A Day at the Iowa Utilities Board
Louis Vander Streek is the Chief Operating Officer of the Iowa Utilities Board.
The PUF team traveled to Des Moines, Iowa, the home of the Iowa Utilities Board, which got its start in 1878 as the Iowa Board of Railroad Commissioners, and later the Iowa State Commerce Commission.
PUF: What is your role here?
Louis Vander Streek: I'm the Chief Operating Officer. The role has existed with the Iowa Utilities Board for a long time but used to be known as the executive secretary and it is specifically enumerated in Iowa code. It's one of the few, along with the General Counsel, specifically created by statute for the IUB. The Board Member positions are also created by statute. They are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate.
The way that we structure ourselves here, Geri Huser, is the Chair of the IUB, and she serves as both a Board Member and as the department head of the agency. All state agencies or departments in Iowa have department heads. They are appointed by the Governor; they're also confirmed by the Senate. But, most of the other department heads serve at the pleasure of the Governor while the IUB's Chair serves is appointed and confirmed to two-year terms within an overall six-year term for a Board Member.