After the unexpected death of state Public Utilities Commissioner Mack Redford last month, Gov. Butch Otter announced today that longtime former Commissioner Marsha Smith, who had retired, will rejoin the three-member commission on an interim basis to replace Redford. “I wish to extend my sincere thanks to Marsha, who after retiring has agreed to step back in to her familiar and valuable role as public servant at a time of need,” Otter said. “In the wake of the untimely death of my good friend Commissioner Mack Redford, I can think of no better person to fill that void than Marsha because she knows the issues and has invaluable experience.”

 Smith’s interim appointment is effective immediately and runs through Jan. 15, 2016, when a new commissioner will be appointed to replace her, pending Senate confirmation. Smith was first appointed to the PUC by then-Gov. Cecil Andrus in 1991, and previously served the commission as a deputy attorney general. She served as a commissioner for 24 years before retiring last February.

 “I deeply regret the circumstances that created this vacancy,” Smith said in a statement. “I am honored to step in on a temporary basis to assist the commission with an unusually heavy case load as well as facilitate a thoughtful process that will allow timely confirmation of a permanent replacement.”