Speakers

Commissioner David Boyd, Minnesota Public Utilities Commission

St. Paul, Minn.

Dr. David Boyd was appointed to the Minnesota PUC in 2007, reappointed in 2008. He was the chair from 2008 to early 2011. Boyd serves as a member of the NARUC Committee on Electricity, Subcommittee on Clean Coal and Carbon Sequestration, Subcommittee on Education and Research, and chairs the Subcommittee on Nuclear Issues-Waste Disposal. He serves as an executive committee member on the Nuclear Waste Strategy Coalition, and in 2010 was appointed to serve on the Midwestern Governors Association's Carbon Capture and Storage Task Force. Boyd was a member of the faculty at the University of St. Thomas from 1989 to 2009, including six years as chairman of the chemistry department.

Nick Brown, President and CEO, Southwest Power Pool Inc.
Little Rock, Ark.
Nick Brown was elected president and CEO of Southwest Power Pool Inc. in November 2003. He is responsible for ensuring SPP achieves its mission and goals and he serves on the board of directors. Brown received bachelors degrees in physics and math from Ouachita Baptist University in 1981 and in electrical engineering from Louisiana Tech University in 1982. He is a member of Tau Beta Pi and Eta Kappa Nu engineering honor societies, and IEEE and NSPE technical and professional societies. Brown is a registered professional engineer and a master electrician in the state of Arkansas and an instrument rated private pilot. He also serves on the board of directors of the Electric Power Research Institute.

Meredith Cash Weber, Trainer, South Dakota Bureau of Personnel
Rapid City, S.D.
Meredith Cash Weber has been a trainer for the South Dakota Bureau of Personnel for 19 years. Her primary function is the development and presentation of the supervisory training modules. She also develops and presents a variety of professional and personal development courses.

Commissioner Tony Clark, Chairman, North Dakota Public Service Commission and President, National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners
Bismarck, N.D.
The citizens of North Dakota first elected Tony Clark to the Public Service Commission in November 2000. He was re-elected in 2006. Clark holds the PSC portfolio on electric generation and transmission. As such, he is active in state and regional efforts to develop North Dakota's vast energy exporting potential and provide affordable, reliable energy to consumers. In November 2010, he was elected to serve a one-year term as president NARUC. Clark is a past chairman of the NARUC Telecommunications Committee. He regularly interacts with other state and federal policy makers, and key stakeholders within academia, public interest groups and the media.

Commissioner Robert M. Clayton III, Missouri Public Service Commission
Jefferson City, Mo.
Commissioner Robert M. Clayton III was appointed to the Missouri PSC in 2003 and served as chairman from January 2009 to February 2011. He is a member of the NARUC Telecommunications Committee. Clayton served as chairman of the Missouri Universal Service Board and is a state commission member of the FCC appointed North American Numbering Council. He is also a member of the Federal Communications Bar Association and the Public Utility, Communications and Transportation Law Section of the American Bar Association.

Dean A. Crist, Vice President – Regulation, MidAmerican Energy Co.
Des Moines, Iowa
Dean Crist is vice president of regulation at MidAmerican Energy Co. He has been with MidAmerican for more than 23 years. Crist's responsibilities include oversight of the regulation, legislative affairs and energy efficiency, input on regulatory and legislative strategies and coordination of ratemaking efforts. Prior to his current position, Crist was responsible for the financial and operating performance of MidAmerican's generating and transmission assets. Crist also managed the gas and electric wholesale trading organizations for MidAmerican. He joined the company in 1987 as an electric supply planner. Crist serves as a member of the board of managers, Electric Transmission Texas LLC and Electric Transmission America LLC.

Charles M. Davidson, Director, Advanced Communications Law & Policy Institute at New York Law School
New York, N.Y.
Charles M. Davidson is a director of the ACLP at New York Law School. He oversees all aspects of the program, including its focus on broadband policy. Prior to joining the ACLP, Davidson served as a commissioner on the Florida PSC. Before that, he held a variety of positions in government and the private sector including serving as the executive director of Florida's Information Technology Task Force and as the staff director of Florida's first committee on information technology. In the private sector, Davidson was an attorney in the New York offices of Baker & McKenzie and subsequently Duane Morris.

