Press Release

HARRISBURG -- At the Public Utility Commission’s (PUC) first public meeting of 2002, Chairman Glen R. Thomas today announced that Barbara Bruin is leaving her post as Executive Director, effective Monday, Jan. 14. The Commission voted unanimously today to appoint Deputy Executive Director Veronica A. Smith of Harrisburg as the PUC’s new Executive Director, effective Tuesday, Jan. 15.

Bruin announced her resignation to the Commissioners and PUC employees on Dec. 5. She will return to Washington, D.C, where she previously served at the U.S. Department of Justice and in various other positions with the federal government. Bruin is a native of Roswell, New Mexico.

"During the last five years, Barbara has provided strong and effective leadership as we moved to competition in electric, natural gas and telecommunications," Chairman Thomas said. "Throughout that change, Barbara has prepared our agency to fulfill this enhanced mission of public service.

"On behalf of my fellow Commissioners and my fellow public servants at the PUC, I thank Barbara for her dedicated service and wish her well in her future endeavors.

"While we will miss Barbara and her leadership dearly, we are grateful that the Office of Executive Director and the Commission will be in the good hands and under the sound management of a veteran Commission employee -- current Deputy Executive Director Roni Smith.

"Roni was and remains a leader in the development of the Commission’s regulations on electric and gas competition, and she has been instrumental in moving the Philadelphia Gas Works (PGW) toward compliance with the Gas Competition Act. Roni is a problem solver, pure and simple. During the implementation of Electric Choice, Roni led our technical team that advised the Commission through the restructuring settlements that created the nation’s model electric-competition program. She also brought together representatives of regulatory agencies, electric distribution companies, energy suppliers and other interested parties from six neighboring states and the District of Columbia to form the First Regional Electronic Data Interchange Board. And she serves as a member of the Advisory Committee to the North American Energy Standards Board.

"Roni has been one of the PUC’s leading representatives in state, regional, national and international matters, always vigilantly protecting and advocating for Pennsylvania’s interests. Roni has more than a decade of management experience at the Commission -- experience that will be critical as we continue to succeed and lead in 2002 and beyond."

Smith has served as Deputy Executive Director since July 1997. She began her career with the PUC in September 1977. Smith also manages and coordinates a number of special projects for the Commission, including the Electronic Data Exchange Working Group for Electric Choice and several internal working groups involving energy and telecommunications.

From 1989 to 1997, Smith was a Deputy Chief Counsel in the Commission’s Law Bureau. Her responsibilities included supervision of attorneys and technical staff who represented the PUC in state and federal energy issues and federal telecommunications issues. From 1981 until 1989, Smith served as an Assistant Counsel with the Commission’s Rates Division of the Law Bureau and the Office of Trial Staff. In this capacity, she litigated electric and gas cases and represented the Commission in appellate matters before state and federal courts. Smith also represented the Commission in matters before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Federal Communications Commission. From 1977 until 1981, Smith was an attorney with the Office of Special Assistants and Staff Counsel to a Commissioner.

Smith, 52, is a native and lifelong resident of Harrisburg.

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission ensures safe, reliable and reasonably priced electric, natural gas, water, telephone and transportation service for Pennsylvania consumers, by regulating public utilities and by serving as responsible stewards of competition.