Gov. Charlie Crist has appointed state Rep. Ronald Brise of North Miami and Jacksonville City Councilman Arthur Graham to join the Florida Public Service Commission.
Crist, criticized for passing over minorities in his last PSC appointments, Wednesday tapped two black candidates from a pool of eight nominees submitted by the PSC Nominating Council. Brise is a Democrat who used to be an executive with a telecommunications company. Graham is a Republican.
If approved by lawmakers, the two appointees would be replacing Crist-appointed commissioners ousted by the Senate shortly before the governor left the Republican Party to run for U.S. Senate as an Independent.
Brise has served in the House since 2006 and as vice chairman of the Florida Legislative Black Caucus since 2009. He is the former chief operating officer of IPIP Telecommunications.
I applied for this position because I think my combined experience within the telecom industry and the Florida Legislature will allow me to work in a fair manner to the benefit of the public good, Brise said in a prepared statement.
While I have gained valuable information about our states diverse population and unique utility structure in the Legislature, I understand that my role and duties will change drastically from legislative to regulatory, said Brise. Regardless, I intend to regulate with the same traits that have helped me to become a well-respected public servant: integrity, sound judgment, and sensitivity to all parties.
Crists other appointee, Jacksonville Councilman Graham, is a former employee of Georgia Pacific Pulp and Paper and Betz PaperChem.The Republican, who has served on the City Council since 2003, campaigned against Republican Party of Florida Chairman John Thrasher in the race for the state Senate seat last year. He served on the Jacksonville Beach City Council from 1998 to 2002 and also served as apast chairman of the North Florida Transportation Planning Organization.
Art has a great track record of public service during the past 12 years, and as a councilman he has already worked to protect utility consumers, Crist said. His experience in the private sector has given him an understanding of the importance of ensuring the private sectors responsible use of resources.
The nomination process has been divisive and plagued with concerns that potential nominees could increase the influence of utilities or the Legislature over the board.
About half the nominations werepast and former lawmakers or people with experience with the Legislature or utilities, including Altamonte Springs Republican Sen. Lee Constantine, former head of the PSC Nominating Council;Kevin Wiehle, chief analyst for the Senates utilities committee, and Curt Kiser, PSC General Counsel, former state senator and founder of the PSC Nominating Council. They also nominated Mary Bane, who served as PSC executive director and worked for the commission for 30 years, until a controversial rate hike case last fall.
On April 27, Republicans and black Democrats in the Senate threw out Crist PSC appointees David Klement, a former newspaper opinion editor and director of the Institute for Public Policy & Leadership at the University of South Florida, and Benjamin Steve Stevens, former accountant for the Escambia County Sheriffs Office.
Senators said the two appointees were neither qualified nor diverse enough to sit on the board. Accusing Crist of passing over qualified minorities, black Democrats Arthenia Joyner and Chris Smith joined in the call to throw out the commissioners. Klement and Stevens left the job in May.
New Port Richey Republican Sen. Mike Fasano said he was satisfied with the choices.
Both gentlemen have real credibility and would serve the customers well, he said.
Last month, the nominating council decided to oust two sitting commissioners, PSC Chairwoman and former state lawmaker Nancy Argenziano and member Nathan Skop. The council said it decided not to interview the two commissioners, whose tenures end in January, for reappointment to facilitate cooperation among board members.
Argenziano wrote to Crist asking that he throw out all the nominees. Fasano said that was out of the question, because a failure to choose by the governor would have given the responsibility back to the nominating council.
Then, the Legislature would have to choose, and you certainly dont want that to happen, Fasano said.
Reach Alex Tiegen at Alex.Tiegen@gmail.com or 561-329-5389.
