member of the Rules Advisory
Committee of the Texas Ethics Commission, during the overhaul of its rules and regulations. In May
1999, Governor George W. Bush appointed Mr. Anderson to a six-year term as a member of the
Texas Securities Board, the state agency that regulates the securities and investment advisory
industry in this state. He served on the Board until December 2006.
Commissioner Anderson is a member of the Business Law and Administrative and Public Law
sections of the State Bar of Texas, and a past member of the Securities Law and Corporation Law
committees.
Commissioner Anderson received a bachelor’s degree in international affairs from the School of
Foreign Service at Georgetown University and a law degree from Southern Methodist University. He
and his wife live in University Park, Dallas County, Texas.
Debbie Haught is a program manager at the US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Electricity
Delivery and Energy Reliability’s (OE) Research and Development Division.
The Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability leads the Department of Energy’s (DOE) efforts
to modernize the electric grid through the development and implementation of national policy
pertaining to electric grid reliability and the management of research, development, and
demonstration activities for “next generation” electric grid infrastructure technologies.
She is currently responsible for the overall program management of the Recovery Act Smart Grid
Investment Grant (SGIG) program – a portfolio of 99 grid modernization projects with $3.4 billion
Federal investment. Her previous responsibilities within OE included research and development
efforts related high temperature superconductivity (HTS) wire and HTS electric equipment
prototypes.
Within other DOE organizations, she has had programmatic responsibilities for programs including
ceramics and automotive gas turbines for the Office of Transportation Technologies; continuous fiber
ceramic composites and advanced materials for industrial gas turbines for the Office of Industrial
Technologies; and advanced materials for gas turbines, advanced microturbines and end-use
applications of distributed energy systems for the Office of Distributed Energy.
Prior to joining DOE, Debbie worked at the Naval Surface Warfare Center in White Oak, Maryland as a
materials engineer developing ceramic materials for naval applications.
Debbie received her BS degree in chemical engineering from Virginia Tech and her masters degree in
materials science from the University of Virginia.
She is the author of over 60 technical articles and reports in the area of ceramics, distributed energy
technologies and application of distributed energy in commercial and industrial sectors and holder of
9 U.S. patents.