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CAC Members

2021-2023 Consumer Advisory Council Members

Members serve two-year terms. The 2021-2023 term began on July 1, 2021, and continues through June 30, 2023.

Consumer Advisory Council photo

Back row: Carl Bailey, Chairman Tim Hennessey, Ray Landis and Sonny Popowsky. Front row: Lenora Best, Sylvia Simms, Mary Bach and Elizabeth Marx. Not pictured: Vice Chairman Ralph Douglass, Eileen Mazza, Chad Quinn and Justin Udo.

Mary Bach
She is a long-time independent consumer advocate. A former high school teacher, she is volunteer chair AARP’s Pennsylvania Consumer Issues Task Force and has long been a strong voice for consumers across Pennsylvania. Appointment by Commission-at-Large. Resides in Murrysville, Westmoreland County.

Carl W. Bailey

He has 35 years of experience working with community development and small business growth. He currently serves on the advisory committee for Pennsylvania Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and also has been a strong leadership voice for AARP programs in Pennsylvania. Appointment by Commission-at-Large. Resides in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County.

Lenora M. Best

She has an extensive background in consumer protection policy. A retired PUC manager in the Bureau of Consumer Services (BCS), she brings decades of experience working with utility and consumer organizations. She served on the PA Relay Service Advisory Board. Appointment by Commission-at-Large. Resides in Lower Paxton Township, Dauphin County.

Ralph G. Douglass - Vice Chairman
He is semi-retired as President of PECA Inc., an electronics design and manufacturing firm but continues to provide Project Management consulting. He has served as President of the Bensalem Township School Board; currently serves as President of the Just for Kids Education Foundation; is Chairperson of the Bensalem Township Cable/Telecommunications Advisory Board; and is cofounder and board member of the Bensalem Non-Public School Channel Corp. Appointed by Sen. Robert M. Tomlinson (R-Bucks), the Majority Chairman of the Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee. Resides in Bensalem, Bucks County.

Timothy B. Hennessey - Chairman

First appointed to the Consumer Advisory Council in 2009, Tim has served as Chairman twice, in 2011-15 and since 2020. Tim served as Vice Chairman from 2015-17. He is a partner in H&H Marketing Group LLC, a business development firm utilizing an extensive network of strong business and government relationships throughout Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic.  Tim is the former owner of Phoenix Festival Productions, an award-winning event planning company. Previously, he worked for the Pennsylvania Senate and the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.  A graduate of the Fels Institute of Government at the University of Pennsylvania, he is a former member of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection's Cleanup Standards Scientific Advisory Board. Appointment by Commission-at-Large. Resides in North Coventry Township, Chester County.

Ray Landis
He is a retired, former Advocacy Manager for AARP Pennsylvania. He is retired from AARP in 2019 after working for the organization since 1996. Prior to his work at AARP, he served on the Congressional staff of U.S. Rep. John Murtha of Pennsylvania. A native of York, he currently is a columnist for the Pennsylvania Capital-Star, writing about issues impacting consumers, particularly older Pennsylvanians. Appointment by Commission-at-Large. Resides in Harrisburg, Dauphin County.

Elizabeth “Liz” R. Marx
She is the Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Utility Law Project (PULP) – which provides information, assistance and advice about residential utility and energy matters affecting low-income consumers. Prior to joining PULP, she worked as a staff attorney at the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence. A graduate of Temple University and the Widener School of Law, she currently chairs Pennsylvania’s Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) Advisory Committee and serves on a statewide Weatherization Assistance Program Policy Advisory Committee.  Appointment by Commission-at-Large. Resides in Harrisburg, Dauphin County.

Eileen Mazza
She is a retiree from Columbia Gas of Ohio, where she was a plant supervisor in charge of the fleet and warehouse and eventually rose to Director of General Services for the company’s Northern Ohio Region. With 20 years of experience in the gas distribution industry, she has been a member of AARP’s Consumer Issues Task Force since 2007 and has given presentations to various groups on issues such as “Frauds and Scams,” “It's Your Money” and “Health Care Frauds.” Appointment by Commission-at-Large. Resides in Eighty Four, Washington County.

Sonny Popowsky
He is the former Pennsylvania Consumer Advocate (serving from 1990 to 2012), brings an extensive state and national background in consumer and utility issues. Appointment by Gov. Tom Wolf. Resides in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County.

Chad Quinn
He serves as Chief Operating Officer of the Dollar Energy Fund Inc., Pittsburgh, which works with utility companies to design and administer programs to help low-income utility customers.  Appointment by Commission-at-Large. Resides in Pittsburgh, Allegheny County.

Sylvia P. Simms
She is an advocate for high-quality education, especially in low-income neighborhoods. Simms is the founder of PARENT POWER, a training program to get families more involved in their children’s education and has been involved with community improvement efforts for more than a decade. She also works for SELF Inc. as a Housing Support Coach.  SELF is a human services agency that provides emergency and permanent supportive housing, housing-focused case management, mentoring and other vital services and resources for Philadelphia's most vulnerable communities. Appointment by Commission-at-Large. Resides in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County.

Justin Udo
He is a reporter for KYW News Radio and CBS 3 Eyewitness News in Philadelphia. He is a general assignment reporter and is responsible for researching and stories that includes consumer and community issues. He worked for WNEW/Gov.Biz Radio as a reporter, anchor and editor. Former Western Pennsylvania resident. Appointed by Lt. Gov. John Fetterman. Resides in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County

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