03 Feb UTC Hires Energy, Telecom Hill Staff Leader Rardin as Director of Government Affairs, Communications
Aiming to provide more education and awareness around utility information and communications technology policy needs, the Utilities Technology Council has hired David Rardin as its Director of Government Affairs and Communications.
Mr. Rardin comes to UTC from Capitol Hill, where he worked for more than eight years for Rep. Bill Johnson (R-OH), a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Most recently, Mr. Rardin served as Rep. Johnson’s Legislative Director, where he focused on the energy and telecommunications policies under the Energy and Commerce Committee’s jurisdiction.
“We are fortunate to find someone of David’s caliber for this position,” said UTC Senior Vice President of Government and External Affairs Sharla Artz. “David is uniquely qualified to assist UTC and our members as we face dynamic changes in both the energy and telecommunications industries. He understands how telecommunications policies can impact, positively and negatively, the energy and water sectors. David will serve our members well.”
As Legislative Director for Rep. Johnson, Mr. Rardin was responsible for much of the Congressman’s work on the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Throughout his eight and a half years on Capitol Hill, Mr. Rardin has worked with various stakeholders to improve and advance policies within the Committee’s jurisdiction, which include U.S energy, environment, and telecommunication polices. These efforts have led to the introduction and passage of multiples pieces of bipartisan legislation, some of which have been signed into law.
In his new position, Mr. Rardin will be responsible for broadening the understanding of the critical importance of utilities’ private communications networks to grid reliability. Given his experience in Congress, where he staffed Rep. Johnson on both energy and telecommunications issues, Mr. Rardin will also focus on the increasing interdependencies between the two sectors, including storm response, broadband deployment, and infrastructure. His primary responsibility will be representing UTC before members of Congress and their staff, though he will also work on stakeholder development in other advocacy areas as well.
“UTC sits at the nexus between the utility and telecommunications industries,” Mr. Rardin said. “Utilities are perhaps the most critical industry in our nation—they literally power our economy and our increasingly digital lifestyles. And in many ways, utilities empower the deployment of broadband connectivity to all parts of the U.S. I look forward to working with Members of Congress and their staff on these critical issues.”
Mr. Rardin starts at UTC on Feb. 3. He is a native of Stow, Ohio, and graduated from Ohio University with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a Minor in Spanish in June 2011.
###
About UTC
The Utilities Technology Council (UTC) is a global trade association dedicated to serving critical infrastructure providers. Through advocacy, education and collaboration, UTC creates a favorable business, regulatory and technology environment for our members who own or operate Information and Communication Technology (ICT) systems in support of their core business. For more information: UTC.org
