Contact. Jeanette Walter at jeawalte@nmsu.edu if you have questions, registration inquiries, or require additional information.
Quick links: Speaker Presentations • See who’s attending • Registration • Eldorado Hotel
Photo courtesy of TOURISM Santa Fe
Current Issues: April 15-18, 2018
Industry leaders and commissioners discuss issues facing the electric, natural gas, water, and telecommunications industries.
Download Brochure
Updated: March 20, 2018
Location
Contact
Jeanette Walter: jeawalte@nmsu.edu or 575.649.4812.
REGISTER NOW
Registration and Payment Options:
- Online: Payment options are credit card, check/money order, or we can invoice your organization.
- Fax, phone or email: Fill out the enrollment form on the last page of the program brochure. Follow the instructions on the form for a preferred payment option.
Registration instructions for Guest Speakers/Responders:
- Click the “Register Now” link above.
- Chose the registration category: Current Issues [2017] Guest Speaker/Responder ($0.00).
- Press “Proceed to Payment” button.
- Guest speakers/responders will be sent a formal confirmation from the CPU staff.
Cancellations. Cancellation requests received via email by/on April 6, 2018 will be fully refunded. No refunds will be made after April 6, 2018. Substitutions can be made at any time. Send the appropriate attendee contact information to Jeanette Walter at jeawalte@nmsu.edu. Substitutions made after April 11, 2018 will be processed on-site.
Eldorado Hotel Reservations
Reservation Deadline: March 23, 2018
The Eldorado Hotel special conference rate is $196 per night, single or double.
Make your hotel reservation:
• Online Reservation: CLICK HERE
• Call 505.995.4500 and mention NMSU Public Utility Conference, group code 180410NMSU.
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2018 Current Issues Attendees
Updated: April 9, 2018
| Last Name | First Name | Title | Organization | City | State |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aaronson | Scott | Vice President, Security & Preparedness | Edison Electric Institute | Washington | DC |
| Ackermann | Jeffrey | Chairman | Colorado Public Utilities Commission | Denver | CO |
| Archer | Alison | Regional Director | MISO | Eagan | MN |
| Arlow | Allan | Admin Law Judge | Oregon Public Utility Commission | Salem | OR |
| Aron | Benjamin | Director, State Regulatory Affairs | CTIA | Washington | DC |
| Ashford | John | Chairman & CEO | The Hawthorn Group | Alexandria | VA |
| Baer | Tonya | Public Counsel | Office of Public Utility Counsel | Austin | TX |
| Baker | Thomas | Director, Government & Regulatory Affairs | Comcast | Salem | OR |
| Barnes | Conisha | Regulatory Affairs Manager | Duke Energy | Raleigh | NC |
| Batson | Bryan | SVP, Southern Operations | Southern Company Gas | Atlanta | GA |
| Becton | Kino | Sr Director Government Affairs & Regulatory Affairs | American Water | St. Louis | MO |
| Beeker | Chris "Chip" | Commissioner | Alabama Public Service Commission | Eutaw | AL |
| Betkoski | John | President, NARUC | Vice -Chairman, CT PURA | New Britain | CT |
| Binswanger | Lewis | Vice President, External Affairs | Nicor Gas | Naperville | IL |
| Bjorklund | Brenda | Associate General Counsel | CenterPoint Energy, Inc. | Minneapolis | MN |
| Black | Noel | VP, Federal Regulatory Affairs | Southern Company | Washington | DC |
| Bodden | Dale | Division Vice President | CenterPoint Energy | Houston | TX |
| Bollom | Gregory | Assistant VP & Regulatory Consultant | Madison Gas & Electric | Madison | WI |
| Bonugli | Celina | Research Analyst | World Resources Institute | Washington | DC |
| Booth | William | Partner | Michael Best & Friedrich LLP | Washington | DC |
| Boyd | David | VP, Gov't & Regulatory | MISO | Eagan | MN |
| Brand | Douglas | Senior Director of Customer Experience | American Water | Voorhees | NJ |
| Brockett | Scott | Director, Regulatory Administration | Xcel Energy | Denver | CO |
