People news: NYISO appoints Bie as board chair

RENSSELAER, N.Y. — The New York Independent System Operator (NYISO), the nonprofit that operates New York state’s power grid, announced that its board of directors recently appointed Ave M. Bie as board chair.

Bie takes over the role from Michael Bemis whose term concluded on April 17. Bemis continues to serve as a board member, and Robert Hiney will succeed Bie as vice chair of the board of directors.

Bie joined the NYISO board of directors in April 2009. During her time on the board, she has served as chair of the governance committee (2011-2016) and the commerce and compensation committee (2016-present). She became vice chair of the board in 2017.

“Ave’s legal background, leadership experience and her work in both the public and private sectors give her a unique skill set,” NYISO President and CEO Brad Jones said in a release. “Her experience will serve the NYISO well as we continue to enhance our markets, operations, and planning activities in ways that will best position the NYISO for the future.”

Bie, of Madison, Wisconsin, is a former chair of the Wisconsin Public Service Commission and a partner in the law firm of Quarles & Brady.

As a member of the Wisconsin Public Service Commission from 1998 to 2004, Bie advocated for consumer concerns. She chaired the Commission from 1999 to 2003. She served in a number of other capacities in Wisconsin government during her 25 years of state service, including deputy secretary of the Department of Corrections and as deputy secretary of the State Department of Regulation and Licensing. Bie is a member of the board of directors of the Green Bay Packers, Inc.

Bie earned her law degree from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire.

Based in the Capital Region of New York, the NYISO is a not-for-profit company governed by a 10-member, independent board of directors. The NYISO, which monitors a network of 11,000 miles of high-voltage transmission lines across the state, employs more than 500 people working in two facilities near Albany.

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