A Day at North Carolina UC
Charlotte Mitchell and ToNola Brown-Bland are commissioners for the North Carolina Utilities Commission.
The PUF team made its way to the North Carolina Utilities Commission in mid-February. They received a warm welcome not only from the Commission but also from the independent and large Public Staff, which intervenes on behalf of the using and consuming public.
PUF: Commissioner Mitchell, how did you come to be here?
Commissioner Mitchell: I'm an attorney and was in private practice prior to becoming a Commissioner. I began my career as an environmental regulatory attorney. In more recent years, I spent time practicing in front of the Commission, representing clients in matters before the Commission. Primarily, I represented customer groups but did some work for several of our regulated utilities. Then, in 2017, I was appointed by the governor to serve as Commissioner.
PUF: Was it a natural transition for you?
Commissioner Mitchell: I had spent a lot of time here as an advocate for my clients, so I knew some members of Commission Staff and members of the Public Staff, as well. However, The role of a commissioner is much different than that of advocate, so it has been a transition for me to adjust to this new position.