Three newly elected members of the five-member Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) were sworn into office Monday. Sandra Kennedy, Paul Newman and Bob Stump, all of whom have held past elected local and state offices, joined existing Commissioners Kris Mayes and Gary Pierce.

The trio was elected in last November’s elections to begin four-year terms starting this month (see Daily GPI, Dec. 23, 2008).

A former state legislator in both houses and an independent business owner, Kennedy “makes history” as the ACC’s first African-American elected to the state regulatory body, according to an ACC spokesperson. Kennedy is expected to emphasize consumer protection, creation of more green jobs and energy independence steps, according to the spokesperson.

After serving as a court management consultant and public defender in California, Newman, who is an attorney, moved to Arizona and eventually became an elected county official in his adopted state. He holds various undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Maryland and University of Southern California as well as a law degree from California Western School of Law.

Newman has indicated he wants to help further the development of a “‘sustainable economy’ while protecting our environment,” he told the ACC spokesperson.

The third newcomer, Stump, was a reporter/editor in Washington, DC, before being elected to the Arizona state legislature (2002-08). Stump holds degrees from Harvard and the University of California at Berkeley. Stump did not specify any areas he wishes to emphasize in his new commission role.

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