OUR TEAM

The Best In The Business

UCAN’s board of directors consists of concerned San Diego County citizens who provide oversight for UCAN’s public advocacy activities.

Board of Directors

Nancy Hartley

Chair

Retired UCSD Administrator

Christine Mailloux

Treasurer

The Utility Reform Network

Wayne Rosenbaum

Vice chair

Environmental Law Group

Grant Bergman

SECretary

 GB Consulting

Mariano Diaz

Lead Partner at R&M Consulting Group

Staff

Edward Lopez

Executive Director

Jane Krikorian

Regulatory Program Manager

Courtney Sloan

Paralegal Manager/Office Manager

Dan Whitworth

Consumer Advocate

 

Jason
Zeller

Staff Attorney

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Every single utility customer in San Diego County benefits from UCAN’s work, and we need your support to keep this work going. Being San Diego’s dedicated utility watchdog takes expertise, time, staff, coordination and… money. We appreciate your support and to continue to work in your best interest!

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Utility Consumers' Action Network 404 Euclid Avenue Suite 377, San Diego, CA 92114

619-696-6966

Christine Mailloux is the Managing Director for the San Diego Office of The Utility Reform Network (TURN). Christine has been working on technology and telecommunications policy issues for 25 years and has analyzed the issues from all angles, including as an outside counsel for large competitive carriers, in-house counsel for new-entrants and equipment providers and, most recently, as a consumer advocate. She joined TURN’s staff in August 2001 and currently manages TURN’s San Diego office where she works with a team to develop and implement TURN’s telecommunications and consumer protection policy strategies for the CPUC, FCC, and state Legislature. Ms. Mailloux’s work in recent years has also included emergency communications policy, low income utility programs, utility coordination, and broadband and rural infrastructure issues. Ms. Mailloux lives in San Diego with her family and is also an active volunteer for Girl Scouts, High School Music Boosters and a current Board Member for the Friends of Rose Canyon. Ms. Mailloux has her Juris Doctorate and a Master’s degree in Nonprofit Management, both from the University of San Diego.

Nancy Hartley retired from UC San Diego in June 2010 as Chief Administrative Officer and principal advisor to the Chair of a large academic department at UC San Diego for over 25 years. In this capacity, she researched and developed budgets and strategies to administratively manage the needs of 55 faculty, 100 Ph.D. students and 18 staff. In addition, she served on many campus and system-wide committees to improve central administrative services, as well as contributing to the development and implementation of campus and system-wide training programs for administrative managers. Nancy has a B.A. in Communications from UCLA and an M.A. in Counseling from National University and has always had a desire to help organizations become more effective in representing their consumers.

As a native San Diegan, she knew of UCAN’s value to the community and became a member of UCAN in 2001 because she believed that residential and small business ratepayers deserved an advocate to ensure that these essential services are safe and affordable. In January 2013, Nancy joined the UCAN Executive Board at a crucial time of transition for the organization and since 2018 has been serving as the Executive Board Chair.

Jason Zeller has over thirty years of professional experience in public utility regulation, including experience in all of the industries regulated by the CPUC. Previously he served as an Assistant General Counsel at the Commission for twelve years and was a staff counsel for six years. Jason is a graduate of Claremont McKenna College and New York Law School. He also holds a Master’s in Urban Affairs and Policy Analysis from The New School. He is an active member of the California State Bar Association.

Lee Biddle actually started his legal career working with UCAN in 2001. He led successful litigation against telecom and internet companies, including an action at the CPUC that led to a record $20 million fine against a wireless company. He went on to a private law firm, developing his own practice in employment law and consumer rights. Lee is a graduate of Princeton University and California Western School of Law.

Wayne Rosenbaum is a Partner with Varco & Rosenbaum Environmental Law Group (formerly Opper & Varco LLP). His private law practice concentrates in the areas of environment, land use and natural resources, with an emphasis on water quality and land use laws affecting infrastructure and renewable energy projects. Mr. Rosenbaum develops compliance strategies for clients regulated under the storm water provisions of the Clean Water Act, the Endangered Species Act, the California Environmental Quality Act and other state and federal resources statutes. Relying on his broad experience with environmental permits and environmental management systems, Mr. Rosenbaum helps clients develop and implement solutions to environmental regulations that are both legally defensible and economically sustainable. Mr. Rosenbaum also assists his clients in defending their regulatory compliance programs against challenges by regulatory agencies and environmental groups. Mr. Rosenbaum received degrees from Rutgers University (AB, Mathematics and Chemistry; Med, Administration) and from California Western School of Law (JD).

Grant Bergman is a marketer with over 30 years’ combined experience in brand management and consulting. He started his career working on major national brands at Frito-Lay, Avery-Dennison, Petmate, and others. More recently he has been an independent consultant for smaller businesses and startups, working with them on positioning, branding, strategy, research, and communications.

