State Commissions
Lori Burkhart is the Editor-in-chief of Public Utilities Fortnightly.
Richmond, Virginia is a beautiful, historical city, where Patrick Henry famously declared, give me liberty or give me death, at its St. John's Church in 1775, leading up to the Revolutionary War. At PUF, we are fascinated by Richmond for its beauty and history, yes, but as home of the Virginia State Corporation Commission. The Commission is a unique regulatory body with authority over utilities, insurance, state-chartered financial institutions, securities, retail franchising, railroads, and well, a long laundry list. No wonder the Commission employs over six-hundred Staff.
The Commission also has its own building, necessary to hold that many people. The Commissioners and Staff are nestled in the eleven-story John Tyler Building, artfully drawn on this issue's cover. Naturally, PUF was delighted at the opportunity to travel to Richmond virtually. A meaningful day, because PUF is headquartered in Virginia, albeit somewhat north, in another historical area, Arlington.
PUF learned the history of the Virginia Commission too, that it was created in 1902 by the Virginia Constitution, and endowed also with judicial powers. That led to the question when Chair Judith Jagdmann invited PUF via cyberspace into her home office, of whether to call her, Commissioner or Judge? Turns out both are correct, and PUF used the two interchangeably when we met also with Judges Jehmal Hudson and Angela Navarro. Enjoy these conversations with Commissioners and Staff.
Virginia State Corporation Commission conversations:
- Chair Judith Williams Jagdmann
- Commissioner Jehmal Hudson
- Commissioner Angela Navarro
- Chief Administrative Officer Sam Nixon
- Chief Hearing Examiner Alex Skirpan
- Director for Utility Accounting and Finance Kim Pate
- Deputy Director Patrick Carr
- Deputy Director for Public Utility Regulation Greg Abbott
- Deputy Director for Public Utility Regulation David Essah
- Deputy Director for Public Utility Regulation John Stevens
- Director for Utility and Railroad Safety Lauren Govoni
- Deputy Director Chris De Lisle
- Damage Prevention Program Manager Carl Dale
- Pipeline Safety Program Manager Scott Marshall
- Operations and Rail Safety Manager Renee Salmon
- Senior Safety Specialist Tracey Lamb
- Director for Information Security Simon Xue
- Cybersecurity Programs Specialist Matt Dale
- Director for Information Resources Ken Schrad
- Deputy Director Andy Farmer
