Consumers' Counsel Migden-Ostrander announces resignation from position; Weston named to interim position
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Ohio Consumers’ Counsel Janine Migden-Ostrander has announced she is resigning her position effective Oct. 15, 2011, ending a seven-year term highlighted by savings under her leadership and collaboration of more than $8 billion for utility customers and legislation to establish energy efficiency benchmarks for utilities.
The Governing Board of the Office of the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel (OCC) today named Bruce J. Weston interim Consumers’ Counsel while members search for a permanent replacement. Weston has served as the agency’s deputy consumers’ counsel and legal director since August 2004.
“My decision to leave the OCC has been extremely difficult,” Migden-Ostrander said.
“There is no other organization or agency that can replicate what the OCC has accomplished in its 35-year history. I was fortunate to serve at the OCC in its nascent years. It was an honor to return to the agency as the Consumers’ Counsel in April 2004. However, I am looking forward to continuing my career and serving the public interest in my new position.”
Migden-Ostrander has accepted a position as principal consultant with the Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP) a global, nonprofit organization focusing on the long-term economic and environmental sustainability of the electric and natural gas industries, and providing assistance to government officials on a broad range of energy and environmental issues.
“Janine’s outstanding performance is evident in the billions of dollars saved for Ohioans under her leadership and collaboration,” said OCC Governing Board Vice Chair John Moliterno.
“Further, her vision to provide affordable and sustainable energy, water and telecommunications options for consumers establishes a cornerstone for Ohio’s future. Her advocacy on behalf of utility consumers in Ohio has been tireless and exceeded everybody’s expectations.” Migden-Ostrander took office as Ohio’s third Consumers’ Counsel on April 5, 2004.
Migden-Ostrander represents Ohio’s 4.5 million residential utility households before the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO), federal regulatory agencies and in state and federal courts. The agency also monitors utility’s compliance with regulatory standards and educates customers about utility issues and services.
“I am leaving the OCC satisfied that I have accomplished what I set out to do,” Migden-Ostrander added. “I have a strong desire to stay at the OCC to see these important projects through the next level of implementation but recent events impacting our agency have made me decide differently.
"The decision to leave the OCC is entirely my own. No one has asked me to step down. I am leaving because the current environment makes it impossible for me to serve the only way I know how – as an advocate focused on achieving results for the public.”
The Ohio General Assembly reduced the agency’s two-year operating budget from $8.5 million to $5.6 million. An additional $1.5 million cut will take place in the next fiscal year. The OCC eliminated more than 30 positions, severely curtailing or in some cases, eliminating its participation in cases before the PUCO and other regulatory forums. The agency also has drastically scaled back its outreach and education program, and is no longer able to respond to customer complaints about their utility service.
Migden-Ostrander is known within the utility and regulatory community as a knowledgeable and tenacious advocate. She began her 30-year career in public utilities at the OCC where she served as an administrative assistant before earning a law degree from Capital University Law School. She then was promoted to assistant consumers’ counsel and litigated a variety of cases involving state-regulated electric, natural gas, telephone and water utilities.
Migden-Ostrander was awarded the Inspiring Efficiency Leadership Award presented by the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance and the 2007 Public Servant of the Year Award from the Ohio Environmental Council.
“As deputy consumers’ counsel and the OCC’s current legal director with decades of utility experience, this board is confident Bruce Weston has the background and leadership skills to lead the OCC during this interim period,” said Moliterno.
Weston, of Columbus, has more than 30 years of experience in public utilities law. Prior to joining the OCC for the second time in October 2004, Weston was in private law practice. He served as legal counsel for clients in cases involving utility rates, service quality, industry restructuring and competition.
Weston received his bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Cincinnati and began his career at the OCC in 1978 as a law clerk.
After earning his law degree from The Ohio State University, College of Law in 1980, he began a 12-year tenure as counsel for the agency and was subsequently named legal director as well as deputy consumers’ counsel.
Weston chairs the Public Utilities Law Committee of the Ohio State Bar Association.[[In-content Ad]]
The Governing Board of the Office of the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel (OCC) today named Bruce J. Weston interim Consumers’ Counsel while members search for a permanent replacement. Weston has served as the agency’s deputy consumers’ counsel and legal director since August 2004.
“My decision to leave the OCC has been extremely difficult,” Migden-Ostrander said.
“There is no other organization or agency that can replicate what the OCC has accomplished in its 35-year history. I was fortunate to serve at the OCC in its nascent years. It was an honor to return to the agency as the Consumers’ Counsel in April 2004. However, I am looking forward to continuing my career and serving the public interest in my new position.”
Migden-Ostrander has accepted a position as principal consultant with the Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP) a global, nonprofit organization focusing on the long-term economic and environmental sustainability of the electric and natural gas industries, and providing assistance to government officials on a broad range of energy and environmental issues.
“Janine’s outstanding performance is evident in the billions of dollars saved for Ohioans under her leadership and collaboration,” said OCC Governing Board Vice Chair John Moliterno.
“Further, her vision to provide affordable and sustainable energy, water and telecommunications options for consumers establishes a cornerstone for Ohio’s future. Her advocacy on behalf of utility consumers in Ohio has been tireless and exceeded everybody’s expectations.” Migden-Ostrander took office as Ohio’s third Consumers’ Counsel on April 5, 2004.
Migden-Ostrander represents Ohio’s 4.5 million residential utility households before the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO), federal regulatory agencies and in state and federal courts. The agency also monitors utility’s compliance with regulatory standards and educates customers about utility issues and services.
“I am leaving the OCC satisfied that I have accomplished what I set out to do,” Migden-Ostrander added. “I have a strong desire to stay at the OCC to see these important projects through the next level of implementation but recent events impacting our agency have made me decide differently.
"The decision to leave the OCC is entirely my own. No one has asked me to step down. I am leaving because the current environment makes it impossible for me to serve the only way I know how – as an advocate focused on achieving results for the public.”
The Ohio General Assembly reduced the agency’s two-year operating budget from $8.5 million to $5.6 million. An additional $1.5 million cut will take place in the next fiscal year. The OCC eliminated more than 30 positions, severely curtailing or in some cases, eliminating its participation in cases before the PUCO and other regulatory forums. The agency also has drastically scaled back its outreach and education program, and is no longer able to respond to customer complaints about their utility service.
Migden-Ostrander is known within the utility and regulatory community as a knowledgeable and tenacious advocate. She began her 30-year career in public utilities at the OCC where she served as an administrative assistant before earning a law degree from Capital University Law School. She then was promoted to assistant consumers’ counsel and litigated a variety of cases involving state-regulated electric, natural gas, telephone and water utilities.
Migden-Ostrander was awarded the Inspiring Efficiency Leadership Award presented by the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance and the 2007 Public Servant of the Year Award from the Ohio Environmental Council.
“As deputy consumers’ counsel and the OCC’s current legal director with decades of utility experience, this board is confident Bruce Weston has the background and leadership skills to lead the OCC during this interim period,” said Moliterno.
Weston, of Columbus, has more than 30 years of experience in public utilities law. Prior to joining the OCC for the second time in October 2004, Weston was in private law practice. He served as legal counsel for clients in cases involving utility rates, service quality, industry restructuring and competition.
Weston received his bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Cincinnati and began his career at the OCC in 1978 as a law clerk.
After earning his law degree from The Ohio State University, College of Law in 1980, he began a 12-year tenure as counsel for the agency and was subsequently named legal director as well as deputy consumers’ counsel.
Weston chairs the Public Utilities Law Committee of the Ohio State Bar Association.[[In-content Ad]]