Qwest Regional Oversight Committee
Fall Conference
Oct. 17-18, 2006
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
7:30 a.m. Continental Breakfast
Atrium
7:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Registration
Conference Center Lobby
8 a.m. – 1 p.m. State Commission Staff Meeting
Salon D State Commissioners and Staff Meeting
State Commissioners and Staff Meeting and working lunch
with Qwest Corporation representatives
1:30 p.m. Depart for Black Hills Tour
Load motorcoach at hotel entrance
2:30-4:30 p.m. Tour Crazy Horse Memorial, includes refreshment break in the Laughing
Water Restaurant
5-8:30 p.m. Tour and dinner at Mount Rushmore National Memorial
9:30 p.m. Arrive hotel, evening entertainment on your own
7:30 a.m. Continental Breakfast
Atrium
7:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. Registration
Conference Center Lobby
8-8:05 a.m. Welcome
Salons A-D
Honorable Bob Sahr, Regional Oversight Committee Chairman and South Dakota
Public Utilities Commission Chairman
bio
8:05-9:45 a.m. Intercarrier Compensation
Salons A-D The Missoula Plan Finally Arrives: What it is; What’s right
with it; What’s wrong with it.
Moderator:
· The Honorable Ray Baum, Commissioner, Oregon Public Utility Commission bio, presentation
Panelists:
· Ed Rosenberg, Senior Institute Economist, National Regulatory Research Institute bio, presentation , handout
· Joel Lubin, Vice President-Regulatory Planning and Policy, AT&T bio,
· Roy Lathrop, Director State Government Affairs, National Cable & Telecommunications Association bio, presentation, handout
· John Kure, Executive Director, Qwest Corporation bio
· Billy Jack Gregg, Director, Consumer Advocate Division, Public Service Commission of West Virginia bio, presentation
· Bill Hunt, Vice President for Public Policy, Level 3 Communications bio
· Rex Knowles, Executive Director-Regulatory, XO Communications bio, presentation
· Glenn Brown, President, McLean & Brown bio
9:45-10 a.m. Break
Atrium
10-11 a.m. Keynote Address by Richard C. Notebaert, Chairman and Chief
Salons A-D
Executive Officer, Qwest Communications International Inc.
bio
11 a.m. – Noon Universal Service Fund Reverse Auctions
Salons A-D Moderator:
The Honorable Curt Stamp, Commissioner, Iowa Utilities Board bio
Panelists:
· The Honorable Ray Baum, Commissioner, Oregon Public Utility Commission bio, presentation
· Richard D. Coit, Executive Director, South Dakota Telecommunications Association bio
· Billy Jack Gregg, Director, Consumer Advocate Division, Public Service Commission of West Virginia bio
· John Kure, Executive Director, Qwest Corporation bio
· Donald Stockdale, Associate Bureau Chief, Wireline Competition Bureau, Federal Communications Commission bio
12:15-1:15 p.m. Lunch featuring updates about the Qwest Performance
Salons E-H Assurance Plan and by the Federal Communications Commission
Qwest Performance Assurance Plan
· Mike Williams, Senior Director - Regulatory Compliance, Qwest Corporation bio, presentation
· Lynn Notarianni, Rate/Financial Analyst, Colorado Public Utilities Commission bio, presentation
· Michael W. Korber, Lead Analyst, Wyoming Public Service Commission bio, presentation
Federal Communications Commission
· Donald Stockdale, Associate Bureau Chief, Wireline Competition Bureau bio
1:15-2:15 p.m. Video Franchising
Salons A-D A Battlefield Perspective from the Federal, State and Local Levels
Moderator:
The Honorable Mary Brynes, Commissioner, Wyoming Public Service Commission bio
Panelists:
· Wayne Fonteix, Regional Vice President, AT&T bio
· Mary LaFave, Director of Public Policy, Qwest Corporation bio
· Tom Simmons, Vice President for Public Policy, Midcontinent Communications bio
2:15-4:30 p.m. Competition Super Session
Salons A-D Moderator:
The Honorable Ted Boyer, Commissioner, Utah Public Service Commission bio
The Evolving Economics of Competition
Speaker:
Michael Santorelli, Associate Director, Advanced Communications Law and Policy Institute at New York Law School bio, presentation
By the Numbers: A Statistical Trip Across the Region
Panelists:
· Joe Cusick, Telecom Supervisor, Idaho Public Utilities Commission bio, presentation
· John Ridgway, Manager-Telecom, Iowa Utilities Board bio, presentation
· Wilford Saunders, Assistant Director-Telecommunications, Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission bio, presentation
· Wendy Moser, Vice President of Public Policy, Qwest Corporation bio, presentation
What the Future Holds
Panelists:
· The Honorable Tony Clark, President, North Dakota Public Service Commission bio
· Wendy Moser, Vice President of Public Policy, Qwest Corporation bio
· Michael Santorelli, Associate Director, Advanced Communications Law and Policy Institute at New York Law School bio
5:15 p.m. Depart for a Night on the Town in Historic Deadwood
Load motorcoach at hotel entrance
10:30 p.m. Return to hotel
Conference Speakers
Welcome
Commissioner Bob Sahr is chairman of the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission and a national leader in protecting consumers and developing telecommunications infrastructure in rural America.
