Commissioner Steven D. Lesser
 |
Steven D. Lesser Term ends: April 10, 2015 |
Steven D. Lesser was appointed commissioner of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio by Gov. Ted Strickland in 2010.
Commissioner Lesser has been very involved in utility regulation over the past 30 years, beginning his career at the PUCO in 1979. Prior to his appointment as commissioner, he served the PUCO as chief of staff, assistant director of the legal department, deputy director of the transportation department and administrative law judge/attorney examiner in the legal department. In his role as chief of staff, Lesser was instrumental in developing policy positions on legal and regulatory issues and was responsible for overseeing the daily operations of the agency. In addition, he played a critical role in the implementation of the new electric regulation bill and the “green” rules which encourage the development of alternative energy and energy efficiency in Ohio.
Commissioner Lesser has served on numerous state and federal committees, including the Alliance for Uniform Hazardous Materials Transportation Procedures and the Intelligent Transportation Advisory Committee. Additionally, he established the transportation civil forfeiture and enforcement section at the PUCO. Lesser also worked on consumer protection and safety legislation in the transportation division, developed national standards for hazardous material safety, created natural gas conservation programs, and established minimum standards for the water industry. He has had numerous materials published in law review and industry publications.
Early in his career, Commissioner Lesser served as legal counsel to Lawyers Title Insurance Corporation and was law director for the Village of Hanover in Licking County, Ohio. He received his Juris Doctorate from Capital University Law School and his bachelor’s degree from State University of New York at Binghamton.