CAC Members

2023-2025 Consumer Advisory Council Members

Members serve two-year terms. The 2023-2025 term began on July 1, 2023, and continues through June 30, 2025.

Back row: Carl Bailey, Chairman Tim Hennessey, Ray Landis and Sonny Popowsky. Front row: Vice Chair Lenora Best, Sylvia Simms, Mary Bach and Elizabeth Marx. 

Mary Bach
Bach is a longtime independent consumer advocate. A former high school teacher, she is volunteer chair of 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

Bailey 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.

Lenora M. Best - Vice Chairman

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

Timothy B. Hennessey - Chairman

Tim Hennessey is a 10th generation Pennsylvanian. He is the Chief Operating Officer of a tech startup utilizing blockchain technology, and recently co-authored a patent for green energy harvesting, storage and monetization. Tim has worked in the private, public and nonprofit sectors. He has started several businesses and area events, including the highly successful Phoenixville Beer & Wine Festival. His events have distributed more than $150,000 to nonprofit organizations in Chester and Montgomery counties. Tim previously worked for the Pennsylvania Senate and the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Tim is the Chair of the Consumer Advisory Council of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission and has served on the boards of many nonprofits. Tim’s interests include: hiking, travel, colonial history, cooking and reading. Tim holds a master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania and executive education in entrepreneurship and sales from the University of Virginia and Northwestern University. He resides in North Coventry Township, Chester County.

Ray Landis

Landis is a former Advocacy Manager for AARP Pennsylvania. He retired from AARP in 2019 after working for the organization since 1996. Prior to his work at AARP, Landis served on the Congressional staff of U.S. Rep. John Murtha of Pennsylvania. A native of York, he 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

Marx is 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, Marx worked as a staff attorney at the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence. A graduate of Temple University and the Widener School of Law, Marx currently chairs Pennsylvania’s 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

Mazza 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.

Theresa D. Mingarell

Mingarell has a history of involvement with consumer issues, including her 10 years as a policy analyst in the PUC's Bureau of Consumer Services before her retirement in December 2022. Prior to joining the PUC, Mingarell worked as a human services program specialist and income maintenance caseworker with Pennsylvania's Department of Public Welfare. Appointment by Commission-at-Lare. Resides in Camp Hill, Cumberland County.

Justyn Patton

Patton is a behavioral health technician supervisor at Dreamlife Recovery LLC. In addition to his duties at Dreamlife Recovery, Patton conducts outreach work in the community to assist individuals with substance use disorders. A veteran of the U.S. Navy, Patton has been appointed by Sen. Patrick Stefano (R-32nd District), the Majority Chairman of the Senate Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee. Resides in Donegal, Westmoreland County.

Sonny Popowsky

Popowsky is the former Pennsylvania Consumer Advocate (serving from 1990 to 2012) and is regarded nationally as an expert on state and national consumer and utility issues. He currently serves as Chair of the City of Philadelphia Water, Sewer and Stormwater Rate Board, as well as a member of the Advisory Board of the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy of the University of Pennsylvania. Popowsky was appointed by Gov. Josh Shapiro on June 2, 2023, after previously being appointed to the CAC beginning in 2017 by Gov. Tom Wolf. Resides in Philadelphia.

Chad Quinn

Quinn is Chief Operating Officer of Pittsburgh-based Dollar Energy Fund, which works to improve the quality of life or households experiencing hardships by providing utility assistance and other services that lead to self-sufficiency. Appointment by Commission-at-Large. Resides in Pittsburgh, Allegheny County.

Sylvia P. Simms

Simms 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 as a housing support coach for SELF Inc. – a human services agency providing emergency and support services for Philadelphia's most vulnerable communities. Appointment by Commission-at-Large. Resides in Philadelphia.