| Brown | Ryan | Deputy Commissioner | Mississippi Public Service Commission | Jackson | MS |
| Brown | Scott | VP, Strategic Initiatives & Analysis | Exelon | Kennett Square | PA |
| Brown-Bland | ToNola | Commissioner | North Carolina Utilities Commission | Raleigh | NC |
| Browning | Christopher | Sr. Regulatory Affairs Analyst | NextEra Energy Resources | Juno Beach | FL |
| Burns | Nancy | Senior Attorney | El Paso Electric Company | Santa Fe | NM |
| Burrows | Lori | VP, General Counsel | Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corporation | Little Rock | AR |
| Bursaw | Christopher | Director Regulatory Affairs US | Capital Power | Boston | MA |
| Burt | Laurie | Stategist | Laurie Burt LLC | Cambridge | MA |
| Butler | David | Senior Counsel | South Carolina Public Service Commission | Columbia | SC |
| Butler | Jolynn | AVP | AT&T | Indianapolis | IN |
| Byrd | Sandra | Vice President | Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corporation | Little Rock | AR |
| Carr | David | Special Counsel for Federal Energy Affairs | Mississippi Public Service Commission | Jackson | MS |
| Carter | Scott | SVP Commercial Operations | Spire | St Louis | MO |
| Casana | Johnny | Sr. Manager | Pattern Energy | Portland | OR |
| Castledine | Anita | Economist | Public Utilities Commission of Nevada | Carson City | NV |
| Champion | Thomas | Principal | TChampion Consulting LLC | Gaithersburg | MD |
| Chodak | Paul | EVP - Utilities | American Electric Power | Columbus | OH |
| Chow | Calvin | Legislative Analyst | Seattle City Council | Seattle | WA |
| Cimerman | Rick | VP - External & State Affairs | NCTA - The Internet & Television Association | Washington | DC |
| Clark | Susan | Partner | Radey Law Firm | Tallahassee | FL |
| Clendenin | Johann | Commissioner | Virgin Islands Public Service Commission | St. Thomas | VI |
| Costello | Ken | Principal | NRRI | Santa Fe | NM |
| Danner | David | Chairman | Washington UTC | Olympia | WA |
| Darin | Thomas | Western State Policy Director | American Wind Energy Assoc | Boulder | CO |
| Darnell | Ron | SVP Public Policy | PNM Resources | Albuquerque | NM |
| D'Auteuil | Susan | Administrative Law Judge | Arkansas Public Service Commission | Little Rock | AR |
| Devine | David | President | Natural Gas Pipeline Co. of America | Houston | TX |
| Dion | Philip | Vice President | American Electric Power | Columbus | OH |
| Donovan | Marina | Vice President, Global Marketing & Public Affairs | Itron, Inc. | San Jose | CA |
| Dority | Matthew | Director of Regulatory Afaairs | Kansas City Power & Light Company | Kansas City | MO |
| Douglass | Elizabeth | Correspondent | InquireFirst | Encinitas | CA |
| Duncan | Matthew | Program Manager | U.S. Dept. of Energy | Washington | DC |
| Dyer | Richard | Director of Finance,Treasurer | Clark Public Utilities | Vancouver | WA |
| Eichelmann | John | Vice President, Member Services | Golden Spread Electric Cooperative | Amarillo | TX |
| Elliott | Lee | Regulatory Analyst | Southwest Power Pool | Little Rock | AR |
| Espinoza | Valerie | Commissioner | New Mexico Public Regualtion Commission | Santa Fe | NM |
| Fenton | Mark | Director, Regulatory Policy & Case Management | Public Service Company of New Mexico \(PNM\) | Albuquerque | NM |
| Fleming | Elizabeth | Commissioner | South Carolina Public Service Commission | Columbia | SC |
| Fletcher | Jim | Vice President | Gulf Power | Pensacola | FL |
| Fonvielle | Kent | Executive Director- External Affairs | MISO Energy | Little Rock | AR |
| Fordney | Jason | Correspondent | RTO Insider | Potomac | MD |
| Fowler | Rebecca | Sr. Regulatory Analyst | Westar Energy, Inc. | Topeka | KS |
| Frankenfeld | Curtis | Director Access Strategy & Development | CenturyLink | Littleton | CO |
| Gale | Brent | Sr. Energy Consultant | StrataG Consulting, Inc. | Wailea | HI |
| Gaw | Steve | Attorney/Consultant | Wind Coalition | Holts Summit | MO |
| Gee | Robert | President | Gee Strategies Group, LLC | Falls Church | VA |