He led the effort to create the South Dakota Do-Not-Call List. As a result, more than 339,400 South Dakota landline and cell phones are on the list.
Since 2002, Chairman Sahr has spearheaded a first-of-its-kind-in-the-nation program to build more cell phone towers. This has led to unprecedented investment in new cell tower sites in South Dakota with service coming to many rural communities for the first time.
He is the chairman of the Qwest Regional Oversight Committee, a position held since 2005. He also serves on the NARUC telecommunications committee. He formerly was secretary of the Mid-America Regulatory Conference.
Chairman Sahr graduated with honors from the University of Colorado, Boulder and worked in sales and marketing for Michelin Tire Corporation. He earned his law degree from the University of Colorado School of Law.
Chairman Sahr and his wife, Christine, live in Pierre, S.D. with their daughter, Allison.
Chairman Bob Sahr, South Dakota Public Utilities Commission, 500 E. Capitol Ave., Pierre, SD 57501. Phone: (605) 773-3201. E-mail: Bob.Sahr@state.sd.us
The Missoula Plan Finally Arrives
Commissioner Ray Baum was appointed to the Oregon Public Utility Commission in August 2003. He was a country lawyer for 20 years before his appointment to the OPUC. During his years of law practice he served eight years in the Oregon Legislature where he served as chair of the Joint Committee on Trade and Economic Development, chair of the House Natural Resources Committee and was the House Majority Leader. Before his appointment to the OPUC, he served five years as an Oregon Liquor Control Commissioner.
Commissioner Baum serves as a member of the NARUC Telecommunications Committee, the NARUC Task Force on Telecommunications Act Rewrite and was chairman of the NARUC Task Force on Intercarrier Compensation. He is currently serving as state chair of the Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service.
He received his bachelor’s degree in financial and estate planning with a minor in agricultural economics from Brigham Young University in 1980. He earned a law degree from Willamette University Law School in 1983.
Commissioner Ray Baum, Oregon Public Utility Commission, 550 Capitol St. NE #215,
PO Box 2148, Salem, OR 97308-2148. Phone: (503) 378-6611. E-mail: Ray.Baum@state.or.us
Ed Rosenberg is a senior institute economist at the National Regulatory Research Institute at Ohio State University, where he has been since 1991. His research focuses on telecommunications issues. In addition, Mr. Rosenberg is editor of the “NRRI Journal of Applied Regulation,” teaches graduate courses in quantitative methods and public economics in OSU’s John Glenn School of Public Affairs, and is a lecturer at Michigan State’s Camp NARUC.
A native of North Carolina, Mr. Rosenberg taught economics and statistics at North Carolina State University (where he received his doctorate degree) and the University of North Carolina at Asheville. Prior to that, he spent eight years as a staff economist at the North Carolina Utilities Commission.
Ed Rosenberg, NRRI, 372 Bevis Hall, 1080 Carmack Road, Columbus, OH 43210-1002. Phone: (614) 292-4417. E-mail: Rosenberg.19@osu.edu
Joel E. Lubin is vice president-regulatory planning and policy at AT&T. He is responsible for development and economic support of state and federal policy and planning initiatives.
