Christopher (Chris)  Howard

Education: I received my Juris Doctor from Capital University Law School (00). I obtained my B.A. (95) and M.A. (97)  from Marshall University. My major was Political Science and Criminal Justice. 

Career: I have spent my entire career in the public sector in the practice of various types of law. I started as a public defender, in Logan County WV, where I represent indigent defendants in both misdemeanor and felony cases. I next took a position with the WV Attorney General's Office where I practiced workers compensation, representing the state government in the processing of workers compensation cases. I have also worked at the WV Department of Environmental Protection, where I represented the state government, in matters involving, air and water pollution. West Virginia is a state rich in natural resources, with large reserves of coal and natural gas, so a lot of my work involved the interaction of these industries with the natural environment. I have been with the West Virginia Public Service Commission since 2008, where I represent the staff of the Commission before the Commission and the courts of WV. The WV Public Service Commission involves the regulations of utilities located in WV, so my work involves, sewer, water, electric, gas and telecommunications. I have represented WV before the Federal Communications Commission involving broadband and internet deployment issues.