NASHVILLE - Tennessee House Speaker Beth Harwell has named a Chattanooga businesswoman to fill a vacant director position on the Tennessee Regulatory Authority.

Robin Bennett now serves as a vice president and financial center manager for First Tennessee and, according to Harwell, brings to the agency experience in customer relations, business management and federal and regulatory compliance.

Bennett replaces Sara Kyle, who resigned from the TRA in March. The agency regulates investor-owned water and electric utilities as well as some telephone services.

The mission of the TRA is to promote the public interest by balancing the interests of consumers and monopoly utilities.

For complete details, see tomorrow's Chattanooga Times Free Press.