Mr. Lubin has more than 37 years experience with AT&T. He started with Bell Telephone Laboratories in 1969, developing computer models to solve business problems. In 1972, he transferred to Long Lines, a department of AT&T, where he held various positions conducting economic analysis on telecommunications issues, and developing computer systems to support AT&T’s national sales force.
From 1984 to the present, Mr. Lubin has taken on major telecommunications industry issues that required directing the development of economic analysis, formulating public policy positions and advocating those positions to federal and state regulators. In addition, Mr. Lubin managed, directed and led large interdepartmental teams addressing these complex problems. Finally, he has represented AT&T in various external coalitions, and negotiated solutions to complex industry problems.
Mr. Lubin has testified before the FCC, Federal-State Joint Boards, and congressional committees addressing both access and universal service issues. He was also appointed by the Federal-State Joint Board to participate in a multi-year rural task force to address universal service issues associated with rural telephone companies. Mr. Lubin is serving a second term on the Universal Service Administration Company Board and is the vice chairman of the High Cost and Low Income Committee of USAC.
Mr. Lubin received a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Wilkes University in 1969. He also earned a master’s degree in operations research/engineering methods from Columbia University in 1973 and a master’s degree in business administration from Fordham University in 1976.
Joel Lubin, AT&T, 1120 20th St. NW, Ste. 1000, Washington, DC 20036. Phone: (202) 457-3838. E-mail: lubin@att.com
Roy Lathrop is director of state government affairs for the National Cable and Telecommunications Association where his primary responsibility is to assist state cable associations’ and cable companies’ work with state regulators, legislators and policymakers.
He has a mix of public and private sector regulatory experience. He served at the California Public Utilities Commission for several years and the Washington State Commission for a year, before moving to the other Washington (DC) where he worked in state and federal regulatory groups of MCI and later, WorldCom.
Mr. Lathrop holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and environmental studies, and a master’s degree in economics from the University of California at Santa Barbara.
Roy Lathrop, NCTA, 25 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Ste. 100, Washington, DC 20001. Phone: (202) 222-2328. E-mail: RLathrop@NCTA.com
John Kure is an executive director in Qwest’s public policy organization concentrating on state regulatory issues for Colorado. Previously, he was part of Qwest’s Washington, D.C., office focusing on access, interconnection, numbering and universal service. In his more than 30 years with Qwest and its predecessor local exchange companies, Mr. Kure has held a number of positions including product management and local exchange operations.
He is a graduate of the University of Wyoming.
John Kure, Qwest, 1801 California St., Room 4740, Denver, CO 80202. Phone: (303) 896-6428.
E-mail: John.Kure@Qwest.com
Billy Jack Gregg has been a lawyer for more than 31 years and has served as director of the Consumer Advocate Division of the West Virginia Public Service Commission since the office was created in 1981. As consumer advocate, Mr. Gregg represents West Virginians in all major proceedings affecting rates for electricity, gas, telephone and water. Prior to this position, Mr. Gregg was the senior staff attorney in the field solicitor’s office of the U.S. Department of Interior in Charleston, W.V.; was in private practice in Hurricane, W.V.; and served as assistant attorney general assigned to the West Virginia Human Rights Commission.
Mr. Gregg attended the University of Glasgow, Scotland, and received his bachelor’s degree in history and government from Austin College in Sherman, Texas. He earned his law degree from the University of Texas in Austin, Texas.
Mr. Gregg is a member of the board of directors of NRRI and the FCC’s Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service. He has previously served as treasurer and a member of the executive committee of the National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates, as a member of the FCC’s Rural Task Force, and as a member of the board of directors of the Universal Service Administrative Company.
Billy Jack Gregg, Consumer Advocate Division, West Virginia Public Service Commission, 723 Kanawha Blvd E., Seventh Floor, Charleston, WV 25301. Phone: (304) 558-0526. E-mail: bjgregg@cad.state.wv.us
Bill Hunt is vice president for public policy with Level 3 Communications Inc. where he is responsible for regulatory issues in North America and Europe. Prior to joining Level 3 in February 1999, he was with MCI Communications Corp. He joined MCI in 1994 in Washington, DC, and joined the state regulatory group in Denver in March 1996.
