Chairperson Eric Callisto

Eric Callisto was appointed Chairperson of the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin in May of 2008.  Prior to his appointment, he was the Executive Assistant to the Chairperson of the PSC.  His previous Wisconsin state government positions include Administrator of the Division of Enforcement at the Department of Regulation and Licensing and Assistant Legal Counsel to Governor Jim Doyle.  From 1997 through 2003, he was an Assistant Attorney General at the Wisconsin Department of Justice, in both the Environmental Protection and Civil Litigation units.  He has worked as a public defender in New York City and Philadelphia, and at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, D.C.  He has a law degree, from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a B.A. in Environmental Sciences from the University of Virginia.

If you would like to contact Chairperson Callisto, please send him an e-mail at: Sandra.Paske@psc.state.wi.us.

Commissioner Mark Meyer

Mark Meyer was appointed Commissioner of the Public Service Commission by Governor Jim Doyle in September 2004.

Commissioner Meyer has an extensive legislative background, serving in both the State Assembly and Senate and previously working in the U.S. Congress.

Before joining the PSC, Commissioner Meyer served as Senator for the 32nd Senate District in western Wisconsin. As Senator, Commissioner Meyer served on numerous legislative committees including the Energy and Utilities; Transportation and Information Infrastructure; and Economic Development, Job Creation and Housing committees. He also served on the State Building Commission.

Prior to assuming duties as Senator in January 2001, Commissioner Meyer served in the Wisconsin State Assembly representing the 95th Assembly District for eight years. He also worked in Washington, D.C. for U.S. Senator Bill Proxmire, was the Director of Field Operations for the State Medical Society, and served on the La Crosse City Council from 1985-1989.

Commissioner Meyer attended American University in Washington, D.C. and earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in 1988.

In 2005 Commissioner Meyer co-chaired a task force initiated by Governor Jim Doyle to review Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) as part of the Governor’s Conserve Wisconsin agenda.

If you would like to contact Commissioner Meyer, please send him an e-mail at: Alice.Heilman@psc.state.wi.us.

Commissioner Lauren Azar

Governor Jim Doyle appointed Lauren Azar Commissioner of the Public Service Commission (PSCW) in March 2007 for a term that expires in March 2013.  Aside from her duties as a Wisconsin Commissioner, Azar is currently the President of the Organization of MISO states (OMS).  The OMS is a non-profit organization of representatives from each state that is included in the Midwest Independent System Operator (Midwest ISO).  As president of the OMS, Commissioner Azar is leading a regional planning and cost allocation effort for developing electric transmission over the Midwest ISO region, which includes 13 states and one Canadian province.  Commissioner Azar also sits on the Electricity Committee and the Nuclear Issues – Waste Disposal Subcommittee of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC).   At the state level, Commissioner Azar led an initial investigation into the development of wind generation on Lakes Michigan and Superior resulting in an extensive report, which may be found at:   http://psc.wi.gov/globalWarming/05EI144/index-WindonWater.htm.

Prior to her appointment to the PSCW, Commissioner Azar worked as an attorney and practiced extensively in the area of electric and water utilities, representing both ratepayers and utilities.  As a representative for ratepayers, Commissioner Azar negotiated power purchase agreements and resolved disputes with utilities.  While representing utilities, Commissioner Azar helped to create the nation’s first stand-alone transmission company and helped to site a 210-mile extra-high voltage line in Wisconsin and Minnesota.  In addition to public utility law, among others, she also practiced environmental law focusing on water law and on contaminated properties.

Commissioner Azar has been recognized by Madison Magazine as a leading lawyer in environmental law, and was also named as one of the Best Lawyers in America for 2007 in the area of energy law.   Commissioner Azar has authored several articles for the National Business Institute.  She co-edited and co-authored the Wisconsin Environmental Law Handbook, Fourth Edition, July 2007.

Commissioner Azar received her Bachelor of Arts Degree from Rutgers College and a Master of Arts in Philosophy from Northwestern University.  She also has a Master of Science in Water Resources Management and a law degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

If you would like to contact Commissioner Azar, please send her an e-mail at: Krystal.Jones@psc.state.wi.us.