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CUB General Counsel And Regulatory Program Director is Leaving CUB

General Counsel and Regulatory Program Director, Catriona McCracken, is leaving CUB. Catriona has been with CUB since 2008.

When Catriona joined CUB in 2008 there were only four other CUB staff members: Bob Jenks, (Executive Director) Jeff Bissonnette (Organizing Director), the late Shannon Floyd (Business and Special Projects Manager) and Karen Jaffe (Grass Roots Fundraising Director). During Catriona’s tenure the CUB Regulatory Program grew from a full-time staff of two FTE to a full time staff of four FTE plus law clerks and legal externs - it doubled in size, in terms of both Staff and number of cases handled and it helped CUB save Oregon Ratepayers approximately $2.0 billion dollars.

Those who locked horns with Catriona at the Public Utility Commission (PUC) know that CUB’s normally mild mannered and friendly General Counsel was (and will no doubt continue to be) a fearless litigator, never cowed by the power and resources of her opponents. However, of the major wins that occurred during Catriona’s tenure with CUB she was most proud of those that required trust and collaboration - the BPA Residential Exchange Program Settlement, CUB’s participation in the decision to close Boardman in 2020, CUB’s participation in moving the PUC to require all coal based utilities to participate in in-depth analysis of the early closure of coal plants, and the ring fencing CUB fought for during various telecom mergers.

But it isn’t just the regulatory program that has benefited from Catriona’s collaborative instincts. As General Counsel, Catriona has also been a key advisor to Executive Director Bob Jenks on all sorts of organization matters, from organizational governance to restructuring CUB’s staff. She has assisted with choosing the themes, identifying panels and hosting CUB’s annual Policy Conferences. She helped negotiate CUB’s agreement with the City of Portland to represent Portland water, stormwater and sewer customers.

Notwithstanding all of the time consumed by the many projects referenced above, Catriona was never too busy to mentor others participating in countless informational interviews with aspiring attorneys and mentoring those who participated in CUB’s law clerk and legal extern programs. Catriona was simply tireless when it came to educating others about the intricacies of utility law and was always in her element as a moderator, presenter, mentor and teacher. Catriona was especially proud of the fact that CUB’s law clerk and legal extern programs had graduated 11 law clerks and legal externs since the program’s inception in 2009.

Bottom line, Catriona will be missed for her infinite capacity to absorb complicated new information, her steadying hand, dedication to a safe, healthy and fun workplace for all employees, as well as for her self-deprecating quiet sense of humor and her famous pyrotechnic Christmas Puddings!

CUB wishes Catriona well as she transitions to the next phase of her working life - taking on new challenges and going boldly where Catriona has never gone before!

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