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             California Public Utilities Commission
505 Van Ness Avenue, Room 5301            San Francisco, CA 94102
CONTACT: Dianne Dienstein            November 8, 1995  CPUC - 104
         415-703-2423

       CPUC APPOINTS WESLEY M. FRANKLIN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

    Following a four-month long national search which drew 340
applicants, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC)
today appointed Wesley M. Franklin as Executive Director.
    The search, headed by Commissioner Henry M. Duque, ultimately
involved each Commissioner interviewing and evaluating
candidates.  In discussing and making their unanimous selection
of Franklin today, Commissioners said they looked to his
leadership in implementing objectives outlined in the CPUC Vision
2000 Report.  The report describes steps the Commission will take
to change its structure and regulation to best serve Californians
over the coming years.
    Wesley Franklin has served as the Commission's Assistant
Director for the past five years, and as Acting Executive
Director since July of this year.  He has overseen budget, human
resources, and computerization of the agency, and been a liaison
for the Commission with the Legislature and other state agencies.
    He joined the Commission in 1974 as an assistant utilities
engineer and served in progressively higher positions until he
became Chief of the Water Branch and an Assistant Director of the
Commission Advisory and Compliance Division in 1985.
    Prior to joining the Commission, Franklin was a design
engineer for Fairchild Semiconductor, and Lecturer in Mathematics
at Skyline College.
    He has a B.S. in Engineering from San Francisco State
University and an M.S. in Electrical Engineering from Stanford
University.

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