Gov. Hutchinson appoints Katie Anderson as chair of PSC

Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced Thursday (Sept. 29) his appointment of Katie Anderson of Scott as chairman of the Public Service Commission. Her start date at the powerful regulatory agency is Oct. 2.

Anderson works as an Administrative Law Judge for the Arkansas Workers’ Compensation Commission. She is also a vice president of I.F. Anderson Farms, Inc. in Lonoke, a fourth generation family-owned bait fish farm in operation since 1949.

She previously served as a law clerk for the Honorable Erin Wiedemann, U.S. Magistrate Judge for the Western District of Arkansas; the Honorable Audrey Evans, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge for the Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas; and the Honorable Karen Baker, Judge, Arkansas Court of Appeals.

From 2012 – 2015 she was senior manager of the State and Local Policy Team for Walmart Stores, Inc. Anderson is a graduate of the University of Arkansas and the University of Arkansas School of Law.

“Katie has proven to be a fair arbiter of important issues throughout her career,” Hutchinson said. “I’m confident she will bring a fair and balanced approach to matters before the Public Service Commission. She has served the state well as an Administrative Law Judge and her judicial temperament and sense of fairness make her a good fit in the Public Service Commission.”

“I want to thank Governor Hutchinson for his confidence and trust in me to serve as Chairman of the Public Service Commission,” Anderson said. “I am truly honored to accept this appointment, and I am beyond grateful for this opportunity. In this new capacity, I will continue to serve the people of Arkansas with the utmost level of integrity and professionalism.”

Anderson will replace Chairman Ted Thomas, who announced he would leave the post on Oct. 1. Anderson’s start date is Oct. 2, 2022. She will serve the remainder of Thomas’s term which expires Jan. 14, 2027.

The APSC regulates the intrastate rates and services of the public utilities in Arkansas. Through its tax division, the Commission also determines ad valorem assessments for property tax purposes on public utilities and carriers, including telecommunications providers, electric, gas and water utilities, pipeline companies, railroads, airlines, barge lines, cable television providers, motor carriers, and bus lines.