Meet the Commissioners

Chairman Elia Germani

Chairman Germani was appointed to the R.I. Public Utilities Commission by Governor Lincoln Almond in May 2000 and reappointed to a six-year term in March 2001. He was reappointed to an additional six-year term commencing March 2007 by Governor Donald Carcieri,

Chairman Germani was General counsel for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Rhode Island for 18 years. He also was a partner in the law firm of Tillinghast, Collins & Graham and served as attorney and assistant secretary of the Narragansett Electric Company.

Chairman Germani earned his Juris Doctor from Harvard University Law School and a B.A. magna cum laude from the University of Rhode Island. He serves as chairman of the R.I. Energy Facility Siting Board and has been a member of the Board of Governors of Higher Education and the Board of Regents for Elementary and Secondary Education. He currently serves as a member of the Directors of Justice Assistance, which is a non-profit criminal justice agency, and as a member of the Board of Governors of the Providence Boys & Girls Club.

Commissioner Paul J. Roberti

Governor Donald L. Carcieri nominated Paul J. Roberti for appointment to the Public UtilitiesCommission for a six-year term expiring March 1, 2015.

Prior to his appointment, Mr. Roberti served for 17 years in the Rhode Island Attorney General's Office, most recently as Assistant Attorney General and Chief of the Regulatory Unit. In that capacity, he has been involved in hundreds of proceedings involving public utility and energy matters before the Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission, the Rhode Island Energy Facility Siting Board, the Rhode Island Supreme Court and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). In representing the interests of Rhode Island ratepayers and residents, Mr. Roberti played a key role in preventing the siting of a proposed liquefied natural gas terminal in Providence. He spearheaded the burial of high-voltage transmission lines along the Providence and East Providence waterfronts to enhance economic development opportunities and preserve parklands. Mr Roberti saved an estimated $250 million for Rhode Island's electric ratepayers by securing concessions in a FERC-approved settlement agreement that authorized implementation of the Forward Capacity Market in New England. He played a pivotal role in a rate settlement associated with National Grid's consolidation of Rhode Island's largest electric distribution companies, an agreement which yielded a $13 million rate reduction, a five-year rate freeze and the state's acquisition of 260 acres of pristine land on Narragansett Bay.

Commissioner Roberti received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the College of the Holy Cross and a Juris Doctor degree from Suffolk University Law School, graduating Cum Laude, and is a member of the Rhode Island Bar Association. Commissioner Roberti resides in North Kingstown with his wife and three children.

Commissioner Mary E. Bray

Commissioner Mary E. Bray was appointed by Governor Carcieri to serve a six-year term commencing August 2005.

Commissioner Bray most recently had been Director of the Office of Community Services and Advocacy for the Catholic Diocese of Providence, a position she held since 1999. In that role, she oversaw a multi-purpose organization that offers educational, social and advocacy services to minorities, the elderly and the poor. She previously served as Business Manager of the Holy Spirit Catholic Community in Central Falls, managed office operations for Advanced Transportation in Lincoln, and was credit card operations manager for Rhode Island Hospital Trust Bank.

She has an Associates degree in Social Services from the former Rhode Island Junior College and has completed various business courses at Bryant University.

Commissioner Bray has been a member of the Pawtucket City Council since 1992. She serves on the boards of directors of several community organizations, among them, the Pawtucket/Central Falls Emergency Shelter, the Pawtucket Police Athletic League, and previously, the Cape Verdean Community Development Corporation. She has also been a member of the Martin Luther King Holiday Commission, Ireland's "32" Society, and various church committees.