National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners President Colette D. Honorable of Arkansas today named Commissioner Brandon Presley of Mississippi as Chair of the Association’s Committee on Consumer Affairs.
Commissioner Presley is replacing outgoing Committee Chair Betsy Wergin of Minnesota, whose three-year term expired. Commissioner Jack Betkoski of Connecticut will remain as Vice Chair of the committee.
The Consumer Affairs Committee is chartered to analyze the important role State utility regulators play in protecting consumer interests. It also is one of the only NARUC committees that cut across all utility disciplines, with a particular focus on the energy and telecommunications industries. With the onset of restructured markets, the committee addresses related challenges such as slamming, information protection, and consumer education.
“Throughout his tenure on the Mississippi Public Service Commission, Commissioner Presley has proven to be a true champion for consumers,” said President Honorable. “He understands how the decisions we make in our hearing rooms impact those who ultimately pay the bills. With the utility sectors going through profound changes, the role of the Consumer Affairs Committee will be more important than ever”
“I would like to add my gratitude to Commissioner Wergin for her service to this committee,” Chair Presley said. “The Committee on Consumer Affairs is where the rubber meets the road. Consumers are the ones who bear the burden when our utilities need to upgrade and modernize their infrastructure. It is therefore incumbent upon all of us to continue the good work of this important committee. I look forward to working with my colleagues and I am humbled by President Honorable’s trust.”
Commissioner 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 currently serves as President of the Southeastern Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, which is composed of public service commissioners from the 11 Southern States and Puerto Rico. In addition to the Committee on Consumer Affairs, Commissioner Presley serves on NARUC’s Committees on Water and is a former member of the board of directors of the National Regulatory Research Institute.
PSC Release
3/6/14
Magnolia Tribune
