State Commission Chairs
Jeffrey Ackermann is the chair of the Colorado Public Utilities Commission.
PUF's Liz Stipnieks: How is it being Chair of the Commission and what is your typical day like?
Chair Ackermann: As a Chair of the Commission it often starts with what may be the least exciting part of the job. I'm the one who is watching procedural duties, acting as the keeper of the process. That often shows up in conducting our weekly business meetings or hearings when we are presiding, because there's that extra responsibility of the Chair.
Beyond that, a Chair does not have a lot of unique duties, but sometimes there are expectations that come with the title. My approach is I also try to be an interpreter of regulatory process, back to the public in particular, because at times government can suffer from a duck-and-cover approach to public communications.
We need to be out in front of stories that we will be intimately involved in. Many times, we're waiting for the story to unfold and people ask us to respond to it. That's the worst time to be finally offering your perspective or your messaging.
It's important to explain often in clear, common language what is happening in front of the Commission. When we were dealing with the City of Boulder desiring to acquire the assets of Xcel Colorado in pursuit of municipalization, I had a room full of attorneys with me, that had answered a series of legal questions.