Bill Hunt, Level 3 Communications, 1025 Eldorado Blvd., Broomfield, CO 80021. Phone: (720) 888-2516. E-mail: bill.hunt@level3.com
Rex M. Knowles has been with XO Communications since April 1996 and is currently executive director – regulatory. In this position he is responsible for regulatory, legislative, municipal and external affairs issues for XO’s operations in the western United States. Mr. Knowles has testified before state legislatures and regulatory commissions regarding a wide variety of competitive telecommunications issues. He has also negotiated interconnection agreements for numerous states with many incumbent local exchange carriers. In addition to his responsibilities with XO, Mr. Knowles has also taught a telecommunications policy class at Weber State University since 2000.
Prior to joining XO, he spent seven years working in the Sprint local phone division in Hood River, Ore. and Las Vegas, Nev. At Sprint, Mr. Knowles was responsible for developing, analyzing and implementing alternative forms of regulation; opening the market for local competition; supervising incremental cost studies; managing 9-1-1 services and extended area service arrangements.
Mr. Knowles graduated from Portland State University with a degree in business administration, emphasis finance/law. He and his wife, Denise, have three children: Chad, Jenna and Lauren, and reside in South Jordan, Utah.
Rex M. Knowles, XO Communications, 111 E. Broadway, Ste. 1000, Salt Lake City, UT 84111. Phone: (801) 983-1504. E-mail: rex.knowles@xo.com
Glenn H. Brown is president of McLean & Brown, a telecommunications consulting firm specializing in universal service and access reform issues. He is also a facilitator of the Rural Alliance, one of the Missoula Plan sponsors.
Prior to joining McLean & Brown in 1998, Mr. Brown worked 28 years for U S WEST where he was responsible for leading the company’s advocacy efforts in the federal and state arenas. He has presented testimony on a wide range of telecommunications regulation and pricing issues before numerous state regulatory commissions, the Federal Communications Commission and the U.S. Congress. He is a nationally-recognized expert in the areas of universal service, access reform and rural telephony issues.
Mr. Brown has a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from Lehigh University and a master’s degree in business from the University of Colorado. He is the father of three grown children and lives with his wife, Nancy, in Sedona, Ariz.
Glenn H. Brown, McLean & Brown, 55 Cathedral Rock Dr., Suite 32, Sedona, AZ 86351.
Phone: (928) 284-3315. E-mail: gbrown@mcleanbrown.com
Keynote Address
Richard C. (Dick) Notebaert was elected chairman and chief executive officer of Qwest Communications International Inc. on June 17, 2002.
Formerly, Mr. Notebaert was president and chief executive officer of Tellabs, a position he had held since August 2000. Prior to that, Mr. Notebaert retired from his position as chairman of the board of Ameritech Corporation in December 1999. His 30-year career with that organization included appointments as president of Ameritech Mobile Communications (1986), president of Indiana Bell (1989) and president of Ameritech Services (1992). In 1993, he became president and chief operating officer of Ameritech Corporation and in January 1994, was named the company’s president and chief executive officer. He was elected to the position of chairman and chief executive officer on April 20, 1994.
Mr. Notebaert received a bachelor’s degree in 1969 and a master’s degree in business administration in 1983, both from the University of Wisconsin. He has received a number of honors and awards, including the 1999 Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and four honorary degrees.
He is a member of the board of directors of Aon Corporation, Cardinal Health Inc., the Denver Center for Performing Arts and Qwest Communications International Inc. He serves as a trustee of the University of Notre Dame and as a member of The Business Council. In April 2003, President George W. Bush appointed Mr. Notebaert as a member of the National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee, which provides industry-based analysis and recommendations on a wide range of policy and technical issues.
He and his wife, Peggy, have two adult children and a home in Denver.
Richard C. Notebaert, Qwest Communications, 1801 California St., Ste. 5200, Denver, CO 80202.
Universal Service Fund Reverse Auctions
Commissioner Curt Stamp of Des Moines began serving as a member of the Iowa Utilities Board in September 2005. Gov. Tom Vilsack appointed him to fill an unexpired term through April 2007.
Commissioner Stamp is a member of the NARUC Committee on Telecommunications and the Intercarrier Compensation Task Force. He also serves on the Federal-State Joint Board on Separations and the North American Numbering Council. In September 2006, Stamp was appointed secretary of the Mid-America Regulatory Conference.
