Ellen Nowak has announced that she plans to leave her role as Wisconsin’s Public Service Commissioner when her term ends March 1.
Nowak has served in this role since July 2011, when she was appointed by former Governor Scott Walker, according to WisBusiness. She was reconfirmed for a new six-year term in 2013 and was named Chairman of the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin in March 2015, according to the Public Service Commission website.
Nowak’s term ending means once her replacement is chosen, the Public Service Commission’s regulatory authority will be composed entirely of Democratic appointees for the first time since Evers took office in 2019, according to The Cap Times.
Nowak said she is ready to face the next chapter and possibly return to the private sector but hopes that whoever replaces her will maintain some balance in the Commission for the future.
“I leave with so much gratitude,” Nowak said. “It really is an honor to work for the state. It has been very rewarding work in whatever role I’ve had.”
Commissioner Nowak has served Wisconsin in varying roles for the past 18 years. Starting in 2002, she served as legal counsel to the Speaker of the Wisconsin Assembly, and later as deputy director of School Choice Wisconsin, according to the Public Service Commission website.
The PSC of Wisconsin works to ensure that utility services and broadband services are safe, reliable, affordable and environmentally responsible, according to their mission statement.
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After 11 years with a concentration in the utility industry, Nowak said it’s quite rewarding accomplishing things that help residents in their day-to-day activities.
