The new vice chairman of the Postal Regulatory Commission will be commissioner Mark Acton, chairman Dan G. Blair announced on November 28.
“I am pleased to serve as vice chairman as the Postal Regulatory Commission transitions to its enhanced oversight duties as mandated by the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act,” Acton said in a statement. “My fellow commissioners and I will continue our efforts to promote service, transparency, and equity.”
Acton succeeds Dawn Tisdale, whose term of office ended on November 22, said Nanci Langley, director of public affairs and government relations for the PRC. The vice chairman is elected by the commission for a term of one year. Upon the chairman’s absence, the vice chairman will act in his place, she added.
The PRC, formerly known as the Postal Rate Commission, is an independent federal regulatory agency. It is comprised of five members, who each serve terms of six years. In addition to Acton and Blair, the commission’s other members are Tony Hammond and Ruth Goldway.
There is still one open Democratic seat on the commission that needs to be filled, Langley said. The President has yet to appoint a new member. No more than three of the commissioners can be members of the same party, she explained. Goldway is the only Democratic commissioner.
President Bush nominated Acton, a Republican, to serve on the commission on November 7, 2005. The Senate confirmed his nomination on August 3, 2006. His term ends on October 14, 2010.
Before his appointment, Acton served as special assistant to the chairman of the Postal Regulatory Commission for four years. He also worked in the Republican National Committee Counsel’s Office as staff director, managing legislative and regulatory activities. He has experience in public administration and direct mail marketing and resides in Washington, DC.