Commissioner Stamp has years of public policy and utility experience. Most recently, he was an attorney in private practice working with various telecommunications and utility clients at two Des Moines law firms. He served as a legal intern in the office of FCC Commissioner Kathleen Abernathy. He was manager of policy and law for Qwest Corporation from 1997 to 2001; legislative liaison for the Iowa Utilities Board from 1995 to 1997; and a legislative analyst on the Iowa Senate Republican staff from 1989 to 1995.
He has a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in business administration from Iowa State University and a law degree (with honors) from Drake University Law School.
Commissioner Curt Stamp, Iowa Utilities Board, 350 Maple St., Des Moines, IA 50319. Phone: (515) 281-5168. E-mail: Curt.Stamp@iub.state.ia.us
Commissioner Ray Baum See description under “Missoula Plan” on page 4.
Richard D. Coit has served as general counsel and executive director of the South Dakota Telecommunications Association since 1993 and as administrator of the South Dakota Association of Telephone Cooperatives since 2000. His primary responsibilities are representation of the SDTA membership before the South Dakota PUC, other state agencies, the state legislature and the FCC.
After earning his law degree, Mr. Coit spent two years in private practice in Wisconsin before accepting a position with the South Dakota Attorney General’s Office. There, Mr. Coit served as an assistant attorney general. He has also worked for the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission where he specialized in telecommunications. He spent two years with DialNet, a long distance company, before coming to his current position.
A native of the Midwest, Mr. Coit graduated from North Dakota State University with a bachelor’s degree in political science and a minor in business. He earned his law degree from the University of South Dakota School of Law in 1984.
He and his wife, Nancy, have two children, Lindsey and Michael.
Richard D. Coit, South Dakota Telecommunications Association, 320 E. Capitol Ave., Pierre, SD 57501. Phone: (605) 224-0516. E-mail: richcoit@sdtaonline.com
Billy Jack Gregg See description under “Missoula Plan” on page 6.
John Kure See description under “Missoula Plan” on page 6.
Donald K. Stockdale, Jr. is the associate chief, law and economics, of the Wireline Competition Bureau at the FCC. He supervises WCB’s pricing policy proceedings (including the reform of intercarrier compensation) and the review of all wireline mergers and also acts as WCB’s chief economist. In addition, Mr. Stockdale frequently advises regulators from other countries on local competition, interconnection and pricing issues.
Prior to this position, he was director of research in the Office of Strategic Planning and Policy Analysis, where he participated in the commission’s review of major telecommunications mergers and assisted the commission’s operating bureaus on major rulemakings. Before moving to OSP, Mr. Stockdale was the associate chief and chief economist of the FCC's Common Carrier Bureau, where he supervised the bureau’s review of common carrier mergers and advised the bureau on access reform, universal service and local competition issues. Prior to that, Mr. Stockdale served as a deputy chief of the policy and program planning division of the FCC's Common Carrier Bureau, where, among other things, he supervised portions of the commission’s local competition proceeding.
Prior to joining the FCC, Mr. Stockdale taught business and public policy at the University of Maryland Business School. Before that he was a litigation associate at the New York law firm of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, where he specialized in U.S. and European antitrust law.
Mr. Stockdale has a bachelor’s degree, law degree, and doctorate in economics, all from Yale University and a master’s degree in economics from Kings College, Cambridge.
Donald K. Stockdale, Jr., Wireline Competition Bureau, Federal Communications Commission, 445 12th St. SW, Washington, DC 20554. Phone: (202) 418-1589. E-mail: Donald.stockdale@fcc.gov
Qwest Performance Assurance Plan Update
Michael Williams is presently the senior director of regulatory compliance with responsibility for service quality requirements and compliance assurance for Qwest, nationwide.
Since 1981, Mr. Williams has worked for Qwest or its predecessors in various management positions, including network engineering, technical sales, regulatory, new technologies, international wireless joint-venture leadership, wholesale interconnection operations and regulatory finance. His responsibilities have involved service quality-related metrics and payments since 1997, when he became Qwest’s federal declarant on service quality in its applications for long distance authority under Section 271 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. He has held his current position since July 2004. Mr. Williams has delivered testimony and participated in workshops in each of the 14 states in Qwest’s local services region and before the FCC.
