As an attorney with over 31 years in public service, Chris’s tenure with the state of Ohio included 18 years of executive management experience, including 7 years as Chief of Staff and 9 years as Deputy Legal Director for the PUCO and the OPSB.
In her various roles as a regulator, Chris was involved in most of the major energy regulatory issues Ohio faced in the last decades. She now brings that experience and perspective to bear on behalf of the Firm’s private sector clients. Her clients include solar developers, including utility-scale, small-scale, and distributed generation solar developers, offshore and terrestrial wind developers, natural gas pipeline companies, and retail electric and gas governmental aggregators.
Education & Credentials
Education
Otterbein College
B.A., Political Science and Speech- Phi Alpha Theta History Honorary
- Ketner Debate Scholarship
- James O. Cox Debate Prize Winner
Capital University Law School
J.D.Bar Admission
Acknowledgements
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Frank B. Richards Award for Excellence in Management and Public Service, Public Utilities Commission of Ohio
Prominent Assignments
In addition, as Deputy Legal Director, Chris supervised administrative law judges and presided over applications filed before the PUCO/OPSB, including cases involving: requests for increases in distribution and generation rates; electric security plans and market rate offers; natural gas and telecommunications alternative regulation filings; certificates to provide competitive retail natural gas, competitive retail electric, and competitive telecommunications services; and rulemaking proceedings for all utilities. She also:
- Presided over and supervised cases for the construction of wind farms, natural gas fired generation facilities, electric transmission lines and substations, and natural gas pipelines.
- Served as lead attorney on the reorganization of the Ohio Power Siting Board’s administrative rules concerning applications for the construction of major gas, electric, and wind facilities.
- Presided over rates cases, and electric security plan and market rate offer cases filed by FirstEnergy and Duke Energy Ohio. Acted as lead attorney on the Duke Energy Ohio cases, including the utility’s rate case where Duke requested recovery of the remediation costs for its manufactured gas plant, rider cases, and gas and electric SmartGrid cases.
- Presided over cases involving Columbia Gas of Ohio, Dominion East Ohio Gas, and Vectren Energy Delivery involving the restructuring of the utilities’ distribution rate structures to a straight fixed variable rate design.
Professional Involvement
- Jo Ann Davidson Ohio Leadership Institute Member
Community Involvement
- Otterbein University President’s Women’s Leadership Council, Member and Mentor
- Legal Aide Society of Columbus, Pro Bono
- Member, Eucharistic and Homebound Minister, Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church
Publications/Presentations
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Co-Author, “New Ohio Power Siting Board Rules Take Effect May 30, 2024,” Dickinson Wright Client Alert, May 2024
- Co-Author, “Ohio Extends Clean Energy “Payment in Lieu of Tax” Program for Four Additional Years; Legislature Adds Flexibility on In-State Workforce Requirement,” Dickinson Wright Client Alert, Jul 2023
- Speaker, "The Sequence of Utility Scale Solar Development in Ohio," Chambers for Innovation & Clean Energy, September 2021
- Co-Author, “Ohio Legislature Adopts New Wind and Solar Siting Law S.B. 52 Requires County Commission Approval,” Dickinson Wright News Alert, June 2021
- Co-Author “2021: The Year of the Ohio Air Quality Development Authority?,” Dickinson Wright Energy Blog, May 2021