FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Sept. 17, 2018                
CONTACT: Leah Mohr, deputy executive director, South Dakota Public Utilities Commission, (605) 773-3201 or (605) 280-4327

Hanson elected to leadership position in Mid-America Regulatory Conference

PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota Public Utilities Commission Vice Chairman Gary Hanson was elected to serve as treasurer of Mid-America Regulatory Conference, Inc. at the organization’s annual meeting in Kansas City, Missouri. Prior to this position, Hanson served two years as the group’s secretary.

MARC is an association of regional organizations of utility and energy regulatory agencies from 14 states including Arkansas, Kansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas and Wisconsin. It was incorporated in 1958 to facilitate problem solving, idea sharing and the discussion of regulatory and policy issues affecting individual states, specific regions and the nation. State utilities commissioners that join Hanson on the MARC leadership team are Nick Wagner of the Iowa Utilities Board as president; Norman Saari of the Michigan Public Service Commission as vice president; Sadzi Oliva of the Illinois Commerce Commission as secretary; and Rachel Eubanks of the Michigan Public Service Commission as executive committee member.

“The utility and energy industries consistently experience new issues and topics. In this environment, the discussions I’ve participated in through my involvement with MARC have helped shape national trends and positions,” Hanson stated.

Hanson is currently in his third term on the South Dakota PUC. Since first being elected to the commission in 2002, he has held many other leadership roles including serving as the PUC’s chairman five times and representing South Dakota on the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners’ Committee on Electricity. He has also served on the executive committee and as treasurer of the Organization of MISO States, represented the nation’s NARUC commissioners on the steering committee of the National Wind Coordinating Collaborative and is a member of the Advisory Council for New Mexico State University’s Center for Public Utilities.

Prior to his election to the PUC, Hanson was elected to two terms as mayor of Sioux Falls and served seven years as Sioux Falls’ utilities commissioner where he oversaw the development and day-to-day activities of the city’s three municipal utilities.
See Hanson’s complete bio on the PUC’s website, www.puc.sd.gov.

MEDIA NOTE: Download a high resolution photo of Commissioner Gary Hanson at http://puc.sd.gov/2018MARC/default.aspx