General Counsel, Deputy General Counsel
Keith Hetrick is General Counsel for the Florida Public Service Commission. Mary Anne Helton is Deputy General Counsel for the commission.
Lead image: Deputy General Counsel Mary Anne Helton and General Counsel Keith Hetrick talk with PUF’s Steve Mitnick.
PUF: Mary Anne, what's your typical day like as Deputy General Counsel?
Mary Anne Helton: Your to-do list may change quickly in the morning, depending on the issues that come up during any given day.
On a typical day, I usually spend some time editing. I might get to do a little bit of writing, but not nearly as much as I would like to.
It seems that I attend a lot of meetings - internal meetings with our lawyers, technical staff, Commission management. I also attend meetings that involve the parties to docketed matters. Sometimes I'm there to see what's happening - to stay in the loop, and sometimes I'm there to talk about real issues and how to resolve them.
One of my roles is to advise the Commission during hearings and public meetings with respect to process and procedure, and evidentiary questions. My hardest job is to stay alert, so I can answer a question when asked, without having much time to think about it.
PUF: Tell us a little about the Public Service Commission process.
Mary Anne Helton: I see myself as the Keeper of the Process. My goal is to make sure that the process is consistent, fair, and lawful. I hope I successfully meet that goal.