Commissioner Jeff Davis, Missouri Public Service Commission
Jefferson City, Mo.
Jeff Davis has served on the Missouri PSC since 2004, including four years as chairman. He is a member of the Missouri Universal Service Board, the Financial Research Institute Advisory Board and NARUC, where he serves on the electric committee. Davis is the president of the Regional State Committee for Southwest Power Pool and past president of MARC. His career also includes activities with the Missouri Energy Task Force, the FRI Advisory Board at the University of Missouri, the FERC Joint Oversight Board for Economic Dispatch for the MISO-PJM region, the Missouri Oil and Gas Council, the Organization of MISO States and the NARUC gas committee.

Robert W. Gee, President, Gee Strategies Group
Washington, D.C.
Robert Gee is president of Gee Strategies Group LLC, a firm providing policy analysis, advocacy and litigation support for the energy sector. His more than 30 years of experience have positioned him to provide critical thought leadership on energy matters, whether local or international. His public service career includes serving as an assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of Energy, chairman of the PUC of Texas and as a FERC attorney. He served as a vice president for the Electricity Innovation Institute, as counsel at Tenneco Oil Co., and at the law firm of Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld.

Paul H. Genoa, Director – Policy Development, Nuclear Energy Institute
Washington, D.C.
Paul Genoa is the director of policy development at the Nuclear Energy Institute. His focus is on developing unified industry policies and effectively communicating those policies to key stakeholders. He is vice chair of the Industry Trade Advisory Committee which advises the U.S. Secretary of Commerce and the U.S. Trade Representative on energy issues. Genoa's nuclear industry career has spanned nearly 30 years working as a health physicist on radiation protection and environmental issues at the Florida Power Corporation - Crystal River Nuclear Plant, the Arizona Public Service - Palo Verde Nuclear Generation Station, and the Consumers Power - Big Rock Point Atomic Plant. He joined the institute in 1995.

Ken Grant, Smart Grid Program Managing Director, OGE Energy Corp.
Oklahoma City, Okla.
Ken Grant is managing director of Positive Energy® Smart Grid Programs at OGE Energy Corp. His education includes a bachelor's degree from the University of Oklahoma and a master's degree from the University of Central Oklahoma. In his current role at OG&E he directs a team of professionals tasked with understanding all aspects of smart grid technologies and the potential implications on OG&E and its customers. The team has completed deployment of the first Positive Energy® Community in Norman, Okla. and is continuing deployment across the remainder of the Oklahoma service territory.

Commissioner Darrell Hanson, Iowa Utilities Board
Des Moines, Iowa
Darrell Hanson was appointed to the Iowa Utilities Board in 2007. He serves on the NARUC Committee on Energy Resources and the Environment, the Iowa Energy Center Advisory Council and the Financial Research Institute advisory board. His professional career includes service with Iowa State University Extension, senior director of transportation and economic development for the Iowa Northland Regional Council of Governments, economics instructor (Upper Iowa University) and political science instructor (University of Northern Iowa). He served eight terms in the Iowa Legislature. From 2000 to 2007 he served on the Iowa Environmental Protection Commission including three terms as commission chair.

Commissioner Gary Hanson, Vice Chairman, South Dakota Public Utilities Commission
Pierre, S.D.
Gary Hanson is vice chairman of the South Dakota PUC. He is in his second term and was the commission's chairman in 2005 and 2008. Hanson is a member of NARUC's Committee on Electricity and represents NARUC commissioners on the steering committee of the National Wind Coordinating Collaborative. He chaired the South Dakota Underground Pipeline Task Force, is past treasurer of the Organization of MISO States and a founder and chairman of Lewis and Clark Rural Water. Hanson was twice elected as mayor of Sioux Falls and twice as the city's utility commissioner, and to three terms in the South Dakota Senate.

Scott Hempling, Executive Director, National Regulatory Research Institute
Silver Spring, Md.
Scott Hempling is the executive director of NRRI. As an attorney in private practice, he represented many state commissions. His legal and policy research has included mergers and acquisitions, the introduction of competition into formerly monopolistic markets, corporate restructuring, ratemaking, utility investments in nonutility businesses, and state-federal jurisdictional issues. Hempling received a bachelor's degree cum laude in economics and political science and music from Yale University, where he was a recipient of a Continental Grain Fellowship and Patterson research grant. He received his law degree magna cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center, where he was a recipient of an American Jurisprudence award for Constitutional Law.

