NEWS RELEASE

Saint Paul, MN – Gov. Tim Pawlenty yesterday (Wednesday, Dec. 16) announced the reappointment of Betsy L. Wergin to the Public Utilities Commission (PUC).

Wergin, of Princeton, has been a commissioner on the PUC since August 2008.

Previously, she was the owner and operator of a variety of small businesses and held finance and accounting positions for a number of companies.

Wergin also served as a member of the Minnesota Senate from 2003 until her initial appointment to the PUC in 2008.  She was a Sherburne County Commissioner from 1995 through 2002, and the Baldwin Township Clerk from 1989 to 1995.  She has been an active volunteer in a number of community organizations as well as her church.

She was also a foster parent for over 100 foster children.  Wergin is appointed to a full six-year term on the PUC that expires on January 4, 2016.

The Public Utilities Commission is comprised of five commissioners who serve in full-time, paid positions at an annual salary of $88,448. The PUC regulates the rates and services of electric, natural gas and telephone companies.  The Commission acts through public hearings, contested case hearings, rule-making hearings, and informal complaint resolutions.