NARUC names new chair of Committee on Consumers and the Public Interest

Odogwu Obi Linton was appointed chairman of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) Committee on Consumers and the Public Interest.

The Committee on Consumers and the Public Interest analyzes the growing and changing role of state commissions in protecting consumer interests and addressing challenges.

Linton, a NARUC commissioner who also serves on the Maryland Public Service Commission, previously served as the CPI Committee vice chair. He is also the founding chair of NARUC’s Staff Subcommittee on Supplier and Workforce Diversity and serves on the Task Force on Emergency Preparedness, Recovery, and Resiliency. He succeeds Missouri Commissioner Maida Coleman, who was recently named to the NARUC board of directors, along with Lillian Mateo-Santos from Puerto Rico and Crystal Rhoades from Nebraska.

“Thank you to President [Brandon] Presley and the NARUC Executive Committee and staff for their expression of confidence, and to Commissioner Coleman for her unmatched stewardship of CPI,” Linton said. “I look forward to working with my colleagues on the Committee and the staff to continue raising awareness about the changing role state commissions play in protecting the consumer’s interest.”

NARUC has eight standing committees that propose policy on congressional, federal, and industry matters. The committees also hold educational sessions and panel discussions on relevant issues to best serve NARUC members. Committee chairs are appointed by the NARUC president for a one-year term and may be reappointed for a maximum of three consecutive terms.

“Utility consumers are faced with an array of complex challenges that are important for both regulators and industry to fully appreciate,” NARUC Commissioner Brandon Presley said. “Commissioner Linton has made significant contributions to the CPI Committee as vice chair, and I am certain that under his capable leadership, the Committee will continue to identify and prioritize these important issues. We also thank Commissioner Coleman for her outstanding leadership.”