The Robert F. Manifold Award is the highest honor of the National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates, recognizing a lifetime of public service. It was awarded to Bruce Weston for "Dedication and Meritorious Service to the People of Ohio and to NASUCA."
Amy Carles – Central and Northwest counties: Allen, Auglaize, Champaign, Crawford, Darke, Defiance, Erie, Fulton, Hancock, Hardin, Henry, Huron, Logan, Lorain, Lucas, Marion, Mercer, Miami, Montgomery, Ottawa, Paulding, Preble, Putnam, Sandusky, Seneca, Shelby, Union, Van Wert, Williams, Wood, Wyandot.
Tonja Stewart Shaw – Central and Northeast counties: Ashland, Ashtabula, Carroll, Columbiana, Coshocton, Cuyahoga, Delaware, Geauga, Harrison, Holmes, Jefferson, Knox, Lake, Licking, Mahoning, Medina, Morrow, Portage, Richland, Stark, Summit, Trumbull, Tuscarawas, Wayne.
Kathryn Metz – Central and Southern counties: Adams, Athens, Belmont, Brown, Butler, Clark, Clermont, Clinton, Fairfield, Fayette, Franklin, Gallia, Greene, Guernsey, Hamilton, Highland, Hocking, Jackson, Lawrence, Madison, Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Muskingum, Noble, Perry, Pickaway, Pike, Ross, Scioto, Vinton, Warren, Washington.
Amy Carles is a Senior Outreach and Education Program Specialist with the Office of the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel (OCC), the residential utility consumer advocate. Amy’s first term with OCC spanned from June 2004 until July 2011. She has since reclaimed her position with OCC in November 2014.
As a Senior Outreach and Education Program Specialist, one of Amy’s major responsibilities is to conduct presentations on a wide range of utility topics, including electric, natural gas, telephone and water, for social and human service agencies, community and professional organizations and other interested groups. She also plays an active role in educating consumers about OCC’s services by meeting with consumers, answering their questions and distributing informative materials such as fact sheets, brochures and newsletters. Amy coordinates OCC’s outreach and education efforts in the Central and Northwest Ohio area.
Prior to returning to OCC, Amy served as program coordinator and executive director for the non-profit organization Hancock County Saves at OSU Extension, Hancock County. There, she strengthened community outreach and developed, coordinated and taught financial literacy programs. She also worked for the Humane Society & SPCA of Hancock County where she assisted with Animal Control office operations, wrote grants and coordinated the Paws for a Cause: PAWS fundraiser. In the past, Amy also was a consumer education coordinator with the Ohio Attorney General’s office as well as the director of complaint management and dispute resolution and the director of advertising review for the Better Business Bureau serving Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan.
Amy earned her bachelor’s degree in Organizational Management from Bluffton University in 2011. Prior to this, she graduated from Owens Community College with an associate’s degree in Sales and Marketing with a certificate in Supervision and earned a certificate in Management Advancement for Public Service in Public Relations and Marketing from the John Glenn Institute for Public Service and Public Policy at The Ohio State University.
Central and Northwest counties: Allen, Auglaize, Champaign, Crawford, Darke, Defiance, Erie, Fulton, Hancock, Hardin, Henry, Huron, Logan, Lorain, Lucas, Marion, Mercer, Miami, Montgomery, Ottawa, Paulding, Preble, Putnam, Sandusky, Seneca, Shelby, Union, Van Wert, Williams, Wood, Wyandot.
Tonja Stewart Shaw is a Senior Outreach and Education Program Specialist with the Office of the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel, the residential utility consumer advocate. She joined the OCC in February 2023.
As an outreach specialist, Tonja’s responsibilities include conducting presentations to social and human service agencies, community and professional organizations, and other interested groups on a wide range of utility topics including electric, natural gas, telephone, and water. She also educates Ohio consumers about OCC’s services by meeting with consumers, answering their questions, and distributing fact sheets and brochures. Tonja has extensive knowledge of low-income energy assistance programs.
Before joining the OCC, she worked in public service at the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) as the Low-Income Programs Specialist for more than 31 years where she was responsible for overseeing all aspects of the energy assistance programs (Percentage of Income Payment Plan), consumer protections, coordinating the annual winter heating season campaign which included the issuance of the special reconnect order, and conducting statewide training on energy assistance programs. Tonja coordinates OCC’s outreach in Franklin County and Northeast Ohio.
Tonja earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism with a concentration in Public Relations from The Ohio State University, a Master of Science Administration in Strategic Leadership from Central Michigan University, and a Certificate in Public and Nonprofit Leadership from the John Glenn College of Public Affairs at The Ohio State University.
Central and Northeast counties: Ashland, Ashtabula, Carroll, Columbiana, Coshocton, Cuyahoga, Delaware, Geauga, Harrison, Holmes, Jefferson, Knox, Lake, Licking, Mahoning, Medina, Morrow, Portage, Richland, Stark, Summit, Trumbull, Tuscarawas, Wayne.
Kathryn Metz is a Senior Outreach and Education Specialist with the Office of the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel (OCC), the residential utility consumer advocate. She joined the OCC in January 2023.
As a Senior Outreach and Education Specialist, Kathryn delivers presentations on a variety of utility topics, including electric, natural gas, telephone and water for social and human service agencies, community and professional organizations and other interested groups. She also educates Ohio consumers about the OCC’s work by attending shows and fairs and speaking with Ohio consumers, answering their questions and distributing fact sheets. Kathryn coordinates OCC’s outreach in Central and Southern Ohio.
Before joining the OCC, Kathryn worked as an outreach coordinator at The Ohio State University’s Center for Slavic, East European and Eurasian Studies. She also served as a humanitarian aid worker along the Balkan route of migration in Bosnia and Serbia. Her background in human rights and education has equipped her to educate and advocate for the rights of Ohio consumers.
Kathryn earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from The Ohio State University and a Master of Arts in Human Rights Law from the Central European University in Budapest, Hungary.
Central and Southern counties: Adams, Athens, Belmont, Brown, Butler, Clark, Clermont, Clinton, Fairfield, Fayette, Franklin, Gallia, Greene, Guernsey, Hamilton, Highland, Hocking, Jackson, Lawrence, Madison, Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Muskingum, Noble, Perry, Pickaway, Pike, Ross, Scioto, Vinton, Warren, Washington.