Mr. Williams holds a master’s degree from the University of Utah and a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Brigham Young University.
He is married, with seven children (one still at home) and nine grandchildren. He lives and works in the Denver, Colo., area.
Michael Williams, Qwest, 1395 W. 12th Ave., Broomfield, CO 80020. Phone: (303) 896-9183. E-mail: Mike.Williams@qwest.com
Lynn Notarianni is a rate financial analyst in the fixed utilities department of the Colorado Public Utilities Commission.
Ms. Notarianni is responsible for all telecom advice letter and petition filings; administration of the Colorado High Cost Support Mechanism and Low Income Telephone Assistance Plan; E-911 regulatory matters; E-911 task force coordination and activities; coordination of activities with the rural telephone companies and the Colorado Telecommunications Association; all wholesale and interconnection issues; and ongoing service quality monitoring.
Prior to working for the Colorado PUC, Ms. Notarianni worked for Qwest and its predecessor, U S WEST, for more than 19 years in various technical and operational divisions. Among other state and federal wholesale and information technology regulatory matters Ms. Notarianni represented, she was responsible for oversight of the Qwest operational support systems testing effort and associated regulatory proceedings necessary to gain 271 long distance re-entry.
Ms. Notarianni received her bachelor’s degree in business administration from Creighton University in 1984 with a major in computer information systems. She completed her coursework in the master’s of telecommunications program at the Colorado University School of Engineering in 1993.
Lynn Notarianni, Colorado Public Utilities Commission, 1580 Logan St., OL-1, Denver, CO 80203. Phone: (303) 894-5945. E-mail: lynn.notarianni@dora.state.co.us
Michael W. Korber is the lead rate analyst for the Wyoming Public Service Commission specializing in telecommunications issues. He is also manager of the Wyoming Universal Service Fund. Mr. Korber has worked at the Wyoming Commission since 1986. He is a member of the NARUC subcommittee on telecommunications and various other telecommunications and regulatory entities. His previous work experience includes serving as assistant controller of a major savings and loan association and an audit specialist for a certified public accounting firm.
Mr. Korber is a Wyoming native with a bachelor’s degree in finance and accounting from the University of Wyoming.
Mike Korber, Wyoming Public Service Commission, 2515 Warren Ave., Ste. 300, Cheyenne, WY 82002. Phone: (307) 777-7428. E-mail: mkorbe@state.wy.us
Federal Communications Commission Update
Donald K. Stockdale, Jr. See description under “Universal Service Fund Reverse Auctions” on page 9.
Video Franchising
Commissioner Mary Byrnes was appointed to the Wyoming Public Service Commission in August 2005, for a term ending March 2009. Prior to being appointed to the PSC, she worked as a senior analyst to the Wyoming Legislature, primarily on K-12 school finance for 10 years. Additionally, she was an administrator to the Wyoming research and statistics division, a ditch rider for the Wyoming state engineer and an economic consultant.
Commissioner Byrnes’ educational background includes bachelor’s and master’s degrees in agricultural economics earned from the University of Wyoming.
She served in the Peace Corps 1991-92, has lived in Africa and resides in Laramie, Wyo.
Commissioner Mary Byrnes, Wyoming Public Service Commission, 2515 Warren Ave., Ste. 300, Cheyenne, WY 82002. Phone: (307) 777-7428. E-mail: mbyrne@state.wy.us
Wayne Fonteix is regional vice president of state and local government affairs for AT&T in Bedminster, N.J. He has primary responsibility for AT&T’s national relationships with various state and local government associations, including the National Governor’s Association, National Conference of State Legislatures, American Legislative Exchange Council, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors, and NARUC.
Prior to his current assignment, Mr. Fonteix was responsible for managing the planning and implementation of AT&T public policy initiatives across all state regulatory jurisdictions, with particular emphasis on emerging technologies such as Voice over Internet Protocol services. Prior to that, he held the position of local markets director in AT&T’s Local Services Organization. There, he was responsible for defining business and regulatory requirements in support of AT&T’s competitive entry into the local exchange and exchange access markets. In that role he frequently appeared before the FCC and state commissions to provide expert testimony regarding competition and interconnection.
