ST. PAUL, MN - Governor Mark Dayton today announced his appointment of John Tuma to serve a six year term on the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC). Mr. Tuma will be replacing Mr. David Boyd, his term will be effective on February 2, 2015.

"John Tuma's decades of experience and expertise in energy policy will make him an excellent member of the Public Utilities Commission," said Governor Dayton. "Over more than two decades of legal, legislative, and advocacy work, Mr. Tuma has had a tremendous impact on shaping Minnesota's energy policies. I have great confidence that he will fulfill his duties on the Commission with excellence and vigor."

John Tuma has decades of experience working on energy policy issues for a variety of organizations. Mr. Tuma currently serves as a Government Relations Associate with Conservation Minnesota, and has previously served in policy positions at the Minnesota Inter-County Association, the Metropolitan Inter County Association, and the Minnesota Environmental Partnership.

Mr. Tuma served in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 1995 to 2002, representing parts of Rice, LeSueur, Scott, and Dakota counties. During his time in the House, Mr. Tuma served as Chair of the Crime Prevention Committtee and as Vice Chair of the Local Government Committee. While in the Legislature, Tuma was an active member of Judiciary Finance, Higher Education Finance, and Environment Policy committees. He helped lead efforts to pass key energy legislation, including Minnesota's Renewable Energy Standard - which garnered broad, bipartisan support. Mr. Tuma was awarded Legislator of the Year by ARC of Minnesota, the state's largest disability organization, PACER, an organization defending the rights of the disabled in education, the Minnesota League of Conservation Voters, and the Women's Auxilary of the VFW.

Mr. Tuma has practiced law in the areas of workers' compensation, criminal law, real estate, business organization and litigation, special education law, and personal injury litigation. He was Managing Attorney for Tuma and Thompson LLC from 1994 to 2001 in partnership with Minnesota Senator Dave Thompson. Tuma earned his B.A. from Mankato State University, and his J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School.

About the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission
The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission regulates three cornerstone service industries of Minnesota's economy, including electricity, natural gas, and telephone services. Its mission is to create and maintain a regulatory environment that ensures safe, reliable and efficient utility services at fair and reasonable rates. For more information about the Public Utilities Commission, visit http://mn.gov/puc/.