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Gov. Gregoire reappoints Commissioner Philip Jones to state utilities panel
Jan. 14, 2011
Media contact: (360) 664-1116 or media@utc.wa.gov
OLYMPIA, Wash. – Gov. Chris Gregoire reappointed Commissioner Philip Jones to a second six-year term on the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC). If confirmed by the state Senate, Jones will serve until Jan. 1, 2017.
Jones, 57, was originally named to the three-member UTC by Gov. Gregoire in March 2005. He is an active member of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), serving on the association's Board of Directors and its Executive Committee as Second Vice President, as well as its International Relations and Telecommunications committees. He is co-chairman of NARUC’s Washington Action Committee, and the chairman of the board of the National Regulatory Research Institute, the research body for state regulators.
Prior to his commission appointment, Jones served as managing director of Cutter & Buck (Europe), BV in Amsterdam, the Netherlands for five years. He was senior legislative assistant to former Washington Sen. Daniel J. Evans, and staffed him on energy policy issues and for the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee as well as international trade policy.
“I am honored by Governor Gregoire’s decision to re-appoint me. It is a pleasure to work with my fellow commissioners, the excellent staff at the commission, and with the professional managers and stakeholders of the industries we regulate,” said Jones. “It is an exciting time to work at the commission crafting effective regulation in uncertain times for critical industries.”
Commission Chairman Jeff Goltz said he is pleased by Gov. Gregoire’s decision to reappoint Jones to the UTC.
“I look forward to continuing the commission’s important work with Commissioner Jones, as we face many challenges in both the energy and telecommunications industries,” said Goltz.
Jones graduated from Harvard College with honors in 1977.
The UTC regulates the rates and practices of the privately owned electric, natural gas, telephone, water and garbage utilities as well as residential-moving companies. The commission is also responsible for railroad and pipeline-safety programs in Washington.
Commissioners serve six-year terms, and no more than two can be from the same political party. Appointees are subject to state Senate confirmation.
Jones’ annual salary is $114,550.
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Posted/updated: 01/14/2011
