Thank you for your support!	Join our Facebook Campaign!

I am Eric Skrmetta and am a candidate for the Public Service Commission, District 1.  Thank you for your interest in my campaign.

First and foremost I am a husband, to my wife Debbie, and father to our two children, Elizabeth (age 9) and Race (age 6).  Family is very important to me. In addition to my regular Husband and Dad duties I have spent all of my life actively involved in the operations and management of my family's seafood and machinery businesses. My profession is that of an Attorney at Law and Mediator. 
I am a fiscal conservative running for Public Service Commissioner who will ensure a regulatory balance that will enable consumers to pay the lowest rates for utilities while allowing the utility companies to earn a fair rate of return on their investment.   I am pro-life and pro-2nd amendment.

I earned my undergraduate degree from LSU in Industrial Technology in 1981.  I graduated from Southern University Law School in 1985 with a Juris Doctorate degree and went on to Tulane University and earned my Masters in Law degree (LL.M) in Maritime and Admiralty Law in 1986.

My bachelor's degree in technology, and my life experiences in manufacturing, uniquely positions me to clearly understand the technical nature of issues that will be brought before the commission.  Additionally, my education as an Attorney and my Laureate Masters in Maritime Law degree will provide unique insight to the commission, who regulates transportation, including services along the Mississippi River . 

After Hurricane Katrina, I had the honor of serving as a Mediator in the Louisiana Department of Insurance program in which I facilitated alternative dispute  resolution between homeowners and their wind insurance companies.  After completing hundreds and hundreds of mediations, I have come to recognize the importance of bringing parties together to resolve their issues.  My mediation skills will be invaluable to me as I work with consumers to resolve their differences with the utility companies.
The position of Public Service Commissioner requires a person to be able to balance the needs of the service providers against the paramount need to protect the consumer. To accomplish this goal it is important to have no predisposition against either industry or the consumer.  It is also important to approach problems between providers and consumers with an open mind and the ability to determine the issues and work toward a resolution that will best serve all involved.  My experience as a Mediator will help to achieve rapid resolution to problems that come before the commission.

Volunteerism and community service is an important part of my life.  I am active in our community and sit on the Board, or as a member, of numerous community organizations including the Boy Scouts of America, The Louisiana Film Foundation, and the East Jefferson YMCA.  I am an active member in the Krewes of Mid City and Endymion.  I am a publicly elected member of the Jefferson Parish RPEC. 

I have governmental experience through my experience as Judge, as hoc THO, for First Parish Court for the Parish of Jefferson . I was a Commissioner for the Greater New Orleans Expressway Commission and worked on the staff of former Governor Dave Treen.