0-5 years

State-appointed utility regulator confirmed unanimously by the Washington state Senate in 2017

Highly skilled at building meaningful relationships and working with stakeholders to advance policy and regulatory priorities

Able to foster confidence in decisionmakers as a trusted resource for information and offer reasonable, clear and concise solutions to complex issues

Familiarity with the legislative landscape, politics and policy preferences of Western state governors and legislatures

Continuously maintain robust and constructive relationships with Washington state Democrat and Republican elected officials, legislative staff, executive branch staff and stakeholders with diverse viewpoints

Deep knowledge of state legislative budgeting and appropriations process with expertise in Washington state tax policy, transportation policy and budgeting

Ability to adapt and manage high-stress, time-sensitive and politically complex situations

Understanding of the importance of legislative and executive branch staff in shaping opinions of legislators and agency leadership for new initiatives

Jay Balasbas served as a commissioner of the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission from May 2017 to March 2022. Jay is currently the President of JMB Strategies, an independent consulting firm that provides expert advice on utility regulatory process, utility and transportation policy, state tax and fiscal matters, general legislative advocacy and political perspective.

Prior to Jay's tenure as a commissioner, he served as senior budget assistant to the governor in the Office of Financial Management working in the General Government Section, Transportation Section and as lead analyst on revenue issues. Before that, Jay worked for the Washington House of Representatives in a variety of roles, including senior fiscal analyst, assistant director of policy and policy analyst on transportation and finance issues. He also worked for the Washington Department of Transportation.

Jay served as the chair of the Subcommittee on Pipeline Safety, co-vice chair of the Committee on Critical Infrastructure, and as a member of the Committee on Gas for the National Association of Regulatory Commissioners (NARUC). He also served as a member of the Gas Technology Institute Public Interest Advisory Committee, the Washington Action Program and as an ex-officio member of the Washington Highway Users Federation Board of Directors.

Jay has a Bachelor of Arts in political science and a Master of Science in finance from Seattle University.