The Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) said last week that incoming Commissioner Andy Tobin has selected Matt Gress to be his policy adviser, citing the broad experience, neutrality and commitment to public service Gress brings to the role.

Gress will assume his new role Feb. 1 following a stint at the Arizona state legislature’s Joint Legislative Budget Committee (JLBC). Gress has spent time analyzing budgets for state agencies, including the ACC. Previously, Gress served on Arizona State University’s faculty from 2013 to 2015.

"Matt’s diverse policy knowledge … and experience in providing reliable, nonpartisan and fact-based analysis at the Joint Legislative Budget Committee will be vital assets in my efforts to get up to speed quickly on issues and be a strong contributor on rural Arizona issues on the Corporation Commission,” Tobin said. “I’m pleased to have Matt continue his public service with me and I welcome him to the Corporation Commission team."

Gress has a Master of Public Administration degree from Syracuse University, and a bachelor's in political science and history from the University of Oklahoma. He taught English in Tulsa, Oklahoma, before moving to Arizona.

“Commissioner Tobin has a long record of standing up for the hardworking men and women of rural Arizona,” Gress said. “As someone who grew up in rural Oklahoma, I believe strongly in his passion for finding solutions to the unique energy and water challenges that face families and taxpayers outside of Maricopa County."