The 4-2 vote in favor of Reberg ends weeks of controversy that began March 9 when Huntsman named her as his choice to lead the consumer utility watchdog organization after abruptly firing its longtime director Roger Ball for fighting too aggressively to keep utility rates low for the state's consumers.

Reberg said she intends to fight just as hard, but in her own way, to protect the interests of the state's residential and small-business utility customers. "The law is pretty clear what my role is - I am to be an advocate for consumers."

Huntsman, however, has a different philosophy of Reberg's role.

He believes the director should take a gentler stand in negotiating with the state's utilities. "I just want to have someone there who is going to be fair and balanced," he said during his monthly KUED news conference in March.

But rather than let the committee choose from several candidates, as its chairman requested, Huntsman put forth a single candidate whose independence was roundly questioned. And when it came time to debate Reberg's credentials Wednesday, her primary constituents were left out of the discussion.

Committee member Betsy Wolf wanted Reberg to publicly cite her qualifications and for the group to discuss her nomination in an open meeting. "Just because the statute says we can close a meeting doesn't mean we have to do it," she argued.

Instead, the committee voted to exclude the public from its deliberations under a secrecy exemption of the Utah Open and Public Meetings Act that allows private meetings to discuss personnel issues.

Reberg's qualifications were a big issue, committee Chairman Dee Jay Hammon said.

The only requirement state law spells out for anyone serving as committee director is that they be a "qualified person in the field of public utilities."

In considering her nomination, committee members had to weigh whether Reberg's past lobbying activities and work overseeing customer service operations at the phone company qualified her to oversee matters as wide-ranging as electric deregulation and natural gas quality issues.

Hammon, who along with Wolf voted against Reberg's appointment, noted she does not possess the expertise on utility matters Roger Ball had at the time he was dismissed. "But then Roger Ball did not have the expertise of his predecessors when he started, either."

In a prepared statement, the committee noted Reberg does have wide experience in local government - considerably more than Ball had when he started. "She also has demonstrated an ability to be a fast learner, and has the support of a competent staff and competent legal counsel."

Utah consumer advocate Claire Geddes was outraged.

She argued Reberg's opponents never were given a chance to voice their concerns. "All [the panel] ever heard was one side of the argument," she said. "And to not discuss her qualification in public sends a horrible message" - that they weren't comfortable enough with her qualifications to discuss them openly.

Geddes said the committee in approving Reberg has surrendered its independence.

"For the first time they have allowed a governor to come in and make a political appointment," said Geddes, who in the past has battled repeated legislative efforts to either eliminate or hobble the committee in its representation of consumers. "To just rubber-stamp Reberg just because the governor wanted her is absolutely horrible."

Geddes said she will no longer fight for the committee's survival. "They have sold consumers out," she said.

steve @sltrib.com

Leslie Reberg

New director of Committee of Consumer Services

Work experience:

January 2001-January 2005: S.L. County Community Services Department director

June 1999-2001: US West (now Qwest) community relations manager

1996-1998; chief of staff to S.L. County Commissioner Randy Horiuchi

Community service: Has served on boards for the Salt Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau and a number of S.L. County-run facilities

Education: Attended Utah State

University from 1979 to 1984, studying

business administration

Résumé footnote:

"I have never had a county car, county gas card or county credit card!"