After two years on the Arizona Corporation Commission, Kevin Thompson stepped into the chair role this year. He sat down with the Arizona Capitol Times to talk about what he’s learned so far and why he wants four more years at the ACC.

Answers have been slightly edited for clarity. 

What led you to run for the Commission?

I started out (at Southwest Gas) in operations as an engineer, worked my way up to regional manager over the new business department, moved over to government relations, did that for about five years, and then fell in love with local government. (At Southwest Gas) I was the liaison between local government and the company. And so that’s where I really started working with local governments, and fell in love with how cities operate and how close they were to the people. So I decided to run for Mesa City Council, and got elected in 2015 as a council member, and served for eight years on the City Council. I was coming off of the City Council and thought I was done with politics. I was sure I was done with politics. And then a couple of legislators asked me if I would run for this seat because of my utility background and how I voted on the city council. They thought that I had made some really good votes. They wanted me to bring that to this position and asked if I would run. And then Nick (Myers) recruited me to run with him – and the rest is history.

How did your roles with Southwest Gas and the Mesa City Council prepare you for this role? 

Working on the gas side, I understood test years, I knew the operations, and I knew what the Corporation Commission was responsible for. So I didn’t come in completely blind. I came in with eyes wide open, so I knew sort of what was expected of me. I didn’t know necessarily the ratemaking process as the commission does it. I knew the ratemaking process as the city does it. And the City of Mesa owns its own gas, electric, water, wastewater, totally night and day different from how we do ratemaking. So it was new for me in that respect, and the level of intensity and the depth of the ratemaking and how technical it is. And when I came in, electricity was new to me. I knew the water side, I knew the natural gas side, but the electric side is so complex.

What do you wish people knew about the Corporation Commission?

I wish they knew more about what the Commission does and how we do it. When you go out and talk to people, they don’t even know what the Commission does. So you’re constantly reminding people … The other thing is, people don’t realize that the utilities are allowed to recover their costs by the (Arizona) Constitution. It’s written into the Constitution and people just think that, as a commissioner, you have the ability to say, “We’re not going to give you a rate increase this year.” So anytime that they’re putting money into poles, wires, pipelines, fuel, just inflation alone, it’s going to increase their cost. And the Constitution says that they’re allowed a just and reasonable return on that investment. So what we tell people is, if you don’t like the fact that the utilities are getting an increase, then rewrite the Constitution. Because we’re following the Constitution, we’re following the law, and our job is to make sure that it’s just and reasonable. 

You’re up for reelection next year. What about your time in this role made you want to serve for another four years?

I’m still smiling. I love this job. At the end of the day, I love serving the people. I did eight years in the Air Force. I served for eight years on a city council. I’ve done four years in this position. And to me, it’s about serving the people, and I enjoy doing that. So long as I’m smiling, I’ll continue to try to serve the people, as long as the people want me here serving them. I like to say that God gave you two ears and one mouth, so you should be listening twice as much as you speak. So listen to what’s going on, listen to your constituents and be a better person and try to follow the law and do what’s right. And that’s what I’m about.

You stepped into the chair position at the Commission this year. How has that changed your work?

It’s funny, because people would ask me, “So what’s it like being the chair?” And I was like, it’s the same as being a commissioner, but they paint a larger target on you. I look at the chairmanship differently than I look at just being a commissioner. Because as the chair, you’re the face of the organization. So I think it’s my job to defend this organization, to protect this organization, and to really help steer this organization. We have phenomenal employees who are here every single day to do the best that they can do. We’re trying to make Arizona a better place and trying to help people live that American dream. So in this position, I know (my staff’s) workload went up by three times because we have to put the agendas together, and you’re meeting with all the different offices and so forth. But I think what we do on a day-to-day basis is really try to represent this organization in the best light that we can.

What do you do in your free time to unwind so you’re able to continue doing this work?

I got into this again knowing what was going to be asked of me. It always upsets my wife, but I always tell her I’ll rest when I die. She’s like, “Well, you don’t have to get there early.” But for me, my disconnect is I ride dirt bikes on the weekend when it cools off. I do a lot of dirt bike riding because it really clears your mind when you’re in your zone. When I get on a dirt bike, as soon as the engine starts, I don’t think about work, I don’t think about family. I’m listening to my bike, and I’m looking at the trail 50 feet ahead trying to pick my lines. And then, as soon as you’re done, all of that comes rushing back because, at the end of the day, you still have a job to do. 

What legacy do you hope to leave on the commission?

My goal is to leave the organization and the state in a better position than it was when I found it. I tried to do the same thing in Mesa. I’d like to say that I left district six, and I left Mesa in a better position than it was when I found it. And that’s all I want to do with this. When you run for office, you should not be doing it to get rich, because you don’t, and you shouldn’t be doing it to get famous. You should be doing it because you love your community, you love your state, you love your county, and you want to leave it better at the end of the day. I just want to be remembered as the guy who tried his best to make Arizona a better place for everyone.