Commissioner Hanson| previous page

Gary Hanson is the current chairman of the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission, a post he also held in 2005. Serving as an elected member of the PUC since 2003, Gary represents South Dakota on the steering committee of the National Wind Coordinating Collaborative, and the Committee on Energy Resources and the Environment for the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners. He is the current treasurer of the Organization of MISO States.

Gary’s service to the state also includes three terms in the South Dakota Senate, from 1983 to 1988, where he was chairman of the Senate Government Audit and Operations Committee and vice chairman of the Senate Taxation Committee.

A native of Sioux Falls, Gary was twice elected as Mayor of that city, serving from 1994 to 2002. Before that, he spent six years as Sioux Falls’ Utilities Commissioner where he was responsible for the development and day-to-day activities for three municipal utilities.

As a regional and industry leader, Gary has been involved as a co-founder and past president and chairman of the Lewis and Clark Regional Water System; past chairman of the South Dakota Public Assurance Alliance; and past president of the Sioux Falls Board of Realtors. He is a former business owner and is a licensed Real Estate Auctioneer, Appraiser and Broker.

Gary has received many awards and honors including being named Distinguished Alumnus of Northern State University; Sioux Falls’ City Father of the Year; and Outstanding Young Citizen of South Dakota.

He has regularly shared his passion for athletics as a volunteer coach for a variety of youth sports. His other interests include hunting, fishing and skydiving.

Gary and his wife, Sandy, make their home in Sioux Falls. The couple has three children and six grandchildren.

February 2008