MANATEE — His appointment to the Florida Public Service Commission was originally supposed to begin in January, but David Klement, of Bradenton, learned that he will be getting to work even sooner.
Klement, director of the Institute for Public Policy and Leadership at USF Sarasota-Manatee and former editorial page editor for the Bradenton Herald, said the governor’s office called Thursday to inform him he had been appointed to fill the seat vacated by Commissioner Katrina McMurrian, who resigned earlier this month.
Klement and Benjamin Stevens of Escambia County had previously been appointed by Gov. Charlie Crist to replace McMurrian and PSC Chairman Matthew Carter.
Klement’s appointment comes at a time when the PSC has been buffeted by controversy over a $1.3 billion rate hike request by Florida Power and Light Corp. and questionable contacts between FPL and PSC staff members. There have been allegations of calls and social gatherings between PSC commissioners and staff and representatives of the utilities they regulate.
Crist announced it was time to “clean house” and said he would not reappoint McMurrian or Carter to the state panel that oversees utility service and rates. When McMurrian learned she would not be reappointed, she resigned her seat.
A PSC nominating committee also forwarded two other names to Crist for his consideration: Felicia Banks West, a former staff attorney for the PSC; and John Grayson, a Tallahassee accountant and former PSC inspector general.
“The whole experience has been surreal. I made this application in June as a very long shot,” Klement said. “I felt I have the ability and experience to do it.”
Klement received a briefing Monday and Tuesday from the PSC staff. “I got an idea of how huge the job is,” he said.
In a press release announcing the appointment, Crist said, “David’s community involvement and professional experience have given him a unique perspective on consumer issues. I look forward to his getting to work right away with the commission.”
Klement’s appointment to fill McMurrian’s term began Thursday and ends Jan. 1, 2010. His four-year term begins Jan. 2, 2010, and ends Jan. 1, 2014, subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate, according to the press release.
Jerry Karnas of the Environmental Defense Fund said he has known Klement many years.
“He is the right guy at the right time for the job,” Karnas said. “He has the highest integrity and ethics.”
James A. Jones Jr., East Manatee editor, can be contacted at 745-7021. Wire reports were also used in this story.
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