| George | Anne | VP, External Affairs & Corp Communications | ISO New England Inc. | Holyoke | MA |
| Gibson | Glenda | Regulatory Affairs Consultant | NorthWestern Energy | Butte | MT |
| Graham | Art | Chairman | Florida Public Service Commission | Tallahassee | FL |
| Graham | Cameron | Attorney | AARP NM | Santa Fe | NM |
| Greenley | Steve | Vice President | CenterPoint Energy | Houston | TX |
| Gregg | Michele | Director of External Relations | Office of Public Utility Counsel | Austin | TX |
| Griffin | Connie | Administrative Law Judge | Arkansas Public Service Commission | Little Rock | AR |
| Gunn | Kevin | Principal | Paladin Energy Strategies | Ladue | MO |
| Haas | William | Principal Corporate Counsel | T-Mobile US | Cedar Rapids | IA |
| Hall | Cynthia | Commissioner | New Mexico Public Regulation Commission | Santa Fe | NM |
| Hanchey | William | VP Regional Regulatory & Legislative Affairs | CenturyLink | Wake Forest | NC |
| Hanson | Gary | Commissioner | South Dakota Public Utilities Commission | Pierre | SD |
| Haque | Asim | Chairman | Public Utilities Commission of Ohio | Columbus | OH |
| Harder | Chuck | Deputy Attorney General | Office of Arkansas Attorney General | Little Rock | AR |
| Harkin | Ryan | Director of State Affairs & Public Policy | Microsoft | Redmond | WA |
| Harper | Mark | Senior Director Regulatory Operations | CenturyLink | Monroe | LA |
| Harris | Chris | Principal Utility Analyst | Virgina State Corporation Commission | Richmond | VA |
| Harris | Kimberly | President & CEO | Puget Sound Energy | Bellevue | WA |
| Heitmeyer | Chad | VP - Regulatory Affairs | Grid Assurance / AEP | Columbus | OH |
| Helmen | Randall | Chief Deputy Consumer Counselor | Indiana Office of Consumer Counselor | Indianapolis | IN |
| Hernandez | Jacquelynne | Sr Member Tech Staff | Sandia National Labs | Albuquerque | NM |
| Hesla | Scott | Administrative Law Judge | Arizona Corporation Commission | Phoenix | AZ |
| Hibbard | Paul | Principal | Analysis Group | Boston | MA |
| Highley | Duane | President & CEO | Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corp. | Little Rock | AR |
| Hinton | Justin | Attorney | Southwest Power Pool | Little Rock | AR |
| Hirner | Deirdre | Central States Policy Director | American Wind Energy Association | Washington | DC |
| Ho | Amanda | Director, State RegulatoryAffairs & Compliance | Arizona Public Service | Phoenix | AZ |
| Hoffman | Kenneth | Vice President | Florida Power & Light | Tallahassee | FL |
| Hofmann | Sarah | Commissioner | Vermont Public Utility Commission | Montpleier | VT |
| Holden | Mary-Anna | Commissioner | New Jersey Board of Public Utilities | Madison | NJ |
| Hollick | Pamela | Associate General Counsel | CenturyLink | Indianapolis | IN |
| Howard | John "Butch" | Commissioner | South Carolina Public Service Commission | Columbia | SC |
| Huebsch | Mike | Commissioner | Public Service Commission of Wisconsin | Madison | WI |
| Hughes | Gilbert | Dir Regulatory Services | AEP Texas | Austin | TX |
| Hughes | Kevin | Chairman | Maryland Public Service Commission | Baltimore | MD |
| Johnson | Brad | Commissioner | Montana Public Service Commission | Helena | MT |
| Jones | Elizabeth | VP Regulatory Affairs | Oncor | Austin | TX |
| Jones | Philip | Exec-Director | Alliance for Transportation Electrification | Seattle | WA |
| Jones | Sandy | Commissioner | New Mexico Public Regualtion Commission | Santa Fe | NM |
| Kavulla | Travis | Vice Chariman | Montana Public Service Commission | Helena | MT |
| Kelley | Casey | Sr. State Government Affairs Manager | Exelon | Austin | TX |
| Kentner | Tessie | Managing Attorney | Southwest Power Pool, Inc. | Little Rock | AR |
| Kinsey | Yvette | Administrative Law Judge | Arizona Corporation Commission | Phoenix | AZ |
| Kjellander | Paul | Commissioner | Idaho Public Utilities Commission | Boise | ID |
| Laub | Don | VP - State Regulatory | Comcast | Englewood | CO |
