Feb. 22, 2022

Rich Svindland Joins FRI Advisory Board

February 16, 2022 FRI is pleased to welcome Mr. Rich Svindland, President of Missouri American Water, to the FRI Advisory Board. Mr. Svindland was named president of Missouri American Water in 2021. He is a professional engineer with more than 30 years of experience in the water and wastewater industry. He leads a team that is responsible for providing safe, clean, and reliable water and/or wastewater service to approximately one in four Missourians in 200 communities throughout the state. Before coming to Missouri, Svindland served as president of California American Water and Hawaii American Water for five years. He has…

Sep. 10, 2021

FRI Welcomes New Advisory Board Members

September 10, 2021 We are happy to announce our newest Advisory Board members: Christina Baker, Chairman Kent Chandler, Kristy Hartman, Commissioner Gabriella Passidomo, Kari Gehrke and Matt Rice. Longer bios for these distinguished individuals (and all of our Advisory Board members) are available on the FRI Members page. Christina Lynn Baker, P.E., J.D., is a Senior Assistant Attorney General with the Arkansas Attorney General’s Office working on public utility and environmental issues. She serves as lead attorney of the Consumer Utilities Rate Advocacy Division and routinely provides expert testimony regarding positions taken by the Attorney General to protect Arkansas…

April 1, 2021

Illinois Commissioner Maria S. Bocanegra Joins FRI Advisory Board

April 1, 2021 — We are pleased to welcome Commissioner Maria S. Bocanegra from the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) to the FRI Advisory Board. Commissioner Bocanegra replaces Commissioner Emeritus Sadzi Oliva as the ICC’s representative on the FRI Board. Commissioner Bocanegra was appointed to the Illinois Commerce Commission on April 8, 2019 to a four-year term and confirmed by the Illinois Senate on May 31, 2019. Commissioner Bocanegra is an accomplished, well-respected attorney with prior public service in both Democratic and Republican administrations. She most recently served as Arbitrator at the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission. There, she…

March 12, 2021

Nebraska Commission Chair Dan Watermeier Joins FRI Advisory Board

March 12, 2021 — We are pleased to welcome Dan Watermeier, Chair of the Nebraska Public Service Commission, to the FRI Advisory Board. Mr. Watermeier was elected for a six-year term on the Commission in November 2018 representing Nebraska’s District 1, comprised of eight counties in Southeastern Nebraska. Prior to joining the Commission, he served as a state senator in the Nebraska Unicameral from 2012-2018. A farmer by trade, Commissioner Watermeier received a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture from the University of Nebraska Lincoln. He is member of, the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC)…

Feb. 12, 2021

Commissioner Sadzi Oliva on Cybersecurity

February 12, 2021 — FRI Board Member and Illinois Commerce Commissioner Sadzi Oliva was recently featured in Public Utilities Fortnightly writing about Cybersecurity. Her piece is particularly timely in light of a recent cyber hack of a water treatment facility in Florida You can read Commissioner Oliva’s thoughts on the PUF website.