[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 184 (Thursday, December 17, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1819]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO SUSAN M. HUDSON

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. PETER WELCH

                               of vermont

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, December 17, 2015

  Mr. WELCH. Mr. Speaker, I rise to acknowledge the extraordinary 
public service of Susan M. Hudson, Clerk of the Vermont Public Service 
Board for 39 years.
  Mr. Speaker, the Vermont Public Service Board is Vermont's utility 
regulatory commission, a quasi-judicial board that supervises Vermont's 
public utilities: electric, natural gas, telecommunications, and 
statewide energy efficiency. The Board regulates their rates, quality 
of service, siting, and financial management. It reviews the 
environmental and economic impacts of proposals to purchase energy 
supply or build new energy facilities--including conventional sources 
and a growing number of renewable energy plants in an increasingly 
complex regulatory field. The process the Board administers often 
requires public hearings, evidentiary hearings, and other forms of 
inquiry and investigation to ensure that high-quality service is 
provided by the utilities at rates that are just and reasonable. In 
short, the Vermont Public Service Board plays a crucial role in the 
lives of Vermonters. It is a role that it could not have hoped to play 
well without the sustained energy and focus that Sue Hudson has brought 
to so many facets of the Board's work.
  Sue Hudson has had a remarkable and steady career at the Public 
Service Board. Her service has spanned the terms of six Vermont 
governors and 24 different Board members. She kept the wheels of 
regulation aligned and in good working order through major transitions 
in the utility industry and the Board structure. Through all of these 
changes, Sue Hudson remained the public face of the Board to countless 
citizens, developers, and utility personnel as they visited the Clerk's 
office to make filings, ask questions, and review documents. While many 
of the cases she processed were highly contested and involved 
significant public controversy, Sue Hudson's calm demeanor, fair 
disposition, and credibility as a Vermonter through and through have 
been a major asset to the Public Service Board in the performance of 
its responsibilities.
  Sue Hudson is a longtime resident of Hardwick, Vermont, where she is 
a fully involved member of the community. Her husband, Dan Hudson, 
looks forward to spending more time with her. She has two wonderful 
daughters and two grandchildren. As busy as Sue Hudson has been helping 
Vermonters to navigate the regulatory process, she is also an avid and 
accomplished golfer and tennis player. And she has always found time to 
be very involved with her church community.
  Through her professionalism and dedication, Sue Hudson has made a 
significant contribution to civic life in Vermont. On behalf of all 
Vermonters, I ask the House of Representatives to acknowledge Sue 
Hudson and her remarkable service to the people of the Green Mountain 
State.

                          ____________________