Mr. Fonteix has been with AT&T since 1985 and has held a variety of positions in the areas of human resources, business planning, regulatory analysis and policy development.
Wayne Fonteix, AT&T, 3A150 One AT&T Way, Bedminster, NJ 07921. Phone: (908) 234-7740. E-mail: Fonteix@att.com
Mary Ferguson LaFave has been with Qwest and its predecessor companies for more than 25 years and has served in a variety of roles including lawyer, labor negotiator and director in public policy. Her current responsibilities include developing and implementing Qwest’s franchise strategy and advocacy as well as franchise acquisition.
Mary Ferguson LaFave, Qwest, 1801 California St., 47th Floor, Denver, CO 80220.
Phone: (303) 896-2723. E-mail: Mary.LaFave@Qwest.com
W. Tom Simmons is the vice president of public policy for Midcontinent Communications. Midcontinent Communications is the leading provider of cable television services, as well as local and long distance telephone service, high-speed Internet access, and cable advertising services for communities in North Dakota and South Dakota. Midcontinent’s service area includes more than 200 communities serving more than 200,000 customers. Mr. Simmons is primarily involved in public policy, public relations, public affairs and government relations, and is the general spokesperson for the company.
During the past 19 years with Midcontinent, Mr. Simmons has served as the vice president of commercial services; vice president and general manager of Midco Communications, Midcontinent’s telephone division; and vice president and general manager of Midcontinent’s South Dakota radio broadcasting division. Prior to joining Midcontinent, he managed radio stations in Spokane, Wash.; Boise, Idaho; and Green Bay, Wisc.
Mr. Simmons holds degrees in psychology and worked as a counselor in the mid-1970s. He has testified in a variety of telecommunications issues before the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee, the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee, the South Dakota PUC, the North Dakota PSC, and legislative committees in North Dakota and South Dakota.
He and his wife, Mary, have three children, two grandsons and a granddaughter. They reside in Sioux Falls, S.D., the operations headquarters of Midcontinent Communications.
W. Tom Simmons, Midcontinent Communications, 5001 W. 41st St., Sioux Falls, SD 57106
Phone: (605) 357-5491. E-mail: Tom_Simmons@mmi.net
Competition Super Session
Commissioner Ted Boyer was appointed to his first term on the Utah Public Service Commission in June 2003. He is a member of NARUC and serves on its telecommunications and international committees. Commissioner Boyer is president of the Western Conference of Public Service Commissioners.
Prior to his appointment, Commissioner Boyer served on the cabinet of Gov. Michael Leavitt as executive director of the Utah Department of Commerce and before that as director of the Utah Real Estate Division. He practiced law in Salt Lake City for more than 20 years.
Commissioner Boyer holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Brigham Young University. He earned his law degree from the University of Utah.
Commissioner Ted Boyer, Utah Public Service Commission, 160 East 300 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84111. Phone: (801) 530-6712. E-mail: tboyer@utah.gov.
The Evolving Economics of Competition
Michael J. Santorelli is the associate director of the Advanced Communications Law & Policy Institute at New York Law School. He is responsible for developing and maintaining the institute’s core academic program as well as managing conferences, workshops and other events sponsored by ACLP. In addition, Mr. Santorelli is a senior fellow at the law school’s media center. He frequently researches and writes on broadband, telecommunications, Internet law and public policy issues.
Prior to joining the institute, Mr. Santorelli was policy director for the New York City Council’s Committee on Technology in Government. As its lead staffer, he was responsible for setting the committee’s legislative and policy agenda, drafting legislation, organizing hearings, and preparing key policy papers on a number of diverse topics.
He received his bachelor’s degree, cum laude, from Tufts University, and his law degree, cum laude, from New York Law School. He is a member of the New York Bar.
Michael Santorelli, Advanced Communications Law & Policy Institute at New York Law School, 57 Worth St., Room B 401, New York, NY 10013. Phone (212) 431-2163. E-mail: mjsantorelli@nyls.edu
By the Numbers
Joe Cusick began his telecommunications career in 1964 with New Jersey Bell. He started in engineering and also spent eight years as a central office equipment technician. His experience in public policy started with Mountain Bell in 1978. He retired from U S WEST in 1990 and has been with the Idaho Public Utilities Commission since 1992.
