Vacancy created by pending term expiration of current Chair, Commissioner Beverly Jones Heydinger

ST. PAUL, MN – Governor Mark Dayton today announced the appointment of Senator Katie Sieben to serve a six year term on the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission. She will be replacing Commissioner Beverly Jones Heydinger, who currently serves as Chair of the Commission and did not seek reappointment. Governor Dayton has selected current Commissioner Nancy Lange to serve as Chair of the Commission, for a term expiring on January 7, 2019. Commissioner Lange and Senator Sieben will assume their respective duties on January 23, 2017.

“I thank Chair Beverly Jones Heydinger for her tremendous work leading the Public Utilities Commission for the people of Minnesota, and I thank Commissioner Nancy Lange for agreeing to succeed her as Chair,” said Governor Dayton. “Commissioner Lange has earned the trust and respect of her colleagues on the Commission for her strong, balanced, and inclusive leadership.”
 
“Senator Katie Sieben has been a strong leader in the Minnesota Senate on clean energy, consumer reforms, and fiscal responsibility. She will be an excellent Member of the Public Utilities Commission,” said Governor Dayton.

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 effective utility services at fair and reasonable rates. More information about the Public Utilities Commission can be found on the Commission’s website.

About Senator Sieben
Senator Sieben was first elected to the Minnesota State Senate in 2006, representing District 54, which includes major energy producers and hundreds of Minnesotans working in the energy sector.  Senator Sieben has also been a champion of clean air and water, sponsoring laws to monitor and improve the quality of the St. Croix and Mississippi Rivers.

Throughout her time in public service, Senator Sieben has worked to protect the fiscal interests of Minnesotans, and to be a consensus builder. Senator Sieben’s reputation for being a fair and effective legislator led to her being elected by her caucus to serve as the Assistant Majority Leader in the Minnesota Senate since 2012.

Senator Sieben has served as a community faculty member and adjunct professor at Metropolitan State University’s Masters in Advocacy and Public Leadership Program. Previously, she served as a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives for four years.

Senator Sieben earned her B.A. from Colorado College, was a Policy Fellow at the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota, and earned a Master degree in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School.

A headshot of Senator Sieben is attached.

About Commissioner Lange
Commissioner Lange has served on the Public Utilities Commission since her appointment by Governor Dayton on March 4, 2013, and currently serves as its Vice Chair. Prior to her appointment, Commissioner Lange was Manager of Policy and Engagement at the Center for Energy and Environment. She is the Chair of the Committee on Energy Resources and the Environment for the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners and the Midcontinent States Environmental and Energy Regulators.

Commissioner Lange earned her B.S. from Iowa State University and her M.A. in Public Policy from the University of Minnesota.

A headshot of Commissioner Lange is attached.