Eric Skrmetta

Eric Skrmetta
Eric Skrmetta
	Skrmetta in 2011
Member of the Louisiana Public Service Commission; from the 1st district
	Incumbent
	Assumed office ; January 1, 2009
Preceded by	Jay Blossman
Personal details
Born	Eric Frederick Skrmetta; October 1, 1958 (age 66); New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Children	2
Education	Louisiana State University (BA); Southern University (JD); Tulane University (LLM)

Eric Frederick Skrmetta (born October 1, 1958) is an American politician who represents District 1 (largely surburban New Orleans, eastern Florida Parishes, and River Parishes)^[1] on the Louisiana Public Service Commission (PSC), an influential regulatory agency which was the political springboard for former governors Huey Long, Jimmie Davis, and John McKeithen. Skrmetta is a member of the Republican Party.^[2]

Education and background

After finishing Brother Martin High School in New Orleans, Skrmetta attended Louisiana State University, where he was a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity, and in 1981, he received his B.S. degree in industrial technology.^[3] In 1985 he was a cum laude graduate (juris doctor) of Southern University School of Law, passed the Louisiana Bar Exam, and entered the practice of law. In 1986 Skrmetta received his LL.M. in admiralty law from Tulane University Law School.

Since 1989 he has focused on legal mediation. A member of the Louisiana Republican State Central Committee for District 81, in 2003 he unsuccessfully sought to represent the coterminous District 81 in the Louisiana House of Representatives.^[4]

2008 Public Service Commissioner campaign

Skrmetta won the race for Public Service Commissioner in a November 4, 2008 runoff after two other candidates (Bruce Kincade and Ken Odinet Sr.) were eliminated in the primary election. His runoff opponent was former Public Service Commissioner John F. Schwegmann, who had no party affiliation.^[5] Skrmetta had the support of then-incumbent District 1 commissioner Jay Blossman, who was barred by term limits from seeking reelection.^[6] Skrmetta assumed his commissionership office on January 1, 2009 for a term which ended on December 31, 2014.

Public Service Commissioner

As Public Service Commissioner, Skrmetta has sought clarification of Louisiana’s ethics regulations, which have tightened since the state’s populistic past. In particular, he has sought to displace meal reimbursements to commissioners from regulated utility companies with reimbursements by the Public Service Commission itself.^[7]

Personal life

Eric Skrmetta has two children. Mr. Skrmetta is involved in various religious and community organizations. He lives in Metairie, Louisiana^[8]

Notes

^ In alphabetical order the parishes partly or wholly represented by Skrmetta are Ascension, Jefferson, Livingston, Orleans, Plaquemines, Saint Bernard, Saint Charles, Saint Helena, Saint John the Baptist, Saint Tammany, Tangipahoa, and Washington. District 1 thus has a reversed-"C" shape; if it contained East Baton Rouge Parish on its western side, District 1 would form a complete loop with radius in the Greater New Orleans area.
^ Skrmetta on Votesmart.org, Skrmetta on Peoplefinders.com.
^ "Member Directory". Beta-Phi chapter of Tau Kappa Epsilon. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
^ "Skrmetta profile on the PSC site". Archived from the original on 2009-09-28. Retrieved 2009-06-17.
^ Louisiana 2008 PSC 1 second round results. Archived 2008-11-26 at the Wayback Machine See also Robert Travis Scott, “John Schwegmann, Eric Skrmetta face off for PSC post” in Times-Picayune (New Orleans), 2008 October 06 (accessed 2009 June 17).]
^ Stephanie Grace, "Blossman pushes boundaries with fund-raiser" Archived 2008-09-23 at the Wayback Machine in Times-Picayune, 2008 September 19 (accessed 2009 June 17).
^ Greg LaRose, "Commentary: Skrmetta’s debut dubious" in New Orleans CityBusiness, 2009 January 28.
^ Skrmetta profile in the Times-Picayune, Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine 2008 September 09 (accessed 2009 June 17).

[1] In alphabetical order the parishes partly or wholly represented by Skrmetta are Ascension, Jefferson, Livingston, Orleans, Plaquemines, Saint Bernard, Saint Charles, Saint Helena, Saint John the Baptist, Saint Tammany, Tangipahoa, and Washington. District 1 thus has a reversed-"C" shape; if it contained East Baton Rouge Parish on its western side, District 1 would form a complete loop with radius in the Greater New Orleans area.

[2] Skrmetta on Votesmart.org, Skrmetta on Peoplefinders.com.

[3] "Member Directory". Beta-Phi chapter of Tau Kappa Epsilon. Retrieved November 30, 2023.

[4] "Skrmetta profile on the PSC site". Archived from the original on 2009-09-28. Retrieved 2009-06-17.

[5] Louisiana 2008 PSC 1 second round results. Archived 2008-11-26 at the Wayback Machine See also Robert Travis Scott, “John Schwegmann, Eric Skrmetta face off for PSC post” in Times-Picayune (New Orleans), 2008 October 06 (accessed 2009 June 17).]

[6] Stephanie Grace, "Blossman pushes boundaries with fund-raiser" Archived 2008-09-23 at the Wayback Machine in Times-Picayune, 2008 September 19 (accessed 2009 June 17).

[7] Greg LaRose, "Commentary: Skrmetta’s debut dubious" in New Orleans CityBusiness, 2009 January 28.

[8] Skrmetta profile in the Times-Picayune, Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine 2008 September 09 (accessed 2009 June 17).

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