| LeFevers | Daniel | Director, State & Consumer Programs | Gas Technology Institute | Des Plaines | IL |
| Leopold | Brett | President | ITC Great Plains | Topeka | KS |
| Lunt | Robin | Of Counsel | WBK, LLP | Denver | CO |
| Lynch | Walter | Chief Operating Officer | American Water | Voorhees | NJ |
| Maenius | Russell | Finance Director - Rates & Regulatory Support | Austin Energy | Austin | TX |
| Mason | Donald | Counsel to VP | American Gas Association | Zanesville | OH |
| McCaffree | Matthew | Sr. Director, Regulatory Affairs | Itron | Denver | CO |
| McMackin | Devin | Federal Policy Specialist | ITC Holdings Corp. | Northville | MI |
| Mirick | Mark | Rate Analyst | Austin Energy | Austin | TX |
| Moeller | Clair | President & Chief Operating Officer | MISO | Eagan | MN |
| Montes | Martin | Director | Commonwealth Edison Company | Chicago | IL |
| Morgan | Brian | Public Policy Consultant | American Electric Power | Columbus | OH |
| Mroz | Richard | Commissioner | New Jersey Board of Public Utilities | Haddonfield | NJ |
| Murphy | Alisha | Graduate Student | NMSU | Las Cruces | NM |
| Negley | Michele | Senior Vice President | CLEAResult | Austin | TX |
| Nelson | Chris | Commissioner | South Dakota Public Utilities Commission | Pierre | SD |
| Nelson | Robert A. | Consumer Counsel | Montana Consumer Counsel | Helena | MT |
| Oberwortmann | John | Rates and Forecasting Manager | Austin Energy | Austin | TX |
| O'Connell-Diaz | Erin | President | FutureFWD, Inc. | Bull Valley | IL |
| Oden | Jeremy | Commissioner | Alabama Public Service Commission | Montgomery | AL |
| O'Guinn | Kimberly | Commissioner | Arkansas Public Service Commission | Little Rock | AR |
| Ohta | Teri | Principal Corporate Counsel | T-Mobile | Bellevue | WA |
| Olea | Steve | Policy Advisor | Arizona Corporation Commission | Phoenix | AZ |
| Oliva | Sadzi | Commissioner | Illinois Commerce Commission | Chicago | IL |
| Olnick | Bryan | VP | Florida Power & Light | Jupiter | FL |
| Payne | Penny | Grad Student | NMSU | Las Cruces | NM |
| Pfeiffer | Dan | Vice President of Government Affairs | ITRON | Liberty Lake | WA |
| Pietrzyk | Mary | Senior Manager, Public Affairs | Nuclear Energy Institute | Washington | DC |
| Piliaris | Jon | Director of Regulatory Affairs | Puget Sound Energy | Bellevue | WA |
| Presley | Brandon | Commissioner | Mississippi Public Service Commission | Nettleton | MS |
| Preston | Marcus | Director Regulatory Affiars, SC | Duke Energy | Columbia | SC |
| Ray | Jody | Analyst | Mississippi Public Service Commission | Jackson | MS |
| Reinert | Marty | Sr. Rate & Regulatory Analyst | LG&E and KU Services Company | Louisville | KY |
| Ries | Jennifer | VP, Rates & Regulatory Affairs | Atmos Energy | Denver | CO |
| Rippie | Glenn | Partner | Rooney Rippie & Ratnaswamy LLP | Chicago | IL |
| Roberts | Greg | VP of Pricing & Planning | Georgia Power Company | Atlanta | GA |
| Robertson | Josh | Sr. Principal Regulatory Policy Analyst | Salt River Project | Tempe | AZ |
| Rodriguez | Deanna | Vice President | Entergy Texas, Inc. | Austin | TX |
| Rogers | Kyle | VP, Government Relations | American Gas Association | Washington | DC |
| Rooney | John | Partner | Rooney Rippie & Ratnaswamy LLP | Chicago | IL |
| Ross | F. Anne | General Counsel | New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission | Concord | NH |
| Rudd | Ryder | Government Consultant | RSR Strategies | Tallahassee | FL |
| Schuerger | Matthew | Commissioner | Minnesota Public Utilities Commission | St. Paul | MN |
| Schuling | Mark | Consumer Advocate | Office of Consumer Advocate | Des Moines | IA |
| Scott | Doug | Vice President | Great Plains Institute | South Beloit | IL |
| Sheahan | Brien | Chairman | Illinois Commerce Commission | Chciago | IL |
| Silveira | Jennifer | Sr Vice President Engineering & Operations | T-Mobile | Downers Grove | IL |
| Silverstein | Alison | Consultant | Alison Silverstein Consulting | Pflugerville | TX |