Commissioner Colette D. Honorable, Chairman, Arkansas Public Service Commission
Little Rock, Ark.
Colette D. Honorable is the chairman of the Arkansas PSC, where she was appointed as a commissioner in 2007. Honorable is treasurer of MARC and NARUC, chairs the Audit and Investment Committees of NARUC, and is a member of the committees on gas, consumer affairs and the Utility Market Access Subcommittee. She also serves on the executive committee and the board of directors. She serves on NARUC/White House Smart Grid Working Group, the Smart Grid Collaborative, and is a member of the Advisory Council of the New Mexico State University Center for Public Utilities. She was appointed to the U.S. DOT's Technical Pipeline Safety Standards Committee and leads NARUC's Pipeline Safety Task Force.

Edward Johnston, Managing Director – Delivery Sector, Gas Technology Institute
Des Plaines, Illinois
As the managing director of the delivery sector, Eddie Johnston directs Gas Technology Institute's efforts to address the strategic concerns of domestic gas storage, transmission and distribution infrastructure. He leads a staff of approximately 50 engineers and scientists to provide applied solutions that address technical industry challenges. Areas of focus include safety, pipeline and distribution integrity, intelligent infrastructure, cost reduction for construction and operations and maintenance activities, workforce efficiency, alternative fuel interchangeability, and reduction of the utility's carbon footprint. Prior to joining Gas Technology Institute in 2007, he worked for Atmos Energy Corp. for 15 years and in the off-shore oil industry for eight years with Rowan Companies in the Gulf of Mexico.

John Jones, Vice President of Public Policy and Federal Legislative Affairs, CenturyLink
Monroe, La.
John Jones serves as vice president of public policy and federal legislative affairs for CenturyLink, Inc. Prior to the close of the Qwest transaction, he was responsible for state regulatory, legislative and government relations issues for CenturyLink. Jones began working for what was then CenturyTel in 1993 with responsibilities for state and federal regulatory and government relations. He has been an active participant in state and federal regulatory reform initiatives, including universal service and intercarrier compensation reform efforts. He has also held leadership and committee positions in both ITTA and US Telecom. He also played a leadership role in gaining both state and federal approvals for the Embarq and Qwest transactions.

Kimberly Joyce, Manager of Regulatory Affairs, Aqua America Inc.
Bryn Mawr, Penn.
Kimberly Joyce leads a team at Aqua America's headquarters that oversees regulatory policy and provides key support functions to filings and rate operations throughout the Aqua 13-state footprint. Joyce, an attorney, spent five years with the Pennsylvania PUC, most recently as counsel to Commissioner Pizzingrilli. She advised the commission on electric, gas and telecommunication matters and defended commission orders before state and federal courts. She previously clerked for Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court President Judge James Gardner Colins and worked for Baker & Botts LLP in their Washington, D.C., energy and natural resources office. Joyce earned degrees from Villanova University and the University of Pittsburgh.

Commissioner Steve Kolbeck, Chairman, South Dakota Public Utilities Commission
Pierre, S.D.
Steve Kolbeck was elected to the South Dakota PUC in 2006. He is currently the commission's chairman and the president of MARC. He is a member of NARUC, serving as co-vice chair of the association's committee on telecommunications. He holds appointed positions through NARUC to the FCC's Interstate Telecommunications Relay Services Fund Advisory Council and the Federal-State Joint Board on Jurisdictional Separations where he is the state chairman. Kolbeck is also the chairman of the Regional Oversight Committee. He has extensive experience in the telecommunications industry, having held positions with Northern Telecom, AT&T, SDN Communications and Alliance Communications.