Grant started as a volunteer at UCAN seeking an opportunity simply to “give back,” and finding he could help with communications as a non-board member of the Marketing Committee. In time he was invited to join the Board, where he has served since 2019. “Utility oversight is very specialized: it’s legal and technical and financial, so the public is helpless without organizations like UCAN in their corner. While ratepayer advocacy before the CPUC always takes the lead at UCAN, the Board also wants our public stakeholders kept better-informed on the issues and UCAN’s efforts, so this is where I have some experience to contribute personally, in addition to general business planning expertise. UCAN has a rich history that I’m proud to be associated with.”

Grant earned his B.A. in Psychology at Cornell University and his MBA in Marketing and Finance at The University of Chicago.

Mariano Diaz has a long history of involvement with non-profits, community-based organizations and philanthropy. Previously he served as the Senior Vice President at the San Diego Foundation where he was responsible for strategic planning, implementation of community improvement programs, and allocation of supporting grants in the areas of health and human services; science and technology; environment; arts and culture; and civil society. He has served as the Western Region Vice President for LISC, a non-profit community development organization that transforms distressed neighborhoods into healthy and sustainable communities through capital investments.

Maria Velasquez is an Emmy award-winning journalist and producer, recognized for her news instincts, coverage of Tijuana, as well as her profiles of San Diego’s multicultural community. Her background includes TV news and public affairs, government relations, community outreach and strategic communications. She served in key communications roles for elected City Attorneys’ Casey Gwinn and Michael Aguirre. Most recently, Maria was recognized by the San Diego Press Club with the 2020 Andy Mace Special Award, for her work as a PR practitioner who “over the course of her career has exemplified fairness and integrity, and has effectively disseminated the truth to concerned publics” through Maria Velasquez Communications.

Maria is founding Chair of the Latino Legacy Foundation, with the goal of raising awareness of San Diego’s modern Latino civil rights movement and emerging events. She has also served on the City’s Commission on the Status of Women, San Diego County Water Authority Board, and San Diego Foundation’s Scholarship Committee.

A long-time San Diegan, Maria is a journalism graduate of San Diego State University. She earned her Marketing Certificate from UC-San Diego Extension.

Edward Lopez is the Executive Director of the Utility Consumers’ Action Network (UCAN). A long-time, non-profit professional, Lopez was with Groundwork San Diego prior to joining UCAN. There he led efforts to develop an Advanced Energy Community for neighborhoods in Southeast San Diego. He was the Executive Director of LISC San Diego, a community development corporation.  Lopez previously worked at Sempra Energy where he focused on community partnerships and public affairs and also at Cox Communications where he served as the liaison between the company and communities within the Cox service. At the University of California, San Diego, he managed student retention programs and oversaw outreach efforts to build collaborative partnerships with K-12 schools.

Lopez served two terms as an elected board member for San Diego City Schools. His community involvement also includes serving as a board member of High Tech High, Chicano Federation, UCSD Alumni Association, South County Economic Development Council and Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center.

A native of San Diego, he received his bachelor's degree from UCSD and his law degree from UC Berkeley Law.

Jane Krikorian joined UCAN in February of 2014. She began by working as a Public Advocate, representing and assisting people with water and electricity shut-offs. In 2018, Jane became Regulatory Program Manager in charge of managing UCAN’s advocacy efforts on behalf of utility ratepayers before the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). Jane’s work currently includes issues related to California’s climate change and pollution reduction goals. The California Legislature has directed investor owned utilities (IOUs) to file applications for programs and investments that accelerate transportation electrification (TE) programs. TE can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by providing clean electricity as a fuel source. Jane currently reviews the TE applications from SDG&E and represents the ratepayers to ensure they benefit from and do not bear an unfair portion of the costs for these programs. Jane has a B.A in Communications from the University of California at San Diego (UCSD) and a J.D. from California Western School of Law.

Courtney Sloan is a San Diego County native and grew up in East County. She graduated from Grossmont Middle College High School and received her Paralegal Associates at Cuyamaca College.
Courtney joined UCAN in 2015 as a volunteer helping with UCAN’s Fraud Squad (now known as UCAN, We Can!). In 2016, she was hired as UCAN’s Paralegal and in 2018 took on the additional role as the office administrator. Courtney assists UCAN’s attorneys with their legal filings at the CPUC and utility research as well as performing other administrative duties.

Dan joined UCAN in 2015 as our Consumer Advocate. A “native son,” Dan was raised in North Clairemont, and graduated from Madison High School. He earned his B.A. at California Western University and his M.A. at United States International University. Long active with various sports, Dan played baseball in college and continues, to this day, as an umpire and referee in San Diego high school and adult leagues. Dan’s proactive spirit, coupled with his dedication to fairness, motivate him every day as our Consumer Advocate.