PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Governor Gina M. Raimondo has nominated Macky McCleary to be the state's new Administrator of the Division of Public Utilities and Carriers (DPUC), effective September 5, 2016. She submitted his name to the Rhode Island Senate for advice and consent on Wednesday. Current Administrator Thomas F. Ahern submitted his retirement letter to the Governor earlier this week.
"From day one, my goal as Governor has been to give everyone a chance to make it in Rhode Island," Raimondo said. "A big part of that is making it easier to do business in our state, so we can create more jobs and give people more opportunities. As the Director of the Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation (DBR), Macky has a track record of success, making processes more efficient for businesses across the board. I look forward to working with him in this new role."
"Under Governor Raimondo's leadership, state government has begun to think about regulation in a 21st century way," McCleary said. "At DBR, we've been able to successfully implement the LEAN Government Initiative, significantly cut the time it takes businesses to acquire the licenses they need, and encourage reform in Rhode Island's liquor industry. Now, I'm excited to take on new challenges at the DPUC."
McCleary is the Director of the Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation. Under his leadership, the department has focused on making the state more business friendly. DBR oversees the banking and insurance industries, as well as professional licensing, securities and trading, and liquor control. As Director, McCleary created a regulatory transformation strategy intended to modernize business regulation and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the delivery of government services statewide. Most recently, he worked with the General Assembly to propose the "Premium Jobs" incentive. By leveraging the strength of Rhode Island's renowned insurance industry, this initiative aims to attract new, high-quality insurance jobs to Rhode Island and strengthen the insurance industry as a whole.
McCleary previously worked as Deputy Commissioner for the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, where he was a leader in the agency's transformation. In that role, he expanded the agency's investment in LEAN transformation and continual process improvement. During his tenure, the agency made marked improvements in the speed, efficiency, effectiveness, transparency, and predictability of its permitting processes, improving the regulatory experience for affected businesses and municipalities as well as employees and other stakeholders. McCleary holds Bachelor's and Master's degrees from Yale University.
McCleary will replace Thomas F. Ahern, who has been Administrator of the Rhode Island DPUC since May of 1997.
"Tom has given almost two decades of his life to public service," Raimondo said. "I am thankful for his work on behalf of ratepayers throughout the state, and wish him the very best."
As Administrator of the DPUC, McCleary will serve a six-year term. The DPUC has two main roles:
• Advocate for administration energy policy before the Public Utilities Commission, in coordination with the Office of Energy Resources and other state agencies; and
• Directly regulate some utilities and carriers, including drinking water, wastewater, telecom, cable TV, motor carriers, taxicab, and ferry services; DPUC's responsibilities include evaluating the necessity, fitness, and public convenience of new services.
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