Commissioner Larry Landis, Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission
Indianapolis, Ind.
Larry S. Landis was founder and president of Marketrends Inc., a marketing/communication company in Indianapolis and cofounder of American Grassroots LLC, prior to being appointed to the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission in 2003. He was reappointed in 2004 and 2007. He is on the NARUC board and is active on NARUC's Telecommunications Committee. Landis is a member of the Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service and is the state chair of the Federal-State Joint Conference on Advanced Telecommunications Services. Additionally, he served on NARUC's Legislative Task Force and was vice chair of NARUC's Intercarrier Compensation Task Force.

Commissioner Donna Nelson, Public Utility Commission of Texas
Austin, Texas
Donna L. Nelson was appointed to the PUC of Texas in 2008. She served as a special assistant and advisor to Gov. Rick Perry on energy, telecommunications, and cable budget and policy issues. She assisted with the preparation of the Texas 2008 State Energy Plan. She served as director of the PUC telecommunication's section and legal advisor to the PUC chairman. She is a former assistant attorney general of Texas, where she specialized in antitrust law. Nelson also worked as a legislative assistant to a United States senator. She is a licensed attorney with a bachelor's degree from Black Hills State College and a law degree from Texas Tech University.

Judy M. Poferl, President and CEO, Northern States Power Company-Minnesota, an Xcel Energy company
Minneapolis, Minn.
Judy Poferl is president and CEO of Northern States Power Company-Minnesota, an Xcel Energy company, with responsibility for electric and natural gas operations in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota. Previously, Poferl was regional vice president of customer and community relations for NSP-Minnesota. She joined Xcel Energy in 1998 and in 2006 began directing the Minnesota regulatory and legislative group. Poferl has also held leadership positions within the Minnesota Department of Public Service (now Office of Energy Security) and Minnegasco (now CenterPoint Energy – Minnegasco), managing state and federal regulatory activities. She has more than 20 years of experience in energy and regulation.

Robert C. Rowe, President and CEO, NorthWestern Corp.
Helena, Mont.
Robert Rowe has served as president and chief executive officer of NorthWestern Corporation since August 2008. He was formerly co-founder and senior partner at Balhoff, Rowe & Williams LLC, a specialized national professional services firm providing financial and regulatory advice to clients in the energy and telecommunications industries. Rowe served as chairman and commissioner of the Montana PSC from 1993 to 2004 and also served as president of NARUC. He holds a bachelor's degree from Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Ore., a law degree from the University of Oregon and has completed the Kennedy School Senior Executives' Program.

Robert C. Skaggs, Jr., President and CEO, NiSource Inc.
Merrillville, Ind.
Robert (Bob) Skaggs, Jr., is president and CEO of NiSource Inc. He is responsible for the strategic direction of the company and overseeing its operations. He was named president in 2004 and added CEO responsibilities in 2005. Prior to October 2004, he was executive vice president of regulated revenue for NiSource, responsible for developing regulatory strategies and leading external relations across the corporation's 10 energy distribution markets and its extensive interstate pipeline system. He also led regulated commercial activities and federal governmental relations. Skaggs is past chairman and current director of the American Gas Association's board of directors.

V.J. Smith, Life's Greatest Moments
Brookings, S.D.
V.J. Smith has been a professional speaker for more than a decade. He has also been a bill collector, solar collector salesman and a fundraiser. Drawing on his lifetime experiences, Smith peppers his talks with anecdotes and personal stories to illustrate key points. A 1978 graduate of South Dakota State University, Smith spent a decade working for the Allied Signal Aerospace Company in Kansas City, Mo. He returned to his alma mater to serve as assistant athletic director for the SDSU athletic program then as executive director of the SDSU Alumni Association. Smith is the author of The Richest Man in Town and Jackrabbit Tales.

Commissioner Betsy Wergin, Minnesota Public Utilities Commission
St. Paul, Minn.
Betsy Wergin has been an appointed member of the Minnesota PUC since 2008. She serves as a member of the NARUC Committees on Consumer Affairs, Critical Infrastructure, Washington Action, and International Relations. Her public service career includes more than five years as a Minnesota State Senator, eight years as a county commissioner and five years as a township officer. In her private sector career, Wergin was a business owner, cost accountant, benefits and payroll manager and assistant CFO. Wergin has a strong commitment to family, having provided a home, with her husband, for about 100 foster children, primarily teenage girls, for 17 years.