Florida Public Service commissioners zeroed in on three candidates Tuesday for the regulatory bodys vacant executive director position.
After receiving more than 100 applications at the beginning of the summer, the five commissioners narrowed their search to 15 candidates in previous meetings. The candidates were interviewed on the phone and in person -- 10 of them were in PSC offices Monday. Tuesday, commissioners voted on their top choices for a longer, in-depth interview.
Aster Adams, director of the Office of the Ohio Consumers Counsel, received the most votes of all 15 candidates with four. Braulio Baez, an ex-PSC commissioner and Tallahassee lawyer, and Chris Hart, the CEO of consulting firm Hart Enterprises and former Hillsborough County Commissioner, each received three votes.
Commissioner Julie Brown was the only member on the panel not to vote for Adams, but other commissioners were anxious to see the only remaining out-of-state applicant. Adams has nearly six years of experience in his current position, and also served six years as a division chief for the Tennessee Regulatory Authority.
Both Baez and Hart garnered the votes of Brown and commissioners Lisa Edgar and Ronald Brise.
Baez served as commissioner and chairman of the PSC from 2000 to 2006, and previously served as chief adviser for the PSC from 1994 to 1998.
Hart held office as an at-large Hillsborough County commissioner from 1994 to 2002. From 2005 to 2010, heoversaw business development and governmental relations as managing partner and CEO at his consulting firm.
But on his PSC application, Harts reason for leaving the firm was described this way: Due to major changes in the economy and marketplace, this firm was closed.
Brown, who headed a one-person selection committee, seemed please with the applicants.
They were just exceptional and it was difficult to narrow it down to three, Brown said.
The search for a new executive director began in May when Tim Devlin resigned after reportedly being pushed out by PSC chairman Art Graham.
Graham briefly floated the idea of naming general counsel Curt Kiser as interim executive director, but that was scrapped over concerns of spreading him too thin. Instead, no interim director was named but deputy executive director Charles Hill took over technical duties of the position.
The remaining candidates are scheduled to be interviewed the week of Sept. 5. The position will pay between $115,000 and $125,000 per year.
Reach Gray Rohrer at grohrer@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
