LANSING – After serving two months past her term’s expiration date, Public Service Commissioner Monica Martinez announced September 2 will be her last day on the job.

“It has been an honor to serve the people of Michigan,” Martinez said in a statement Thursday. “Throughout my time at the MPSC, I have had the privilege of working with a team of dedicated public servants. I have also had the opportunity to be a part of a transforming regulatory landscape for both the energy and telecommunications industries. Michigan now has in place forward-looking policies that will serve the citizens of Michigan well.”

Martinez was appointed by then-Governor Jennifer Granholm in 2005, and it had been known Governor Rick Snyder was not planning to reappoint her. Her term expired July 2, but surprisingly Snyder has still not named a successor to the three-member commission, both of which are also appointees of Granholm.

“We thank Commissioner Martinez for her dedicated service to Michigan,” Snyder said in a statement. “Her regulatory expertise has made her a leader regionally and nationally. In Michigan, she has been instrumental in working with multiple interest groups to develop initiatives that have been fair to both consumers and utilities and that will benefit our state for years to come.”

Whether her resignation is a signal Snyder has found a replacement was unclear, according to several sources.

Snyder press secretary Sara Wurfel said Snyder is still actively reviewing candidates.

“The governor is really interested in finding the right fit and background,” she said.

Wurfel said the governor is appreciative of Martinez staying on during this process past her term.

A successor will not be named before Martinez leaves on September 2, Wurfel said.

“The commission can still do their business with two votes,” she said.

Aside from her work on the commission, Martinez served as past president of the Mid America Regulatory Conference and last October she was elected president of the Organization of MISO States.

She also served a member of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, the Consumer Affairs and the Telecommunications Committees and the Clean Coal and Utility Marketplace Access Subcommittees.

Martinez earned a Masters of Business Administration during her time on the commission and will pursue career opportunities after taking a short period of time off, according to a statement.

This story was provided by Gongwer News Service. To subscribe, click on Gongwer.Com

a>>