South Dakota PUC’s Chris Nelson appointed to NARUC board of directors

South Dakota Public Utilities Commissioner (PUC) Chris Nelson was recently appointed to the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners’ (NARUC) Board of Directors.

NARUC President Robert Powelson appointed Nelson to his seat on Jan. 12. Nelson will serve on the board until October 2018. Along with other board members, Nelson will focus on supporting state commissions by participating in public policy discussions, recommending resolutions to NARUC members and advocating among federal agencies. 

“I’m grateful to serve on my national association’s board of directors,” Nelson said. “This leadership position allows me to guide the direction of our organization in a manner that serves the needs of South Dakotans.”

This is Nelson’s second appointment to the board. He first served on the board beginning in January 2014 as chair of NARUC’s Committee on Telecommunications.

Nelson has been a NARUC member since 2011. Previously, he was part of NARUC’s Task Force on Federalism and Telecommunications and has been appointed by the Federal Communications Commission to the Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service, representing the interests of NARUC.

Gov. Dennis Daugaard appointed Nelson to the PUC in January 2011 to fill a vacancy. In November 2012, he was elected to complete the remaining four years of the term and was re-elected in November 2016 to a full, six-year term. Prior to joining the PUC, Nelson served for eight years as South Dakota’s Secretary of State.