Founder of TURN Retires as Its Executive Director

Sylvia M. Siegel, who 16 years ago founded the San Francisco-based consumer organization known as TURN (from its formal name of Toward Utility Rate Normalization), has retired as executive director. Siegel was succeeded by Audrie Krause, who formerly wrote about public utility issues for the Fresno Bee and its parent, McClatchy Newspapers.

Also joining TURN is Karen Miller, a former regulatory analyst for the California Public Utilities Commission. Miller will work on the recently created state Telecommunications Education project funded by a PUC-imposed fine against Pacific Bell for abusive marketing practices in selling the company’s telephone services. Miller headed that investigation.

Under Siegel’s leadership, TURN developed a statewide membership of 45,000 and intervened in PUC proceedings involving rates and practices. Part of the group’s income comes from attorney fees awarded by the PUC when the group’s intervention is deemed to have played a significant role in the commission’s decisions. Its budget is $725,000.

Krause will direct operations from TURN’s new headquarters at 625 Polk Street, a block from PUC headquarters. The group’s telephone number is 415-929-TURN.