Mr. Cusick is currently chair of the NARUC Staff Subcommittee on Telecommunications as well as chair of the state staff of the Federal-State Joint Board on Separations.
He has a degree in finance and management from Idaho State University.
Joe Cusick, Idaho Public Utilities Commission, PO Box 83720, Boise, ID 83720-0074. Phone: (208) 334-0333. E-mail: joe.cusick@puc.idaho.gov
John Ridgway is the manager of the telecom section of the Iowa Utilities Board. He has been working in the telecommunications industry for more than 40 years. His experience includes more than 20 years in the Bell system in various roles. He has worked for a variety of industry start-ups such as Teleconnect and Iowa Network Services. He has worked for the IUB for the last six years, serving on committees for NARUC, ROC and NRRI.
John Ridgway, Iowa Utilities Board, 350 Maple St., Des Moines, IA 50319. Phone: (515) 281-4034. E-mail: john.ridgway@iub.state.ia.us
Wilford (Will) Saunders joined the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission in October 2005 as assistant director for telecommunications. His previous experience includes regulatory, operations and policy work for General Dynamics, V-SAT Telecom, and the International Finance Corporation.
He
holds a bachelor’s degree from Bowdoin College and a law degree from the
University of Maine. He is admitted to practice law in Washington and Maine.
Will
Saunders,
Washington
Utilities and Transportation Commission,
1300 Evergreen Park Dr. SW,
Olympia,
WA
98503.
Phone: (360) 664-1245. E-mail: wsaunders@wutc.wa.gov
Wendy M. Moser is a vice president of policy for Qwest Communications International Inc. She is responsible for public policy corporate staff, developing and implementing company strategy, and advocacy for regulatory filings before the FCC and state public utilities commissions. Her team provides regulatory, contracting and tariff support to the Qwest business units in the marketing and provisioning of products and services to retail and wholesale customers.
Ms. Moser has worked for Qwest and its predecessor, U S WEST, since 1993. Before that, she was a trial attorney with the Denver-based law firm of Sherman & Howard. She received her bachelor’s degree in mathematics and political science from South Dakota State University and her law degree from the University of Denver, College of Law.
Wendy Moser, Qwest, 1801 California St., 47th Floor, Denver, CO 80202. Phone: (303) 965-2418. E-mail: Wendy.Moser@Qwest.com
What the Future Holds
Commissioner Tony Clark was elected to the North Dakota Public Service Commission in November 2000. Since joining the PSC, he has been a strong advocate for North Dakota’s interests in some of the state’s most important industries. He currently serves as president of the commission.
As the holder of the telecommunications portfolio, he works to strengthen North Dakota’s future by supporting policies that benefit consumers and promote investment in a world-class telecommunications infrastructure. He is a national leader in telecommunications policy and serves as chairman of the telecommunications committee of NARUC. As such, he regularly interacts with government and industry leaders in the telecommunications field. He has testified on telecommunications matters before committees of both the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives, and has been quoted in publications such as the Wall Street Journal, the Denver Post and the Baltimore Sun.
Prior to his election he was labor commissioner, serving in the cabinet of Gov. Ed Schafer. From 1997-99 he was administrative officer for the state tax department. He is a former state legislator, representing District 44 (Fargo) in the state House from 1994-97.
In 1998, the Council of State Governments named him a Toll Fellow for his outstanding achievement and service to state government. In 1996, he was selected for and completed the Program for Emerging Political Leaders at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business.
He is a graduate of Fargo North High School and holds bachelor’s degrees from North Dakota State University. He holds a master’s degree in public administration from the University of North Dakota.
Commissioner Clark is a past chairman of the Qwest Regional Oversight Committee. He is a member of advisory councils of the Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute at NDSU, the Institute for Public Utilities at Michigan State University, and the New Mexico State University Center for Public Utilities.
He and his wife, Amy, reside in rural Bismarck and have two children.
Commissioner Tony Clark, North Dakota Public Service Commission, 600 E. Boulevard Ave., Bismarck, ND 58505. Phone: (701) 328-2400. E-mail: tclark@nd.gov
Wendy Moser See description under “By the Numbers” on page 13.
Michael J. Santorelli See description under “Evolving Economics of Competition” on page 12.