Ohio Consumers’ Counsel and Agency Director
Bruce Weston has served Ohioans as the Consumers’ Counsel (Agency Director), by appointment of the Consumers’ Counsel Governing Board, since March 2012. Previously, he served as the Deputy Consumers’ Counsel and directed the Agency’s Legal Department. His career spans more than 40 years in public utilities law, which he draws upon in his public service to the Agency and to Ohio residential consumers.
Bruce is committed to giving Ohioans a voice in their government’s regulatory and legislative processes for regulation of essential utility services, among the powerful corporate interests and undue influence of public utilities. He seeks affordable rates and reliable utility services for millions of Ohio consumers. His consumer protection priorities include: reforming the process for selecting PUCO commissioners to provide balance and more transparency for consumers; improving justice for consumers at the PUCO, such as giving consumers refunds when the Supreme Court overturns a PUCO rate order; repealing the ratemaking in Ohio’s 2008 energy law that favors electric utilities over consumers; enabling competitive markets, instead of monopolies and subsidies, where competition can be effective for providing consumers with lower prices and greater innovation; protecting at-risk Ohioans regarding their utility services; and increasing consumer protections regarding services from energy marketers.
Prior to joining the Agency for a second time in October 2004, Bruce was in private law practice where he served as legal counsel for clients in cases involving utility rates, service quality, industry restructuring and competition. He received his bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Cincinnati. He earned his law degree from The Ohio State University College of Law. He began his service to the Agency and consumers as a legal intern. He served as the Chair of the Public Utilities Law Committee of the Ohio State Bar Association for two years beginning in June 2010.
Acting Legal Director
Maureen Willis was named Acting Legal Director in April of 2023. She has been an assistant consumers’ counsel with the OCC since 2004. She specializes in the litigation of complex electric cases, but has diverse legal experience and has served on cases across all utility industries. Maureen began her career at the OCC in 1982 as a legal intern and was hired as a staff attorney upon receiving her juris doctor degree from Capital University Law School in 1983. After leaving Columbus and later returning, she joined the OCC once again in 1988. In between her stints at the OCC, Maureen worked at the Office of the People’s Counsel (the Washington, D.C., counterpart of the OCC); Hahn, Loeser and Parks; the Office of the Ohio Attorney General as special counsel to both the Ohio Department of Development; and the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office. Along with her JD, Maureen graduated from the University of Dayton with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.
Acting Analytical Director
Kerry Adkins was named Acting Analytical Director in January 2023. He joined OCC in November 2018 and serves as a Senior Regulatory Analyst. Kerry came to the OCC with more than 29 years of experience in public service regulating utilities at the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO). His experience includes investigations and audits, drafting and enforcing PUCO rules, testifying as an expert witness, and involvement in public policy making on issues affecting Ohio consumers.
Kerry has a bachelor’s degree in History from Ohio Northern University and a Master of Public Administration degree from Ohio State University.
Operations Director
Susan Loe serves Ohioans as the Director of the Operations Department. OCC’s Operations Department manages human resources, information technology, and budget and fiscal matters. Susan joined the Agency in September 2021. Prior to joining OCC, Susan held positions in HR/Fiscal Management at the State Medical Board and the Ohio Ethics Commission. She also previously held Chief of Staff and administrative positions in private sector law firms for more than a decade. Susan earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Franklin University, with a dual major in Business Management and Human Resources Management. Susan also received her Ohio Certified Public Manager (OCPM) certification from Ohio State’s John Glenn College of Public Affairs and is a graduate of the Ohio Fiscal Academy and the Office of Collective Bargaining Academy.
Public Affairs Manager