| Siores | Natasha | Manager Regulatory Affairs | PacifiCorp | Portland | OR |
| Slaten | Marisa | Director Regulatory Strategy Services | Delmarva Power | Newark | DE |
| Snitchler | Todd | Group Director | American Petroleum Institute | Washington | DC |
| Spitzer | Marc | Partner | Steptoe & Johnson LLP | Washington | DC |
| Steele | Henry | Regulatory Case Manager | American Electric Power | ALLEN | TX |
| Stipnieks | Elizabeth | Managing Director | Edison Electric Institute | Alexandria | VA |
| Streit | Devon | Deputy Assistant Secretary, Infrastructure Security & Energy Restortation | US Department of Energy | Washington | DC |
| Stroup | Tom | President | Satellite Industry Association | Washington | DC |
| Sullivan | Jim | President | The Sullivan Group | Birmingham | AL |
| Suskie | Paul | Executive Vice President | Southwest Power Pool | Little Rock | AR |
| Svanda | David | Consultant | Svanda & Coy Consulting | Clarksville | MD |
| Tanner | Krista | President, ITC Midwest | ITC Holding Corp. | Des Moines | IA |
| Taylor | Stephanie | Senior Attorney | Mississippi Public Service Commission | Jackson | MS |
| Till | Dustin | Senior Counsel | PacifiCorp | Portland | OR |
| Troxle | Matthew | Director of Regulatory Affairs | CenterPoint Energy | Baton Rouge | LA |
| Tyran | Barbara | Exec. Director, Govt & External Relations | EPRI | Washington | DC |
| Van Gerpen | Patricia | Executive Director | South Dakota Public Utilities Commission | Pierre | SD |
| Vaught | Cheryl | Manager | Vaught & Conner | Oklahoma City | OK |
| Vincent-Collawn | Pat | Chairman, President & CEO | PNM Resources | Albuquerque | NM |
| Wagner | Nick | Board Member | Iowa Utilities Board | Des Moines | IA |
| Walker | DeAnn | Chairman | Public Utility Commission of Texas | Austin | TX |
| Walker-Ratliff | Joan | Director, Regulatory Affairs | Phillips 66 | Ponca City | OK |
| Wall | Keith | Director of Regulatory Affairs | CenterPoint Energy | Houston | TX |
| Warnock | Aldie | SVP, External Affairs & Business Development | American Water | Voorhees | NJ |
| Washington | Alexander | Chief Policy Advisor | Mississippi Public Service Commission | Jackson | MS |
| Weaver | David | Vice President | Southern Company Gas | Atlanta | GA |
| White | Greg | Executive Director | NARUC | Washington | DC |
| Wiggins | Dena | President & CEO | Natural Gas Supply Association | Washington | DC |
| Wise | Stan | Consultant | Pendleton Group | Marietta | GA |
| Yar | Joseph | Assistant Attorney General | New Mexico Attorney General's Office | Santa Fe | NM |
| Young | Randy | Attorney | Kean Miller LLP | Baton Rouge | LA |
2018 Current Issues Presentations
Updated: April 30, 2018
| Panel | Last | First | Presentation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Extreme Weather Events/Best Practices | Olnick | Byran | Permission Pending |
| Extreme Weather Events/Best Practices | Streit | Devon | Infrastructure Security & Energy Restoration |
| Extreme Weather Events/Best Practices | Walker | DeAnn | Electric Utility Impacts from Hurricane Harvey |
| Industry Leaders' Roundtable | Lynch | Walter | Challenges Facing the Water Industry |
| Major Consumer Issues Facing Industries | Brand | Doug | Customer Experience Revolution |
| Major Consumer Issues Facing Industries | Harder | Chuck | Major Consumer Issues Facing Industries |
| The Changing Power Genergation Portfolio | George | Anne | ISO New England Identifies Growing Fuel-Security Risk as the Power Stytame Undergoes Rapid Transformation |
| The Changing Power Genergation Portfolio | Suskie | Paul | The Changing Power Genergation Portfolio |
| Transmission Infrastructure, Innovation, and Investment | Moeller | Clair | MISO |
| Transmission Infrastructure, Innovation, and Investment | Tyran | Barbara | Transmission Infrastructure, Innovation, and Investment |
| Utility Business Models of the Future | Bonugli | Celina | Utility Business Models of the Future |